2014 Presqu’ile Vineyard Pinot Noir - Sweetzer Cellars

Explosive bing cherry, lavender oil, fragrant pomegranate. Juicy strawberry, lush undergrowth, wild huckleberry. White mushroom and pine cone, nutmeg and powdered cinnamon. Booming cranberry and rhubarb pie join a procession of bright and high-toned red fruit marauding their way through a countryside of clovers and conifers. Delicate purple floral tones emanate from sandy marine soils notable for their own distinct spiced earth character. A dash of fresh salinity muddles with coriander seed and cardamom in an exotic and expressive display. Rather forward and expansive yet still remarkably lean and weightless, exhibiting wonderfully amplified restraint. This 2014 Presqu'ile Vineyard Pinot Noir by Sweetzer Cellars is a succulent and superb Santa Maria Valley Pinot.

California Pinot Noir is well known for being distinguishably more ripe and fruit-driven than its Burgundian counterparts, but some of the best examples still carry magical earthy nuance to complement their more forward fruit profile. This bottling, crafted by Sweetzer Cellars using 100% Pinot Noir from the well regarded Presqu'ile Vineyard, is a great example of a fruit-driven California Pinot Noir that absolutely does not skimp on the expression of terroir. While only medium in body and clocking in at a balanced 13.5% ABV this wine oozes lush and decadent fruit rife with gorgeous Pinot-funk typicity. It is both earthy and heavily spiced, showcasing the unique forest floor and spicy soil tones that Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley has become famous for. Beautifully structured and wonderfully captivating - this is a fantastic example of precocious yet complex California Pinot Noir. We dig it.