About 2017 Tolosa Primera Pinot Noir:
Showcase of the true nature of the Pinot Noir varietal and of Tolosa estate: power and complexity wrapped in an elegant package.
Tasting Notes:
Color: Ruby with a rose-pink rim.
On the Nose: A medley of red fruit, graphite, white pepper tree, beef au jus and tobacco.
On the Palate: Elegant and fresh red fruit mirroring the aromas with complex layers unfolding strawberry preserve, cocoa powder, rose, violet water, black tea, and blood orange
Barrel Selection:
2017 Tolosa Primera Pinot Noir is aged for 9 months, in French oak barrels with 25% of them being new
Growing Notes:
Fog and prevailing winds funnel into the valley, creating a microclimate ideal for ripening sensitive Pinot Noir grapes.
Winemaking Notes:
Crafting Tolosa Primera Pinot Noir is a long, but exciting process; it is a blend of the best of the best. The first and most important step is to identify the top Pinot Noir lots of Edna Ranch from
up to 100 small lots, depending on the vintage. The winemaker tastes each lot after fermentation and continually adjusts the blend to create the finest synthesis. The complex exercise rewards them with a showcase of the true nature of the Pinot Noir varietal and of their estate: power and complexity wrapped in an elegant package.
About The Vineyard:
The home vineyard, Edna Ranch, is located in the coolest appellation in California — a mere 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The northwest to southeast orientation of the transverse Edna Valley allows fog and prevailing winds to funnel into the valley and vineyards from Morro Bay, creating a microclimate ideal for ripening sensitive Pinot Noir grapes. A myriad of soil types-remnants of volcanic eruptions fueled by clashing continental plates, calcium-rich sediments from tiny shells deposited on an ancient ocean floor and estuary, and the holy grail for Pinot Noir: limestone – all share the landscape from which our winemakers craft wines that are nuanced, complex and balanced.
Story Behind the Winery:
Cowboy dreams of owning a cattle ranch brought Robin Baggett to Edna Valley on the San Luis Obispo Coast. The cold Pacific wind and soils from ancient seabed to limestone made him realize he was on a frontier of a different sort: a microclimate ideal for ripening sensitive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.
Robin began planting his home ranch in 1988. In Edna Valley, much as the soil and the climate come together, the passions of vintner Robin Baggett have converged. The revelation of the valley as a remarkable place for Pinot Noir ignited his zeal to build complex, nuanced and balanced wines of distinction. Over time, his quest has expanded to find other special pockets of terroir throughout California that offer an exceptional environment for these delicate grapes.
Tolosa, established in San Luis Obispo in 1998, is an artisanal producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Helmed by vintner Robin Baggett, Tolosa epitomizes the special terroir that is San Luis Obispo Coast, nestled amongst the northwest to southeast running volcanic hills of San Luis Obispo County and the frontier for the most complex cool-climate varietals in California. Its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays reflect the cold Pacific wind that sweeps down the coast and funnels into the valley, as well as the remarkable diversity of soil types: ingredients for nuanced and balanced wines of distinctive character. Tolosa combines traditional methods, such as hand punch down and whole berry uncrushed fermentations, with state-of-the-art equipment in the cellar and cutting-edge technology in the vineyard to handcraft exceptional wines that are the purest expressions of the San Luis Obispo Coast.
A true believer in terroir and the deepest evocation of place, together with his winemaking team, his mission is to discover the best pockets of soil, and through the art of uniting the right sites, clones, rootstocks and farming practices, create exemplary Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are the purest expressions of the place from whence they came. Tolosa is the expression of his commitment to spare no effort to craft nuanced and balanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of distinctive character to rival any in the world.