Whitcraft Winery Chene Vineyard Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, USA 2022

Drake Whitcraft makes beautifully balanced, site-specific wines in his low-fi Santa Barbara winery. Growing up in Santa Barbara under the tutelage of his father, who started Whitcraft Winery in 1985, and his friend Burt Williams, founder of Williams-Selyem in Sonoma, Drake has formed good relationships with some of the best vineyards in the Central Coast with a focus on the cool climate and diverse terroir of Sta. Rita Hills.

This vineyard is only 4 miles from the ocean, and is farmed by two great winemakers Gina Hildebrand and Mikey Guigini who have their own brands Lady of the Sunshine and Scar of the Sea. It is clones 115 and 667. Big aromas of maraschino cherry, Hawaiian sun fruit punch, clove, and faint juniper accompany that. Flamed orange peel like on an old fashioned. All the dark fruit and citrus almost reminds one of a mai tai. The pallet is silky with a little hole in the middle that will fill up in time, but right now is refreshing given that the aromas are telling the tale of a riper wine than this actually is. Acidity is lively but not overpowering, alcohol is tame, and the tannins are medium +. Hearty and delicious.