2006 Ambullneo Canis Major Pinot Noir

Ambullneo Vineyards is in Santa Maria Valley, on California’s Central Coast. It was founded by Greg Linn and several investors with the goal of making Burgundian style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though the vineyard also produces Syrah. The name of the winery and various wines are taken from Linn’s fondness for bull dogs, and the limited production wines have impressed wine reviewers. The Wine Advocate notes that “As most Santa Barbara cognoscenti know, Greg Linn is a huge fan of Burgundian wines, and has dedicated his projects in Santa Barbara to making potentially long-lived, elegant, flavorful wines in a more European style...” Wine Advocate called a recent Ambulleno Pinot Noir "a serious winner meant for connoisseurs."

Central Coast AVA is a huge wine producing area that extends from Santa Barbara County in the south to San Francisco in the north. With more than 100,000 vineyard acres, it includes parts of six counties near the Pacific Ocean. Nearly 20 smaller AVAs lie within the Central Coast AVA. Central Coast earned appellation status in 1985. Included in the appellation are parts of the counties of Contra Costa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. Nearly every grape varietal grown in California is grown somewhere in the Central Coast AVA, though Chardonnay accounts for nearly 50% of the entire wine grape crop.

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.

Central Coast and Carneros Pinot Noir