Longoria Wines: Santa Barbara county

For the first time ever we have produced a Pinot Noir which is a blend of different vineyards. This Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a blend of wine produced from Mt. Carmel and Fe Ciega Vineyards. These two vineyards are close neighbors, both situated on south facing slopes, overlooking the Santa Ynez River.

Before the barrels of Mt. Carmel and Fe Ciega Pinot Noirs were racked and blended, I tasted every barrel of both wines, and ranked each for their suitability to go into the final vineyard designated wines of each vineyard. My stringent quality standards resulted in a few barrels of both of the above Pinot Noirs to be cut from the final blends. It was an easy decision to blend the two lots together and offer an authentic Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir at an affordable price.

Production and aging procedures were the same as with the Fe Ciega and Mt. Carmel wines.

This wine has a forward nose, with aromas of black cherries, leather, and an earthy spiciness. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with rich flavors of black cherries and slightly herbal spices. This wine will improve with two or three more years of bottle aging. Serve with traditional Thanksgiving turkey trimmed with cranberry sauce, or a mushroom risotto.

Rick Longoria
Winemaker
June 1, 2003

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir: Mt. Carmel Vineyard: 75%
Fe Ciega Vineyard: 25%

pH: 3.41
Alcohol by volume: 14.6%
Total acidity: .58 g/100 ml.
Production: 205 cases
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