Tasting Notes
Bright aromas of red rose petals, damp leaves, and cranberry cola. Underbrush notes on the palate include dried blue flowers. Streamlined acidity and a silky mouthfeel, with earth, slate, pomegranate, red tea, and cinnamon. Named for its maritime proximity and ancient sea bed soils. Aged 15 months in French oak.
VINEYARDS
Fruit was sourced exclusively from our two estate vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, each sited to benefit from the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean. The Rancho Santa Rosa vineyard is planted on steep, south-facing slopes in limestone soils. Rancho Las Hermanas is the westernmost property in the AVA, with vines growing in over six different soil types, all of ancient marine origin.
VINTAGE
The 2018 growing season got off to a fast start with a warm February, followed by a cooler spring. Warm weather arrived mid-June with no extreme heat spikes, allowing the grapes to retain their acid levels with slow and steady maturation of flavors. Picking was three weeks later than usual, but the gradual ripening rendered rich and in-depth flavor profiles that were worth the wait.
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
About El Pino Club
We created El Pino Club because we freaking love Pinot. It’s fickle, it’s funky, it defies expectations, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We curate exceptional Pinot Noir from around the globe, so that you can see the world through the eyes of this wonderful little grape.
Every member of El Pino Club is a unique and lovably-quirky character, bursting with personality, and undeniably true to itself. As individual cast members, they are an ode to the lands and the hands that produce them, and as an ensemble, they celebrate the full range and charm of this legendary varietal.
To capture the fullest expression of terroir, each El Pino Club wine is entrusted to a winemaker expert in the nuances of their region’s Pinot Noir. The winemakers in ‘the Club’ are given creative license to artfully blend clones selected from their best estate vineyard blocks. Their passion for Pinot and individual winemaking styles result in site-specific wines that can be experienced individually or tasted together to appreciate Pinot’s full range
