2022 WALT Clos Pepe Pinot Noir
Critic Review
"...The wine comes off rich and layered with loads of mouth-watering acidity and freshness. A massive core of juicy red and dark fruits combine with blood orange zest mingle with salty soils. This is totally stunning."
93 Points | Wine Enthusiast, Matt Kettmann
"Roasted boysenberry aromas meet with smoked meat and toasty oak spices on the nose of this bottling. Grilled cherry flavors on the palate are cut by sharper lemon and grapefruit peel touches that enliven the red fruit palate."
92 Points | Jeb Dunnuck
"...medium ruby-hued and has an expressive nose of ripe black raspberries, leafy herbs, and ample, peppery, spicy nuances. It's balanced, medium-bodied, has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, and ripe tannins."
2022 WALT Clos Pepe Pinot Noir
Clos Pepe Vineyard
Situated in a cool enclave within the Sta. Rita Hills.
A long growing season accumulates saturated flavors.
Central Coast AVA
Roughly 250 miles along the coastline of California
from Santa Barbara County to San Francisco County
Sta. Rita Hills
Follows a clearly defined maritime “throat” that
ushers in the Pacific fog and constant cooling breezes.
Sandy Loam Soils
Cause vines to produce grapes with powerful varietal
character
Deep ruby in color, this wine reveals intense aromas of black cherry and ripe pomegranate, intertwined with loamy earth and floral nuances. The palate is equally fresh and rich, offering a focused concentration of fruit laced with accents of singed oak and spice. The structured finish highlights the wine’s depth, complexity, and elegance.
Black Cherry
Pomegranate
Loamy Earth
Spice
Clos Pepe is a very special vineyard site located in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills within and east west corridor that provides a strong maritime influence. Cooler growing temperatures allow for extended hang time. Limiting sandy soils provide small vines with intense clusters. A mixture of Dijon clones and Pommard clone sourced throughout the vineyard help bring balance and nuance to the finished blend.
| Bottle Size | 750mL |
|---|---|
| Varietal Composition | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Barrel Aging | 10 Months in 40% New French Oak |
| Appellation | Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County |
| Vineyard | Clos Pepe Vineyard |
| Vintage Notes | The 2022 vintage wines are immediately appealing, showing fruit-forward aromatics, breadth, and sophistication. Even in the third year of drought, good vine growth was a pleasant surprise. Heavy rains started at the end of November, continued into early December, dried down, and arrived again near bud break, re-saturating the soils. Frost in March contributed to a lighter crop. By July the season was tracking on the warmish side indicating an earlier harvest. Temperate weather was interrupted by a big heat wave in early September, which propelled earlier ripening sites into a fast-paced harvest window. |
| Vintage | 2022 |
