Wine Profiles
One of Santa Barbara's Most Beautiful Vineyards: 2019 Metrick Rancho la Viña Vineyard Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
Close your eyes. You're speeding along in the Santa Rita Hills and you pass Sea Smoke (what!?), you hit the gas exiting a corner, your turn onto Santa Rosa Road, step on it once more, now you’re cookin’, you pass Fiddlestix Vineyard (oh yes!), then Sanford (gulp), you hit D’Alfonso-Curran (yum!), you make a right on a dirt road, the dust spewing from the back of your Porsche 911 Turbo, at the end of the road lies a little known vineyard (the locals know it): Rancho La Viña!! From that vineyard comes this 2019 Metrick Rancho La Viña Pinot Noir, for just $24.99! Your alarm goes off… It's a dream. Well, at least the Porsche is… the wine? It’s real, and we have 20 cases ready for you on summer nights!
Sta. Rita Pinot is an “it” wine right now, and rightfully so. Wine Spectator notes that the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County “is quickly making a name for itself courtesy of some delicious Pinot Noirs.” James Suckling stated that he’s “in love with Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. They are bold and rich wines yet balanced and refined with wonderful freshness and length.”
Metrick’s owner and winemaker Alex Russan aims to produce elegant wines made to show a precise time and place. He hit the mark with this single vineyard, spontaneously fermented, unfined, unfiltered Pinot. It has beautiful aromas of dark cherry, strawberry, and plum. It’s fresh and light with bright fruit and a wonderful earthy character.
Still relatively under the radar, Metrick’s reputation is growing with connoisseurs, and this Pinot is evidence of why. We’re taking bets here in our office as to who will be our first Pinot-loving customer to contact us to thank us for introducing them to this gem.
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