2016 Bien Nacido Estate Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley
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Tasting notes
Moving to the reds, the 2016 Pinot Noir is brilliant, with a rare sense of purity and class. Black raspberries, forest floor, spice, and ample salinity and minerality all give way to a vibrant, medium-bodied, pure, incredibly elegant Pinot Noir that does everything right. This cuvée was fermented entirely with native yeast and spent 16 months in one-third new French oak.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2016 Pinot Noir The Captain is sourced from some of the higher plots on the estate, where streaks of limestone yield a wine of aromatic intensity, brilliance and nuance. Sweet floral notes, mint and bright red berry fruit add lovely shades of nuance throughout. This is such a classy wine.
Pale to medium ruby in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir The Captain is youthfully tight on the nose, very slowly giving up aromas of turned earth, dust, amaro, citrus peel, tree bark, dried leaves and charcuterie hints with a core of warm blackberries and black cherries with very pretty violet notes. Medium-bodied, it's slowly giving up savory and floral flavor layers, with a firm frame of gently grainy tannins and integrated freshness, finishing long. This needs more time in bottle or a long decant. 176 cases produced.