Domaine de la Cote Memorious Pinot Noir 2017

Cellar for up to 11 years. Decant 1 hour before serving.

One of California’s top Pinot growers, Domaine de la Cote boasts six prime vineyards in the Santa Rita hills with a stunning variety of terroirs and microclimates. The winery was founded in 2013 after Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman noticed the potential to make exceptional Burgundian-style wines here and purchased the property. Raj and Sashi have made the most of the excellent grape growing conditions here by planting the vineyards with California heritage selections and adopting a philosophy of “add nothing; take nothing away” in the winery.

This single vineyard wine comes from the estate’s Memorious plot which is perched above the Santa Ynez River, bending round the hillside towards the Pacific Ocean and its cooling fogs and breezes. The vineyard was planted with experimental Pinot Noir seedlings in 2007 on heavy clay and alluvial soils.

From this unique plot Raj and Sashi make just 270 cases per year of their Memorious Pinot, fermenting the fruit with wild yeasts in concrete tanks and ageing the young wine in French oak barrels for 14 months. The result is an elegant and sophisticated Burgundian-style Pinot that skilfully combines vibrant crushed cherry and red berry notes with graceful notes of woodsmoke, dried tea leaves, forest floor, and spice. The complex flavour profile and refined tannins make this a great wine to cellar for a little while longer, or to enjoy now with game, charcuterie, or tomato-based pasta dishes.