Today’s wine is truly exceptional and very highly recommended.

Today’s 92 point Furthermore Wines 2013 La Encantada Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir hails from the same incredible vineyard source that Santa Rita Pinot pioneer, Richard Sanford, selects for his world famous Alma Rosa Pinot Noir.

These are the wines that were fawned over in the feature film, Sideways.

This is a very fragrant Pinot, with a nose of black cherry, blackberry, kola, birch bark, subtle spice, and just a hint of subtle gunpowder.

On the palate, this wine is oh, so juicy - and balanced, with flavors of black cherry juice, blackberry, kola nut, red currant, red licorice, wild mushroom, forest floor and a hint of gunpowder.

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA, located within Santa Barbara County and almost entirely in the Santa Ynez Valley was established in 2001 and is considered one of California’s best regions for growing the Burgundian varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay due to its cooler climate. The AVA’s weather is heavily influenced by cool coastal breezes and persistent Pacific fog.

Just less than 200 acres in the AVA are under vine. Interestingly, the name of the appellation was changed from Santa Rita Hills to Sta. Rita Hills so as to not conflict with Chilean powerhouse winery Vina Santa Rita.

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Here’s what the wine press has to say:

92 points - Gold Medal - 2017 SF Intl Wine Competition

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90 points - Pinotfile - ““Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. A well-crafted wine that offers uplifting aromas of black cherry, spice and scrub brush. The blackberry and black raspberry fruits lean to the riper side with even a subtle note of black raisin creeping in. Oak contributes a coffee and dark chocolate note. The tannins are well-proportioned and there is enough acidity to compliment the fruit load. The slightest sense of alcoholic warmth shows up on the finish.:

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Burghound - “The expressive nose blends notes of herbal tea, raspberry, cherry and the barest hint of cranberry. There is good richness to the suave, round and generously proportioned flavors that also possess a caressing mouth feel to the mid-palate before concluding in an ever-so-slightly warm but solidly persistent finish. This will need a bit more depth to justify my score but the underlying material is present such that it should develop if allowed a few years of bottle age.”