2016 Tyler Winery La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir

Tyler Winery was started in 2005 when Justin Willett, a young Santa Barbara winemaker, decided to make his own wines. He’d been an assistant winemaker for Arcadian Winery but started sourcing grapes from such legendary local vineyards as Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict. More recently he’s acquired his own Sta. Rita Hills estate vineyard where he has planted 26 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Antonio Galloni of Vinous has rated Tyler wines in the mid- to high-90s and described Tyler’s 2015 vintage like this: “Justin Willett made some of the most memorable wines of the 2015 vintage. His Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are exceptional…. As always, Willett’s style is one of grace and understatement….”

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.