San Luis Obispo Lot 869 2020 Pinot Noir
A San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir single-vineyard showstopper from the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA!
The southernmost sub-AVA of Paso Robles, the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA, is unique in the fact that it doesn’t touch any other Paso sub-AVA. This alone gives the vines of this region a defined sense of place and isolated microclimate – one of a few perfect, isolated terroir studies in all of California. With 1k acres under vine, the grapes are brought to superb showcases through the ancient seabed, fossil-riddled soils, and a strong maritime climate keeping peak growing season temps in the cooler range than one would expect from a region that far south.
Lot 869 San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir is a single-vineyard gem. Often “terroir” is thrown around when speaking of wines, and this is a prime opportunity for folks who wonder what terroir really means in relation to wine. Find any 2020 vintage SLO or Paso Pinot, then try it side-by-side with Lot 869, and you’ll see regional similarities, however, there is a definite sense of time and place from a single plot of land in this bottling that is unmistakable, and quite discernable.
Beautifully ruby on the pour, the nose is a master class in domestic Pinot Noir with strawberry, raspberry, and potpourri delineated up front, backed by forest floor-meets-mushrooms, turned leaves, rose hips, cinnamon, and clove. The entry is clean and elegant, bolstered by a medium+ acidity, and infinitely small, silky tannins encompassing cherry and dried herbs. The finish is perfectly spiced with medium length, making for delicate umami waves of vanilla and rose. Bacon, meet your new favorite Pinot!
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting of this San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir.
Wine Tasting Video Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction to The Tasting Panel and Katy Long
- 00:12 San Luis Obispo and Santa Margarita Ranch
- 00:42 The Pinot Noir Vineyard
- 00:56 Color and Legs of the wine
- 00:59 The Nose of Lot 869
- 01:15 The Palate
- 01:45 Aging SLO Pinot Noir
- 01:58 Wine Pairing