2023 Typicite Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Santa Maria Valley 750 ml

Star power plus star power—it’s a recipe for great things, whether at the box office or in a bottle of Pinot Noir. So the pairing of Typicité and Bien Nacido Vineyard? Guaranteed fireworks.

Bien Nacido is one of the most important vineyards in California—the original Grand Cru of the Central Coast—and its Pinot Noir is some of the most coveted on the West Coast. Typicité is the Pinot project of Collin Cranor and Craig Ploof, the minds behind Nottingham Cellars and Grape Culture, two of the most popular wineries in Wine Access history.

Their 2023 Typicité Bien Nacido Pinot Noir is as phenomenal as you’d expect, given the terroir and talent. It’s fleshy and rich, with aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, red and purple floral tones, and kola nut spice. On the palate, it’s lush and silky—all the qualities that have made Bien Nacido so famous. 

It’s hard to find a vineyard more acclaimed than Bien Nacido, in the Santa Maria Valley. Named one of the “Top 25 Vineyards in the World” by Wine & Spirits, included among the “Top Five California Vineyards” by the Wall Street Journal, and crowned a Grand Cru by Wine Enthusiast, Bien Nacido has few—maybe no—equals in the pantheon of Santa Barbara County sites. 

Located 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean on the northern end of the Santa Maria Valley AVA, the vineyard’s elevation, loamy soil, and ocean-controlled mild temperatures form a cradle that heightens Pinot Noir’s concentration, as the cool climate tightens the tension and energy that are crucial to the grape.  

The site is a natural fit for Colin and Craig, who are 100% dedicated to Pinot Noir from some of the great regions and sites in California—and are succeeding wildly. Wine Advocate has described Typicité and their work as “hyper-clean, quality-focused, with a selection of grape sources that is still being curated and refined.” 

Sources don’t get any better than Bien Nacido, and in 2023, Typicité had a legendary vintage to work with. They used 30% whole-clusters to add spice and nuance to the deeply fruited wine, and after ten months of aging in 50% new French oak—perfect for polishing tannin and adding nuance without too much oakiness—the result is a Pinot Noir of remarkable complexity and poise.