2022 OLG Pinot Noir, Our Lady of Guadalupe Vyd
"Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard (OLG) was acquired in 2015. After two years of composting, vines went into the ground in 2018, and plantings continued in phases. Nearly half of the large estate is planted on varying slopes and aspects. Aged 10 months in 49% new French oak, with a 3.76pH and 14.8% alcohol, the 2022 leads with a more savoury profile than the inaugural 2021 release... Alluring candied cherry notes are scented with expressive cedarwood laced with fragrant cumin and flamed orange peel. A polished wine on entry with silky textured fruit so pure and so ripe and bright and perfectly expressive of black cherry, black plum, Red Delicious apple, and layers of baking spices. Satiny tannins glide up against a juicy acid profile, building to a finish of cocoa nib nuances and fresh garrigue notes. Juicy, structured, and delicious, it leaves one in a perpetual state of wanting for more...Our Lady of Guadalupe is unquestionably one to watch as the vines mature. Number eight of my top 10 wines of 2023. (Drink between 2024-2035)." -Decanter, 96DE
Dave Phinney's first vineyard purchase in California straddles all of the Santa Rita Hills' classic soils (diatomaceous earth, clay and sand). Coupled with its cold climate location, these combine to produced a "polished wine...with silky textured fruit...and fresh garrigue notes...leav[ing] one in a perpetual state of wanting...more." -Decanter
