Hearty plum, deep rose petal, earthy juniper, a touch of charcoal and crushed graphite aromas show strongly on the nose of this bottling from a tiny block in this historic vineyard. The palate packs an awesome combination of tension, energy and power, like a clenched fist in a silk glove, with tangy olallieberry fruit and a menthol character that carries deep into the finish.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block 8 is another terrific wine, yet it lacks a touch of the charm and elegance of the other Pinot Noirs here. Saddle leather, wild herbs, black cherries and framboise all emerge from this rich, structured, even tannic Pinot Noir that will benefit from short term cellaring. Like the other Pinots here, it was whole berry, destemmed and spent 17 months in 40% new French oak. - Jeb Dunnuck

Here the nose is compositionally similar to the Santa Maria Valley cuvée but with more evident spice and better complexity as well. There is good volume but also good detail to the supple, round and polished middle weight flavors that culminate in a dusty, sappy and equally complex finale where the only nit is a very mild acid tang. It’s possible that with a few years of bottle age, as the tannins resolve, that the tang will dissipate and even today I suspect that with a well-chosen dish it would largely be a non-issue. 2021+