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Join us Saturday, May 16th at 4 PM LIVE. We will discuss the Goldilocks Vintage of 2012 and taste through the 2012 Pinot Noirs. We may or may not talk like pirates.

WHEN: Saturday, May 16th, 4 PM PDT, 7 PM EDT
WHERE: Virtually on ZOOM
Zoom Meeting ID: 862-6562-5166
Message info@samsarawine.com for password

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2012 Vintage Report: Our winemaker, Matt Brady, refers to 2012 as a “Goldilocks Vintage”; it wasn’t too cold and it wasn’t too hot, it was just right. The cool and consistent conditions throughout the year, especially after the rainy and wet 2011 allowed for a slow, even ripening for all varieties, and especially allowed Pinot Noir to develop deep complexity while still retaining acid. This produced incredibly well-balanced wines. Long hang time allowed fruit and stems to ripen perfectly and reach this ripeness simultaneously, which is hard to achieve in some vintages. We use anywhere from 25-75% whole-cluster fermentation in our Pinot Noirs, so the quality of the stems at harvest is critical to the longevity and complexity of these wines. Skin and stem tannins, as well as acidity, are the elements that allow a wine to age gracefully and maximize complexity; the 2012 vintage provided perfect conditions to preserve acid while also reaching physiological and phenolic ripeness.

The Wines and Vineyards

2012 Pinot Noir – Las Hermanas Vineyard – Sta. Rita Hills: 14.3% Alcohol, 33% Whole Cluster. This Pinot is red-fruited with deep, complex aromas of candied flowers and asian spices. The texture is silky and seamless and the tannins, which started out already very fine-grained are completely integrated and elegant. 91 points – Wine Advocate

Las Hermanas Vineyard is located between highway 246 and Santa Rosa Road and is quite possibly the coolest vineyard site in the Sta. Rita Hills by their vineyard manager. This vineyard is only 8 miles from the ocean and is situated in a small valley, which traps cool air to the point that air circulation machines are used during the coldest winter mornings to mitigate frost damage. The wines from Las Hermanas vineyard are usually the most delicate and elegant Pinots of the vintage and showcase zippy red fruit and light floral character. Because of the delicate nature of the fruit, only 33% whole-cluster fermentation was used in this wine, which later in life gives the wine an incredibly silky texture with velvety almost imperceptible tannins that evenly coat the palette.

2012 Pinot Noir – Rancho La Viña Vineyard – Sta. Rita Hills: 13% Alcohol, 40% Whole Cluster. This Pinot has aromas of raspberry preserve, spice cake, smoky minerals and floral pastille. On the palate it is silky and round, with a zesty minerality and red fruit liqueur flavors. Rich and focused with smooth tannins.  92 points – Wine Advocate

Rancho La Viña Vineyard is on Santa Rosa Road in the southern section of the Sta. Rita Hills. It is located on the Western edge of the AVA, closer to the ocean and more heavily influenced by the maritime climate. This property has been farmed by the same family for over 150 years and the ranch includes an organic farm that grows heirloom tomatoes, walnuts as well as many other crops. When Matt goes out for the pick during harvest (around 5am) he says the foggy mist in the walnut orchard on the way to the vineyard gives him an overwhelming sense of peace and calm before the madness of the day begins. The whole wild ecosystem at the ranch shows the importance of the harmony with nature, and the vineyard manager loves that the natural springs on the property allow the vineyard to be dry-farmed in most years.

2012 Pinot Noir– Turner Vineyard – Sta. Rita Hills: 13% Alcohol, 75% Whole Cluster. This Pinot has aromas of black raspberry, Indian spices, licorice and a hint of smoky minerals. Deeply concentrated and lively, with a pungent floral element and a long, spicy finish, showing outstanding clarity and energy and just a hint of tannin. 93 points – Wine Advocate

Turner Vineyard is located in the middle of the Northern part of the Sta. Rita Hills along highway 246. This vineyard has one of the most unique geologic configurations in all of the Sta. Rita Hills with a low-lying valley section that gives way to steep hills that climb to a plateau, where the Pinot Noir is grown. The orientation of the vineyard is such that the blocks have significantly different aspects and so the Pinot and Syrah grown here is quite diverse; our Pinot comes from a somewhat cool section of the vineyard. We find that both the Pinots and Syrahs have a signature black pepper quality that defines the wines vintage after vintage. The wines from Turner Vineyard can be incredibly structured in their youth and tend to stand the test of time beautifully, as their dense beginnings give way to subtleties and complexities later in their life.

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