2017 Deovlet Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 750 ml

No offer sums up the “Access” part of Wine Access quite like Ryan Deovlet’s 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County. Produced in a tiny 335-case quantity, it’s nearly impossible to find outside of the winery and select restaurants. But because of our close friendship with Ryan, we snagged the lion’s share for our members, who have made quick sellouts of our last two offers. 

Ryan is a craftsman at heart. All of his wines are made by his own hands, and come from sites that have graced some of Santa Barbara County’s top bottlings. This one is sourced from three top-tier vineyards—including Sanford and Benedict, one of the five most iconic vineyards in California according to Wine Enthusiast—and we’ve got it today at by far the best price in the nation: just $29. 

With its top-flight fruit front and center, we’d put this bottle up against any of the $60+ Pinot Noirs that come from Santa Barbara County. The nose shows energetic red fruit tones of Bing cherry, warm raspberry, and candied cranberries, which give way to cola, wild flowers, hibiscus, and black tea. The energy on the palate is striking, the fruit is juicy yet poised, segueing into a long and polished finish. As Antonio Galloni of Vinous put it, the Pinot is “bright, lifted, and absolutely delicious.” 

It’s all but impossible to find this kind of Santa Barbara Pinot quality in this price range, and Galloni agrees, saying “Deovlet's appellation wines are often overachievers,” and calling the ‘17 “an impeccable wine in its peer group.” There’s no better way to taste the work of one of California’s fastest-rising stars—while our tiny allocation lasts.

Ryan has now made Wine & Spirits magazine’s Top 100 Wineries list three times in just eight vintages, but a decade and a half ago he was a rising star on the baseball diamond. When an injury derailed his career, he went on a “surf walkabout,” toiling on organic farms in exchange for room and board. During that time, he was given a copy of The Heartbreak Grape, a landmark book about growing Pinot Noir, and that sent Ryan home to California to go all-in on his new career.

In 2007, Ryan listened to icon Rick Sanford—the vintner who planted the iconic Sanford & Benedict vineyard—on a panel at the World of Pinot Noir event, and he said something that made a lasting impact on Ryan:  “It’s about the commitment,” Sanford said. “It’s about dedication, it’s about perseverance, it’s about the journey. There’s a magic to it, there’s a magic to Pinot Noir.”

Ryan framed that quote, and after a season working in Argentina for Paul Hobbs, took it with him when he met with Rick Sanford face to face. It was a high-stakes moment: the young and hungry winemaker standing before a legend, asking to buy fruit from La Encantada, a “Grand Cru” vineyard of Sta. Rita Hills planted by Sanford himself. Convinced by Ryan’s commitment and enthusiasm, Sanford said yes, which got Ryan not just Pinot Noir from a revered vineyard, but the support of a legend. Ryan’s confidence soared. 

Fruit from the La Encantada, Sanford and Benedict, and Zotovich Vineyards make up Ryan’s 2017 Santa Barbara Pinot—and now that he’s been working with the sites for about a decade, the wines keep getting better and better. “Over time, you start to hone in on what the characteristics are of each site,” Ryan told us when we caught up during this year’s bustling harvest.  

Stellar fruit, along with Ryan’s talent, hard work, and growing experience, are leading to success that sometimes still even surprises him. He was in New York last year for an event with Wine & Spirits. “I look down,” he said, and started listing the legendary names. “It’s Krug, Bollinger, Lopez de Heredia, Penfolds… and then Deovlet. It’s really inspiring, and humbling.” 

Taste his Pinot, and you’ll be convinced that Ryan Deovlet deserves his spot alongside those marquee wineries. We’re thrilled that our friendship with Ryan earned us the chance to bring this incredible wine to our members. Claim it while you can.