2017-C Summerland Theresa Noelle Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, California (750ml)   

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Brilliant scarlet color. Aromas of ripe red fruits. The palate shows flavors of Rainier cherries, dried cranberry, mixed berries, pomegranate, and a hint of vanilla and sweet oak. Silky texture with so•t tannins and a graceful, layered finish.

Harvested during the early morning marine fog, the grapes were sorted, destemmed and cold soaked for 72 hours before fermentation began. Punchdowns were performed 3 times daily until the alcoholic fermentation was complete. The wine was then transferred to a combination of French and American oak barrels (35% new and 65% neutral) and aged for 24 months.

Founded in 2002, Summerland is a boutique winery located in the quaint seaside town of Summerland, California. Dedicated to the production of fine wines from the Central Coast of California, the wine making team is led by Ron Hill, Chief Wine Officer and Wine Maker, Serghei Stanila. Ron joined Summerland in 2015 bringing over 19 years of winemaking experience with him. He spent 10 years as an Associate Winemaker at Babcock Winery and continues cra•ting exceptional wines at Summerland. Serghei began his Viticulture and Enology studies at Technical University of Moldova in 2009 and worked his first harvest in 2011. He later moved to the United States and began working at Summerland for extended harvests in 2012 and 2013. Serghei completed his bachelor’s degree in winemaking in 2014 and was later promoted to Winemaker at Summerland in 2016.

The Santa Rita Hills (officially listed as Sta. Rita Hills a•ter a court battle over the name) has some of the world’s largest and purest deposits of diatomaceous earth which lends a fascinating note of minerality and salinity in the glass. With little rain and well-drained soils, the vines maintain good acidity and develop concentrated fruit. The Theresa-Noelle Vineyard is in the western part of the Santa Rita Hills AVA and is planted to four different Pinot Noir clones: 115, 667, 828, and Pommard. Ten years into maturity, the vines produce outstandingly complex fruit, showing an array of distinct flavor profiles.