Summerland Santa Rita Hills Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir 3-Pack
$79.99 (Normally $153.60) 48% off List Price
2007 Pinot Noir, Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard
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This stuff is AWESOME! First sucker!

2007 Summerland rancho santa rosa vineyard Pinot Noir
Nose: Strawberry, cherry, raspberry with a touch of rose.
Palate: raspberry, tart cherry and some Greeness on  the finish. Good structure, acidity and moderate tannin.

Would be great with food or good on it's own.

We had this wine a few weeks ago after being given a bottle by a friend. We brought it to a dinner party where they had some BBQ chicken. Yes, January in California is the shiz. We decanted it for about an hour. We did not take notes, but I will say that some pinots are a little dull. They can have a bit of flavor at first, but finish to mediocrity. What we all commented about this bottle of Summerland, was that the finish was full and not lacking. We typically drink the heavier reds (cabs), but when a more assertive pinot is around, we love the varietal just as much. Particularly because they go with a broader menu of the foods we cook most often. Great buy.

There are a few of us here tonight: me, molarchae, jolt256, and aselle. The other three aren't much for tasting notes at the moment, but all three enjoyed this wine.

aselle: Easy-drinking, and nothing to hate.
jolt256: Very light-tasting
molarchae: No words of wisdom. Easy drinking and light.

We had bottle #1573, fresh from FedEx on Friday. Pop and pour at 6:50pm, while preparing a lamb leg dinner. Didn't anticipate the pairing. Colour is the blue end of purple with no bricking and nice legs.

Right on opening the first sniff was rather off-putting. Give it 5 seconds before taking a sniff, because the second sniff was quite nice. With a bit of swirling the 14.1% alcohol was quite apparent along with aromas of mushrooms that immediately confirmed that this is a Pinot.

Upon my first taste, this was immediately obviously a heavier style of Pinot. Probably what I should expect from California, but the weight of the wine makes sense with the style. As we kept swirling I tried to identify the aromas more specifically and got cranberry and sour cherry with an underlying sweetness. The acid balance in the wine is good for California Pinot, but the flavours are riper than I might expect. The finish leaves a tingling sensation on my tongue for a good 10 seconds and eventually a touch of spice appeared. I wanted to see how this wine would evolve with a bit of air, but thus far I'd be happy to sit and sip this for a long time. There's no significant sensation of either oak or tannin, but the acidity should keep this wine feeling fresh for a few more years.

About 15 minutes after opening and giving it a lot of air via swirling I start to perceive a syrupy note. It's almost like red berry jam - a mix of strawberry and raspberry jams.

We kept drinking this bottle throughout the preparation and demolishing of dinner. At the 2.25 hour mark I took a few minutes to write down more notes. Since I didn't want to completely ignore my friends I kept them brief. The more candied fruit flavours were now coming out and there was a shortish phase where the aromas were very flowery/perfumed. The finish has lengthened somewhat and gained a note of smokey oak.

If you like Russian River or the riper versions of Carneros Pinot Noir then you will probably enjoy this. The acidity is great and the complexity seems like it's waiting to come out to play after a few more years of bottle age.

Bottom line: well made Pinot with great acidity and relatively big & ripe flavours.

We had a bottle of this wine care of Neil being a guest at the Nor-Cal Pinot tasting tonight.

I am admittedly NOT a pinotphile so take these notes wi a grain of salt.

Color: nothing of note, typical lightly concentrated red color.

Nose: strawberry/ raspberry, with a roundness to it. Pleasant, decent but not knockout volume.

Palate: raspberry and ripe red plum without the sweetness. This then transitions to a slightly green bitter note on the end (I am sensitive to bitter, many may actually LIKE that part)

Overall it is a decent Pinot with a note that removes it from my liking (the bitter) but most pinots do. Anyone who enjoys pinots will probably find this worth the price.

