2013 Babcock Vineyards GrapeHunters Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is sold out.

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2013 Babcock Vineyards GrapeHunters Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

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  • Curated by unrivaled experts
  • Choose your delivery date
  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

Bryan Babcock’s $15/btl Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir??

If the name of your winery is Sea Smoke, Au Bon Climat, or Babcock and you make Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills, in nearly every vintage you’re challenged by daunting economics. Harvest often extends into late October, with yields rarely exceeding more than 2 tons per acre. This wasn’t the case in 2013. In the second of two consecutive drought years, the Sta. Rita Hills experienced a FREAK vintage much more akin to Napa Valley than the Santa Barbara coastline.

Wine Spectator called it “a huge crop of uniformly exceptional quality.” Sugars soured in the final days before harvest, with acids remaining firm. For Bryan Babcock, one of the most revered growers in the history of the AVA, there was just one concern. “Many of us ran out of tank space,” Bryan told us. “Used barrels were being sold at a premium. I’d hadn’t seen anything like it in 20 years.”

Not surprisingly, Babcock performed brilliantly in 2013. His “Ocean Ghost” Pinot Noir, which earned 93 points from both Antonio Galloni and Wine Enthusiast, was quickly snapped up at $60/btl. His deeper and darker “Slice of Heaven” Pinot Noir wowed critics as well, earning 92 and 95 points respectively from Galloni and Wine Enthusiast. But perhaps the most remarkable story of the 2013 vintage at Babcock Vineyards was Bryan’s “GrapeHunters” Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir.

With many in the Sta. Rita Hills harvesting yields of 5 tons per acre in 2013 instead of the usual 2, costs were lowest in memory, but quality was some of the best. “I was playing with the house’s money, but I had a problem,” Bryan told us. “My sales plan is geared towards 2 tons per acre. I had way more Sta. Rita Hills Pinot than I thought I could sell at my $35/btl release price.” Bryan spent a couple weeks mulling over his “problem.” Then he did what so many have done in recent years: He called WineAccess.

The 2013 Babcock Vineyards GrapeHunters Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is vivid ruby to the rim. Bursting with bright red cherry, violets, and spices. Rich, supple, and juicy on the attack with a wild-berry core, laced with sweet spices and mint, finishing with fresh acidity and sweet tannins.

At ONLY $15/btl, this is a Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir absolutely, positively NOT TO BE MISSED. Strict limit of one case per member while it lasts today.