Domaine de la Côte Blooms Field Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2020

Just south of Santa Barbara County and a few miles from the sea is the cool climate AVA of Sta. Rita Hills. This growing region is situated in an east-to-west series of rolling hills that have no barriers between the hillside vineyards and the adjacent Pacific Ocean. This geographic anomaly allows for strong winds, morning fog, and the cold rush of the ocean to heavily influence the vineyards planted here. As a result, Pinot Noir thrives in the Sta. Rita Hills and is arguably one the greatest places in the New World to grow this varietal. 

Domaine de la Côte is the highly celebrated collaboration between Master Sommelier Rajat Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman. Sashi’s winemaking style gravitates towards a balance of alcohol, acidity, freshness, and fruit with elegance and finesse, modeled from the wines of Burgundy, and with the characteristics that historically helped to make Pinot Noir so distinctive and adored. Rajat has years of experience in the wine industry including working with Master sommelier Larry Stone at Rubicon in San Francisco, then going on to become the wine director for The Michael Mina Group and partner in Mina's celebrated restaurants RN74 in San Francisco and Seattle. He is one of the most respected sommeliers in the country, a James Beard award-winning author of the book "Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like the World's Top Wine Professionals" and is in part responsible for the 'In Pursuit of Balance' movement that transformed the way wines were made in California. These vineyards at Domaine de Côte sit at an elevation of 700 feet above the Santa Ynez River on an ancient 25-million-year-old siliceous and diatomaceous seabed seven miles from the Pacific Ocean, making it the closest vineyard to the coast in the region. The 2020 single vineyard Bloom's Field is from a 7 ½ acre parcel that lies on the far western edge of the estate. This vineyard faces gently to the south but has a clear view west to the Pacific Ocean and therefore is unprotected from the marine influences of wind and fog. These extreme environmental influences have a profound impact on the growth of the vines. In defense of the wicked winds, the Pinot Noir clusters remain smaller and more compact with thicker skins. These unusually small clusters and berries produce a Pinot Noir of concentration and depth of flavor while the constant cooling winds preserve high levels of natural acidity that give the wines their great energy. The wine opens with inviting aromas of strawberry preserves and luscious sour cherry followed by spice-driven notes like sandalwood, bramble, forest floor, and moss. Focused and concentrated, the palate is dense without being heavy. Made by some of the finest talents in the industry, this Pinot Noir is not to be missed!