5 Pinot Noir from CA’s Central Coast Pouring at WOPN: Ampelos, Dusty Nabor, The Ojai Vineyard, McIntyre, Presqu’ile
With the 25th Anniversary World of Pinot Noir coming up at Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara February 27 – March 1, I took a quick scroll through this year’s WOPN participating wineries (here) to see who is pouring what wines and when. This will help me make a list so that I don’t get lost at the Grand Tastings on Friday and Saturday! And to get in the mood, Sue and I opened five wines from California wineries that will be pouring a this year’s events: Ampelos, Dusty Nabor, The Ojai Vineyard, McIntyre, Presqu’ile paired with Boeuf Bourguignon; scroll down for all the details!
As usual, World of Pinot Noir opens with a party on Thursday night February 27, and I’ll be there for it! On both Friday and Saturday WOPN offers morning seminars, lunches, and dinners with Grand Tastings each afternoon.
Curious about the menus for lunches and dinners? Check WOPN lunches out here and WOPN dinners here. Each morning at 930am two seminars are offered; find details here. I attended David Glancy’s WOPN seminar on Burgundy a few years ago, and found out he is funny with a great rapport for his audience, and I learned so much. This year I’ll be attending the seminar THE PINNACLE OF PINOT NOIR: EXPLORE THE GRAND CRU VINEYARDS OF THE WEST COAST on Friday and the GLOBAL BLIND TASTE CHALLENGE: A WORLD OF PINOT NOIR seminar on Saturday, plus the THE HILT ESTATE: BENTROCK AND RADIAN VINEYARDS LUNCHEON Friday and the THE NEXT CHAPTER: CONVENE BY DAN KOSTA DINNER Saturday, and sometime in between I will be meeting with Louis Latour for an interview and tasting.
I’ll be joined this year with videographer and photographer Steve Zambrano, and we’ve got videos and stories on a range of topics which we plan to post on Facebook and Instagram there and then with follow up content here on Wine Predator. Message me with ideas!
Join us at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, February 27 – March 1, for the 25th anniversary of the World of Pinot Noir and enjoy world-class Pinot Noirs in a setting with stunning sunset views of the Pacific and Channel Islands. Get your WOPN tickets now!
Get in the mood for Pinot Noir with these from five central coast wineries that are pouring at WOPN. Steve joined us for this evening’s tasting.
5 Pinot Noir from CA’s Central Coast Pouring at WOPN: Ampelos, Dusty Nabor, The Ojai Vineyard, McIntyre, Presqu’ile
Pinot Noir from 5 Central Coast Wineries at WOPN
- 2018 Ampelos “the infinite”, Blanc de Noir, Ampelos Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
- 2022 Dusty Nabor “DNW SRH” Pinot Noir, Radian and Bentrock, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
- 2021 The Ojai Vineyard “Devoto” Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
- 2016 Presqu’ile Pinot Noir, Rim Rock Vineyard, San Luis Obispo County
- 2017 McIntrye Pinot Noir, Estate Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
2018 Ampelos “the infinite” Blanc de Noir Sparkling, Ampelos Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
Menu for Central Coast Pinot Noir
- Cheeseboard
Mushroom Brie, Pork Belly Bites, Pate, Rosemary Marcona Almonds, Dried Olives with baguette - Organic Spring Salad with Fresh Berries, Spiced Pecans, Chèvre
- Beef Bourguignon
served on mashed organic Yukon Gold potatoes
24 hour marinade adapted from this recipe; Sue adapted stew/cooking recipe from this NYT recipe - Sue’s Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
with Cognac Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries
2018 Ampelos “the infinite” Blanc de Noir Sparkling, Ampelos Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
2018 Ampelos “the infinite” Blanc de Noir Sparkling, Ampelos Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
ABV: 12.9%
SRP: $52 (2020 vintage)
Grapes: 100% certified biodynamic Pinot Noir
Purchased with industry discount
880 bottles produced
As I wrote for Slow Wine Guide, a missed appointment on Sept. 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center led busy executives Rebecca and Peter Work to reassess their lives, and decide to change to a slow paced lifestyle closer to the land by moving from Los Angeles to Lompoc to grow grapes and make wine. In 2006, they committed to biodynamics.
Saving soil is of primary importance to Peter Work. First in the US to be certified organic, sustainable, and biodynamic, Ampelos vines grow in the Sta Rita Hills AVA close to the Pacific which brings cooling afternoon breezes, deep marine fog at night, and sunshine during the day. Justly famous for pinot noir which they make as a still and as a sparkling wine, they also grow grenache, syrah, viognier, and riesling.
Ampelos means “wine” in Greek; they also own a hotel in Greece by the same name. They sell grapes as well as grow them for their own wines. Using his own biodynamic grapes as well as purchased ones with a preference for hillside vines, Work makes still, sparkling, and dessert wines in a minimalist style using native yeasts with the goal to showcase the grapes and produce affordable wines which he names after Greek letters.
Appearance: Very clear, light lemon yet golden like jewelry. Delicate bubbles cling to the glass after rising up from the bottom.
