2022 Donnachadh STA Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Buy 2022 Donnachadh STA Rita Hills Pinot Noir at Elite Wine Society

About 2022 Donnachadh STA Rita Hills Pinot Noir:

It gives a bright ruby with effusive aromas of crushed red cherry, cola, and rubbed sage on the nose.

Tasting Notes:

Fresh acidity and dark, juicy berries on the palate, with ripe red cherry and red raspberry flavors, with gentle black tea and earth joining velvety tannins on the finish.

Harvest Date:

2022

Winemaking Notes:

2022 Donnachadh Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

The Story Behind The Winery:

Family owned and organically farmed. Donnachadh Vineyard locates on Santa Rosa Road in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County.  The property is 285 acres with approximately 40 acres planted to vine in 2013.  They grow Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Gamay Noir.

The climate of the Santa Rita Hills nevertheless is dominated by the Pacific Ocean, which lies about 9 miles from the vineyard. Morning fog cools the grapes and consistent afternoon ocean breezes nevertheless keep heat from building up over the course of the day.

The vineyard however consists of two main parts: the hillside blocks, and the riverside blocks. The riverside blocks sit alongside the Santa Ynez River.  They are more sheltered from the wind than the hillside blocks and the soil is a delicate and well drained sandy loam that sits on top of deep layers of gravel river deposits. The hillside blocks are more exposed to the ocean winds. The soil there is derived from marine shale deposits and features more clay, rocks and cobbles than the riverside blocks. Overall, the hillside environment is quite challenging for the vines, limiting yields and producing grapes of exceptional character.