2012 Domaine De La Côte Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Domaine de la Côte is a 40-acre estate spread over six vineyards on the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. It was acquired in 2013 by Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman – both deeply involved in the wine business, and Mark Stevenson, a real estate developer with an interest in Burgundian wines. Parr and Moorman are also the principals in Sandhi Wines, also in the Sta. Rita Hills. The estate is organically farmed and the wines – so far mostly Pinot Noir -- are made in nearby Lompoc. All the wines are made from estate vineyards, and Vinous has called Domaine de la Côte “one of the most intriguing wineries in Santa Barbara.”

Santa Rita Hills AVA in northern Santa Barbara County was granted appellation status in 2001. Located between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton, it has a total area of 30,720 acres with 2,700 vineyard acres. The area is considered a cool climate for vineyards, so vineyards are most often planted with the cool-weather grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The hills in the western part of this appellation are directly exposed to the Pacific Ocean, meaning that maritime winds and fog make the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills AVA particularly cool. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard planted in 1971 was the first vineyard in the district and is still considered one of the best.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.