Aila by Santa Ema Pinot Noir 2014
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Suckling
James
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Winemaker Notes
versatile wine. It goes well with chicken, pork, roast beef and vegetarian dishes. Great with mushroom risotto and smooth-creamy cheeses.
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James Suckling
This is fun and stylish with white pepper and dried strawberry character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Cool climate style. Drink now.
In an effort to provide balance to the universe and honor the local Mapuche legacy, the Aila vineyard was planted nine miles from the coast and divided into nine blocks of nine rows each.
As a result, the wine found a perfect balance and harmony with the earth, and the Gods have rewarded the vineyard year after year.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
An officially recognized sub-zone in the southern part of the San Antonio Valley, the Leyda Valley was the original settlement of the wine pioneers who came to the area in the 1990s. They were in search of cooler and wetter growing conditions—as compared to more eastern, drier and often warmer locations.
Planting, which began only in the late 1990s, focused on Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot noir and some limited spots for Syrah. The area continues to receive well-earned accolades for wines of these varieties.