On further reflection (and a glass of Esoterica PS) I'm a little confused as to the combination of both great acid but candied/stewed flavours in the wine. They don't seem to go together so I'm hoping the winemaker can help us sort that out.

cmaldoon wrote:
Palate: raspberry and ripe red plum without the sweetness. This then transitions to a slightly green bitter note on the end (I am sensitive to bitter, many may actually LIKE that part)

*Raises hand*

I do enjoy a touch of greeness; I think it balances out the fruitiness of the wine.

We tried a bottle at the end of December at a gathering here.

Summerland 2007 Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rita Vineyard

Decanted about 2.5-3 hours before tasting
Light color
Nice sour cherries on nose and palate; great Pinot flavors
Some earthiness, but mild
(Usually “twiggy” notes from the person that does not like Pinot)
Decent finish
Very nice example of Pinot Noir
May be the most popular bottle of the night

This went very well, and the decanter disappeared into another room and was emptied.

Have to pass, but don't want to.

I pass on all summerland wines regardless of quality as my experience in their TR was one of the worst I have had.

cortot20 wrote:I pass on all summerland wines regardless of quality as my experience in their TR was one of the worst I have had.

Sorry to here that.As the winemaker I hope my tasting room staff realy tries to reflect the best of our brand through service an presentation.
How can we make it up to you?
Cheers,

Etienne
Winemaker, Summerland Winery

polarbear22 wrote:We tried a bottle at the end of December at a gathering here.

Summerland 2007 Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rita Vineyard

Decanted about 2.5-3 hours before tasting
Light color
Nice sour cherries on nose and palate; great Pinot flavors
Some earthiness, but mild
(Usually “twiggy” notes from the person that does not like Pinot)
Decent finish
Very nice example of Pinot Noir
May be the most popular bottle of the night

This went very well, and the decanter disappeared into another room and was emptied.

Im glad you enjoyed the wine.
The grapes came from Ranch santa Rosa vineyrad located on the eastern end of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. If you are ever in Buellton, go west on HWY 246 and on yor right you will be able to see this beautiful vineyard planted with a variety of Dijon clones. The vineyard sight also has a great south facing aspect and a variety of terrain, forming blocks with distinct maicro-climates.

klezman wrote:On further reflection (and a glass of Esoterica PS) I'm a little confused as to the combination of both great acid but candied/stewed flavours in the wine. They don't seem to go together so I'm hoping the winemaker can help us sort that out.

Dont be confused but embrace it. Its not often that a California wines can have great flavors and ripeness yet have acidity to give you a long finish. These characteristics are true to the Santa Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County. The AVA is located within 30 miles of the Pacific ocean and Point Conception. At Point Conception two ocean currents converge combining with cool oceanic upwelling forming a distint mezo-climate of cool foggy air. This cool air is then funneld through the only east-west mountain range in North America (you might need a map for this one). This geography and climate allows for high acid to be retained in the grapes during the growing season wich is transferd into the wine.

Cheers,

Etienne

Surpasses my self imposed price point(SIPP). This has frequently been the case of late, especially with the reds. Anxiously awaiting a good deal on a case or half case of red wine.

FYI, I believe the Santa Rita Hills designation had to be changed before granting this appelation because Chile had first claim on the "Santa" Rita part. The AVA then allowed the shortened version of "Sta." Rita Hills.

neilfindswine wrote:Welcome Etienne. I've not been shy about my fondness for Etienne's Pinots, and this one from the Santa Rita Hills is no exception. A substantial wine as far a Pinots go, juicy and rich. A nice wine to bring to a party- like I did last night at the NorCal Vintage Pinot tasting!

Thanks Neil!

Cheers,

Etienne

etienneatsummerland wrote:Dont be confused but embrace it. Its not often that a California wines can have great flavors and ripeness yet have acidity to give you a long finish. These characteristics are true to the Santa Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County. The AVA is located within 30 miles of the Pacific ocean and Point Conception. At Point Conception two ocean currents converge combining with cool oceanic upwelling forming a distint mezo-climate of cool foggy air. This cool air is then funneld through the only east-west mountain range in North America (you might need a map for this one). This geography and climate allows for high acid to be retained in the grapes during the growing season wich is transferd into the wine.

