2020 Pinot Noir, Nielson Vineyard
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Join NowSpecifications
- Alcohol 14.4%
- Acidity .66g/100mL
- Appellation Santa Maria Valley AVA
- Bottling Date May 12, 2022
- Country USA
- Fruit Pinot Noir
- Harvest Date September 28, 2020
- ph 3.57
- Producer Flying Goat Cellars
- Type Still
- Varietal Pinot Noir
- Vineyard Nielson Vineyard
- Vintage 2020
- Winemaker Norm Yost
Awards
Wine Enthusiast 90 points.
Food Pairing
Pair with Santa Maria trip-tip, bison burger, smoked Gouda, rosemary potato fritatta or black forest cake.
Product Notes
Pinot Noir Swan Clone; 242 cases produced
Tasting Notes
Enjoy raspberry and brown spice on the nose, complemented by the aroma of an old leather saddlebag used by a wandering cowboy in the Arizona territory. The aromatic "smoking gun" is revealed on the palate with smokey, dusty flavors, complemented by dried cherries, beef jerky and cocoa. No need to lay this wine down as it is very approachable upon release.
Vineyard Notes
Nielson Vineyard pays homage to its namesake, Uriel J. Nielson, who in 1964 planted the first commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County, a region previously considered too cold to grow grapes. Known as a viticulture pioneer, Nielson didn’t heed warnings from neighboring farmers and didn’t flinch in his stance that Santa Barbara County could be one among the top winegrowing regions in the world. This historic, cool-climate, benchland vineyard serves as a model for Santa Barbara’s viticultural experimentation and sustainable farming methods.
Winemaker Notes
From Nielson Vineyard, we are sourcing a California heritage Pinot Noir clone called Swan. This clone was named for Joseph Swan, who was a pioneer in the Russian River Valley. In the 1980s, Norm worked near Joseph Swan's Vineyard in Russian River and for decades he's been curious about the intriguing fruit. He's delighted to finally have the opportunity to make his own expression from it. Norm was sold on the potential of the Nielson fruit after tasting a barrel sample of Bill Wathen's (Foxen) Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir. Our wine benefited from a graceful aging of 18 months in French oak barrels with 25% new oak.