“…the Plum Market price makes this a very good buy for anyone
who enjoys well made, fruit-forward California Pinot Noir.”
Click image to enlarge
After twice posting impressions of Pinot Noirs from lesser-known regions in the last two weeks, I thought it might be fun to give some equal time to versions from an area better known for producing this variety, and these two from Santa Barbara County are as good a place to start as any.
Siduri, named for the Babalonian goddess of wine, was founded in 1994 by Adam Lee and Diana Novy. They would go on to specialize in making highly-acclaimed Pinot Noir from as far south as Santa Barbara County in California all the way north to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We enjoyed a number of these wines back in our Gang of Pour days, so we were a little concerned when Jackson Family Wines acquired Siduri in 2015, but Lee has remained involved, and Siduri Pinots have maintained a high standard.
We tried the 2018 Santa Barbara Pinot well over a year ago, and liked it well enough to buy a few for the cellar. Based on that, the 2020 vintage was an easy choice, and from our viewpoint, a good one.
2020 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County, 14.5% alc., $19.97: Pretty ruby garnet color, and a nice black cherry pomegranate nose, shaded with a little creamy oak and a hint of tar. Bigger than some Pinots, being medium-full bodied, and quite full flavored, with a mouthful of earthy black cherry underscored with cola and a touch of toasty oak. This is structured to cellar for at least a few more years, but it’s tasty now, with the following qualification.
I gave this an hour in a decanter before pouring myself a glass and it made a big difference. I had it a few months ago, poured straight from the bottle without the benefit of air, and it was rather tannic. The attractive fruit forward character was obvious, though, so I gave it a grateful retaste. I see this going for $25 at a number of places online, so the Plum Market price makes this a very good buy for anyone who enjoys well made, fruit-forward California Pinot Noir. I liked it well enough to pour a second and third glass. Find this wine
Since we have some of the aforementioned 2018 vintage in the cellar, I thought it would be fun to compare and contrast the two.
2018 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County, 14.5% alc., $19.97: Slightly smoke tinged medium dark color, with a stingy nose that only hints at what’s to come on the palate. Intense earthy black cherry and blackberry are still primary, and even an hour in a decanter can’t tame the tannin-acid bite completely. Yes, you can drink this now, especially with air and food that can keep up with its youthful enthusiasm, but I’ll let my last one sit for another year or three.
We had this one about a month ago with similar impressions, but it was given no time to breathe. I thought air might help, and it does, to a point, but this is still a wine that’s more about promise than realized potential. Find this wine
Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo
