2001 PINOT NOIR BIEN NACIDO
Santa Barbara County

Since the installation of Chris Hammell as the Bien Nacido vineyard manager in late 2000 huge changes have occurred in vineyard practices here, which have led to exciting changes in the wines. In our tiny area at the east end of Q block, we were able to get Chris to heavily manicure the vines, which resulted in a smaller but much better crop. The 30 plus year-old vineyard has been adapted to a vertical upright trellis but needs a lot of hand work to achieve uniformity in ripening. Chris is willing to commit the time required to pay attention to this and other details, enabling us to make a better wine.
In 2001, we yielded a mere two tons of fruit to the acre, but I think the low crop and its evenness had a dramatic impact on quality. This is our best all-around effort yet with pinot noir. Tightly structured, yet harmoniously balanced, this wine is approachable an hour after decanting yet will continue to develop over the next several years. Yes, it is subtle, but that's why it's so special.