2014 Consilience Wines Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 750 ml

Sanger Vineyard Pinot Noir — The Miracle 2014 Vintage

The most intriguing trend in American Pinot Noir is the move towards edgier vineyard sites. Some of the most inspired winemakers in Sonoma and especially in Sta. Rita Hills have turned their attention to some of the coldest corners of the California coast, crafting brilliant, wild-berry Pinot Noirs braced by zesty acidity but with modest alcohol levels.

For example, Domaine de la Côte, the new critically acclaimed estate founded by sommelier/winemaker Rajat Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman, has earned rave reviews from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni’s Vinous. Rightfully so. The latest releases are brilliant — along with Rhys and Ojai, some of the most riveting Pinot Noirs in the New World.

Still, the challenges facing these new endeavors can’t be overlooked. Naysayers point towards the likelihood of tattered balance sheets in the cold years on the Santa Barbara coast, when a late-season frost can destroy an entire vintage in just a few moonlit hours. If you choose to play with fire, they suggest, prepare to get burned.

It’s still unclear to us, from a ROI perspective, if these extraordinary vineyards planted in the very northwest quadrant of Sta. Rita Hills just 3 to 4 miles from chilly Lompoc are viable. But one thing’s for sure. If your Pinot Noir palate is geared towards brilliant dark-ruby color, mouthwatering, almost “crunchy” red-fruit intensity, all braced by crisp acid backbone that would make the vignerons of Gevrey-Chambertin proud, clear out a corner of your cellar for some of the most delicious American Pinot Noirs we tasted all year … like this one.

It was eight years ago that Sashi Moorman, with the help of Chris King, discovered the first site for the future Domaine de la Côte. A year later, in 2008, Bill and Jan Sanger planted Sanger Vineyard off Sweeney Canyon, a stone’s throw from Moorman and Parr’s plots. Just 3.5 miles from Lompoc, this is as cold and edgy as it gets for Pinot Noir in Sta. Rita Hills. In cold years, the Sangers, like their neighbors, may well have to bite the bullet. But surely not in the miracle vintage of 2014.

2014 was the third consecutive drought year on the coast. A mild winter and warm spring led to early bud-break. While daytime highs rarely topped 80 degrees and nighttime lows often plunged into the 40s, the arid conditions and steady breezes off the Pacific accelerated the maturation cycle. The call to harvest was one of the earliest in memory. Still, acids held firm, and even at comparatively low sugar levels, the berries were pert and ultra-sweet.

Winemaker Brett Escalera’s 2014 Consilience consists of Pinot Noir grown on Sanger, Verna’s, Strange, and Betteravia Farms vineyards. Mouthwatering aromas of black cherry, raspberry, chalk, and rose petals, tightly wound and flashy. Rich, juicy, sweetly concentrated (though the finished wine is BONE-dry), filled with cherry, red plum, and crushed raspberry, finishing with terrific backbone and vibrancy. Drink now-2022.

$35 on release. As good as edgy Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir EVER gets at $19 today. Shipping included on 6. This is a STEAL!