2022 10 Ninths Pinot Noir Sequence Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

Every Pinot lover knows that the true Sonoma Coast and Russian River are ground zero for the grape in California. There’s only one region south of Santa Cruz that competes with those two for prestige. 

That would be Santa Barbara’s Santa Rita Hills (officially, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA). Until the movie Sideways thrust the region’s world-class Pinot Noir into the spotlight, SRH was a well-kept secret. And, fortunately for those who have fallen in love with Santa Rita Hills Pinots, it’s still a bit of a secret, if you compare it to the marquee Pinot zones up in the North Coast.

That’s not to say that Santa Rita lacks blue-chip wines. From Sea Smoke—one might say the original cult SRH Pinot—to Raj Parr’s Domaine de la Côte and the Dragonette wines that have long thrilled Wine Access members, the region’s top names are collecting some serious prices to go along with their accolades. 

Compared to these big names, 10 Ninths’s SRP of $45 is extremely reasonable, especially since it’s estate-grown in the same windy Santa Rita Hills terrain. Add in the fact that it’s crafted by Frederic Ammons, a winemaker with stints at Opus One and prestigious Oakville estate Rudd on his résumé, and it’s a downright steal at that price. At our discount…it’s just unheard of. 

We came by this deal because 10 Ninths is still getting off the ground—our favorite time to get in good with an upstart winery. The 2021 vintage was their first, and this one shows the quality you’d expect from a seasoned veteran like Ammons, not a winery just in its second vintage. 

Grown organically on the estate, hand-picked at night to preserve freshness, the Pinot grapes (clones 777, 115, 667, and Calera) were carefully sorted and mostly destemmed—some whole clusters were left for aromatic lift and structure. The wine was fermented with native yeasts, then punched down gently with the addition of a few pumpovers to guide the tannin extraction.

After aging in French oak barrels, a very limited portion of it new, the wine was bottled in a tiny 200-case quantity. We’re fortunate to have nabbed it, especially at this once-in-a-lifetime price. Don’t let it get away—it’s rare you can get a Pinot of this level at a house-pour price.