Cheers,

Etienne

Definitely did not mean confused in a bad way. I recall you and others mentioning before that the Sta Rita Hills are in the east/west mountain range that helps get the cool ocean air in there. I'd have to guess there's also a large diurnal shift, which is why you get the good acid but with more candied/jammy flavours.

pecarroll wrote:FYI, I believe the Santa Rita Hills designation had to be changed before granting this appelation because Chile had first claim on the "Santa" Rita part. The AVA then allowed the shortened version of "Sta." Rita Hills.

Yes you are right. Sta. is short for Santa. The Chileans got protective of their claim to using the name of Saint Margarite. Although the amount of wine that we make in the appellation is less than the Chileans probably spill on the ground during normal winemaking operations.

Cheers,

Etienne

how long can this pinot sit in the cellar?

i'm in for one and am very excited to pair it with delicious foods.

Tried this last night at our NorCal Vintage Pinot tasting and I thought it was very good.

Nose offered notes of candied cherries, and strawberries.

On the palate it was a smorgasbord of tasty layered red fruit, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, very well made and balanced. The finish was interesting, I'd say it had about a medium finish, with a touch of greenness as others have mentioned (which I found to fit the wine).

Of the 10+ bottles of Pinot opened, this was in my top five.

etienneatsummerland wrote:Sorry to here that.As the winemaker I hope my tasting room staff realy tries to reflect the best of our brand through service an presentation.
How can we make it up to you?
Cheers,

Etienne
Winemaker, Summerland Winery

Not sure. I'm about an hour and half from your tasting room and I don't know when I'll be up that way again. And I can get your Wolff vineyard PN from Costco so I'm not sure there is much incentive to hit your tasting room a second time.

cortot20 wrote:Not sure. I'm about an hour and half from your tasting room and I don't know when I'll be up that way again. And I can get your Wolff vineyard PN from Costco so I'm not sure there is much incentive to hit your tasting room a second time.

Ouch! Must've been a pretty rough tasting room. What happened?

After trying this Pinot last night, I would definitely be willing to give Summerland another shot. I think the next time I would call ahead and try to meet up with the winemaker at the winery instead of the tasting room.

I definitely can understand the difference between a winemaker making great wine and an owner not quite having the TR staff on board.

Thanks to Etienne for popping on the boards today and answering questions!

trifecta wrote:After trying this Pinot last night, I would definitely be willing to give Summerland another shot. I think the next time I would call ahead and try to meet up with the winemaker at the winery instead of the tasting room.

I definitely can understand the difference between a winemaker making great wine and an owner not quite having the TR staff on board.

Thanks to Etienne for popping on the boards today and answering questions!

Another tasting room ouch...but no one saying why...not quite fair to the winery..what was the problem?

cortot20 wrote:Not sure. I'm about an hour and half from your tasting room and I don't know when I'll be up that way again. And I can get your Wolff vineyard PN from Costco so I'm not sure there is much incentive to hit your tasting room a second time.

The tasting room is not just about picking up a bottle of great wine but to also have a fun experience. The focus of our TM is to provide a service of education, fun, and relaxation. If we are not meeting that, then please come up to the winery so I can show you true hospitality.
Cheers,
Etienne

kaolis wrote:Another tasting room ouch...but no one saying why...not quite fair to the winery..what was the problem?

I didn't really want to get into it but here was my comment from 10 months ago.
X-post

I didn't enjoy their tasting room either and also do not buy their wines because of it. Staff was unhelpful to us who were trying seriously taste their wines but were very accommodating to a large adjacent group that had already been over served.

http://wine.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=4947981

etienneatsummerland wrote:The tasting room is not just about picking up a bottle of great wine but to also have a fun experience. The focus of our TM is to provide a service of education, fun, and relaxation. If we are not meeting that, then please come up to the winery so I can show you true hospitality.
Cheers,
Etienne

Thank you for the offer, i will definitely consider it next time I am in the SB area.