Etude Sta. Rita Hills Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
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Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a bold and spicy red with dried chili flakes and dark fruits. Full body, juicy and rich. Oyster shell and limestone character. Chalk. Intense wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard has a fun cherry cola and watermelon nose with some peppered meat and raspberry tart nuances, plus a touch of Provence herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has nice weight and depth of red berry and spice flavors supported by rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing peppery.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark red cherry, turned earth and bloody iron aromas show on the extremely soil-driven nose of this bottling. The texture is rounded on the tip of the sip, and then comes the pop of piercing acidity in the midpalate, carrying flavors of dark red fruit, clove, cinnamon and crushed rose petals. The acid needs some time to mellow.
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Robert
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What began thirty years ago as a philosophical state of mind is now a state-of-the-art winemaking facility where the ancient art of winemaking is pursued with a singular passion.
Etude Wines is dedicated to the study of craft of winegrowing. In classical music, an etude is a composition with a technical focus that allows the musician to practice a particular technique. Similarly, Etude wines are the product of deliberate concentration on the instructive variables of the craft. The end game is not edification alone, but rather the wine itself as a source of enjoyment.
Working together in this oenological quest for perfection are current winemaker Jon Priest and Ast. Winemaker Rob Fischer. They transform the very finest Carneros and Napa Valley grapes into world-class wines sought out by the most discriminating wine lovers. In addition to its widely acclaimed Carneros Pinot Noir and legendary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Etude has also developed a loyal following for Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Merlot and Pinots from the most sought after AVAs around the world.
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.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.