Etude Sta. Rita Hills Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This Pinot Noir is bright and cheery with aromas and flavors of lifted red berry fruits, red plums and Bing cherry, alongside notes of ripe nectarine and golden peach. Layers of sweet baking spice notes come through from the well-integrated oak, with nuances of cinnamon and clove, all framed by a lithe texture with vibrant acidity, great balance and a lengthy mouthwatering finish. This Pinot has substance and complexity, making it very appealing to drink now, and also promises much more to come.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix is rich, deep and so expressive. Dark red cherry, red plum, pipe tobacco, spice and lavender infuse the 2018 with striking depth. Low yields give the 2018 a bit more body and creaminess than I remember seeing in the past, along with more fruit depth and fewer of the wilder/gamier qualities that can be distracting. This is one of the best Fiddlestix Pinots I have tasted from Etude.
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Wine Enthusiast
Zesty raspberry aromas meet with wet wood and a light touch of licorice on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. The palate combines dried herbs with soft cranberry and mulberry flavors.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from Sta. Rita Hills, the 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard was aged for 12 months in French oak, 25% new. Medium ruby-puepl colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal elegant notions of tilled soil, underbrush and wild mushrooms over a core of kirsch, wild strawberries and thyme. The medium-bodied palate delivers refreshing herb-laced red berry flavors with a light chewiness to the texture and a fragrant finish.
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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.