McIntyre Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2017
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The 2017 SLH Pinot Noir owes much of its success to superior terroir and diligent, sustainable farming. It combines the Swan clone from the Escolle Road Vineyard and two clones from our McIntyre Estate Vineyard: 115 and ‘Old Vine.” The ‘Old Vine” block was planted more than four decades ago, making it the oldest plantings of Pinot Noir in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. It is own rooted – a rarity in Californian. The crop was thinned to a maximum of three tons per acre or 1.5 lbs. of fruit per foot of cordon. Row orientation is primarily north/south in both vineyards, which provides even sun exposure from morning to afternoon.
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Wine Enthusiast
The Santa Lucia Highlands is known for ripeness and power, yet this is a delicate, floral-enhanced bottling. Aromas of rich strawberry are cut by wet slate, gravel and rose petals, while the fresh, flavorful palate combines hibiscus cream, raspberry sorbet and white pepper.
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Wine Spectator
Very svelte and well-structured, with loads of rich minerality to the dried cherry, berry and Asian spice flavors. Intense underbrush notes midpalate lead to cedar and sandalwood accents on the finish.
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2016-
Jeb
Dunnuck
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The McIntyre estate vineyard is located in the central section of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Originally planted by the McFarland family in 1973, it boasts some of the Highlands oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines. A 1979 Pinot Noir from the vineyard, under the Stony Hill label, is still regarded as one of the finest early varietally-labeled Pinots from the district.
Early bud break and fruit set are one of the advantages of McIntyres highland location. Mid-season leaf pulling and other canopy management techniques help focus the vine's efforts. Harvest on the McIntyre estate typically begins in mid-September and can run to late October. The McIntyre family employs sustainable viticultural practices on the home estate, through the use of biodiverse systems and cover crops.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.