Three Saints Pinot Noir 2019

Cooked Cherries, Pomegranate Molasses, Earl Grey Black Tea, Vanilla Bean

Three Saints is the second label of the Dierberg winery, a Pinot Noir specialist with vineyards across the Santa Barbara AVA. They have holdings in Santa Maria, Santa Ynez and Santa Rita appellations, hence the Three Saints names. While they are second wines, there is still tremendous attention paid to their production, the difference being that they are crafted to drink young where the estate wines are built to age.

The Santa Maria Valley is located close to the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the few places along the California coastline where the mountains are oriented east/west instead of north/south. As a result the winds blow across the valley unabated, creating a unique condition where the temperature rises 1 degree for each mile traveled inland. Areas close to the coast are too cool for grapes, but after traveling a few miles inland the conditions are perfect for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There have been vineyards in this area since the 1830’s but modern winemaking began in the 1970’s, with the planting of the famed Bien Nacido vineyard. The wines of this area are rarely as heavy as their cousins north of San Francisco, with pristine fruit and superb structure.