2018 Red Stitch Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands

WSI93+ Fresh delicate red licorice and cherry juice, all de-stemmed fruit and whole berry fermented. Then long skin fermentation adds structure and body and yet the wine is seamlessly integrated, fresh, and generous. 
WE92 Aromas of muddled black plum, turned earth and mahogany show on the nose of this bottling. The palate is framed by sandy tannins that will hold their structure for quite a while, framing roasted boysenberry, vanilla, clove and nutmeg flavors. Drink through 2033.
Estate Notes: Combining ideal growing conditions of cool overnight and morning fog, afternoon sun and breeze with well- drained soils, it is SIP sustainably-farmed by acclaimed growers Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, making this one of the most highly sought- after gems of the SLH appellation. The close-spaced Pisoni (La Tache) clone in this site is typically slower-ripening, and presents wines with more verve, lighter color and aromatic floral aspects. Cold-harvested in the dark, hand-sorted in the vineyard and at winery, destemmed as whole berries, un-crushed grapes cold-soaked for 5 days or more with daily pump-overs, fermented on skins up to 3 weeks before gentle press and barrel aging (41% new French oak) for complete ML fermentation. Unfined, unfiltered. 240 cases.