Aroma: Minerality, herbs, salinity, limestone, a bit of brioche, apple, asian pear, cherry blossom. The brioche comes through as soon as there is food on your palate.
Palate: Very bright and tart, chalky texture, salinity, limestone, ocean breeze, green apple, wild raspberry, tart lemon, very tasty.
Pairing: The brie and the pate worked well with Ampelos “the infinite” and the nuts were lovely with it. We were surprised how well the wine handled the salt in the salt cured olives making us think that this would be a lovely oyster wine. The salinity in food brings out lovely strawberry and raspberry fruit in the Ampelos “the infinite” that was very subtle without food. Ampelos “the infinite” would be great with rich buttery seafood dishes. Steve loved the wines best with the almonds and pate on the cheese plate. This fresh light vibrant wine is perfect for this fresh exciting salad, fresh goat cheese, the fresh organic berries are so amazing with the wine they just shine together. Steve felt it almost taste like honey, with the whipped cream and berries and this wine worked perfectly well with as a dessert, however when the chocolate was added it was a bit too much for the wine and it wasn’t great.
2022 Dusty Nabor “DNW-SRH” Pinot Noir, Radian and Bentrock, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
2022 Dusty Nabor “DNW-SRH” Pinot Noir, Radian and Bentrock, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
ABV: 13.%
SRP: $75
Grapes: Pinot Noir
sample for my review
Appearance: Deep, colorful, ruby, raspberry, a basket of raspberry, pale violet rim
Aroma: Very aromatic, fruit, and forest, woodsy, amber, sandalwood, ripe raspberry, wild mountain strawberry, eucalyptus, chamise, dry shrubbiness, quite intoxicating,
Palate: Fresh raspberry, sandalwood, quite dry yet smooth, well structured, definitely a wine that could be laid down for a while but there is no reason to not drink this wine right now. Herbal, bay, sage,
Pairing: Lovely with the pate, the wine loves the spices and the creamy richness of the food, I think this is my favorite wine with the pate, it brings out that fresh ripe fruit in the wine, with the mushroom brie the cream melts away and leaves you with a rich earthy mushroom finish, the brie and the pate become like butter when paired with the wine, even the rosemary and the salt on the macrona almonds further. The beef was so sweet and succulent with the wine, the meaty richness and complexity of the sauce works perfectly with this fabulous wine, the peppercorns in the dish were so vivid with the wine, the dish becomes so very sweet and is enhanced by the Rooty earthiness of the potatoes and grounds the entire dish. As this wine opens up and as I have this dessert on my plate. I am so in love with this wine. Then when I tasted wine food, it was fabulous, but when I went back to the wine it was not so much.
2021 The Ojai Vineyard “Devoto” Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
2021 The Ojai Vineyard “Devoto” Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County
ABV: 13%
SRP: $64
Grapes: Pinot Noir
purchased as a wine club member
Adam Tolmach was one of the original winemakers to see the potential of growing grapes in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, and he has specialized in Pinot Noir from cool Santa Barbara sites like this one in the Sta Rita Hills AVA located on its western edge.
At WOPN, The Ojai Vineyard will be pouring their Fe Ciega ‘Devoto’ cuvee which uses heritage clones Pommard and Mt. Eden “to showcase the potential for exotic savoriness and structure in Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir.”
Adam Tolmach purchased the Fe Ciega vineyard just a few years ago, but he’s been making wine from these vines for many more years. It was considered foolish to plant in such a cold place hence it’s original name “Blind Faith” or in Spanish, Fe Ciega. Adam farms organically but the vineyard is not certified.
Located on a south-sloped mesa above the Santa Ynez River with brings cool breezes and fog to the vineyard, Fe Ciega is just west and across the river from the well-known Sanford & Benedict vineyard.
Appearance: Very pale raspberry, cranberry, pale periwinkle rim.
Aroma: Loam, mushroom, damp forest floor, duff, cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, fresh roses, chaparral.
Palate: Light and bright, rhubarb, crazy acidity, salinity, leather, suede, very textural, concentrated fruit, lighter in color but not in hefty flavor, sultry, woodsy, long lingering fresh raspberry finish. Two days later, the wine’s finish offers lots of baking spices.
Pairing: The fruit in the wine is elevated and enhanced by the salt cured olives on our cheese plate It brings it to the point of candied cherries and raspberries, fabulous with the crispy lardons on the cheese plate. the wine was very elegant and refined on its own and became robust with the food. it is transformed by the foods it meets morfing and molding itself to become an expressive beauty that dances and mingles beautifully with the food it meets, this elegant wine went exceptionally well with everything it met so far, the beef dish and this wine have the same equality, they work well together without changing each other, they are in an equal partnership. The peppercorns in the dish are highlighted by the wine.
2016 Presqu’ile Pinot Noir, Rim Rock Vineyard, Arroyo Grande AVA, San Luis Obispo County
2016 Presqu’ile Pinot Noir, Rim Rock Vineyard, Arroyo Grande AVA, San Luis Obispo County
ABV: 12.7%
SRP: text
Grapes: organic, own rooted Pinot Noir
sample for my review
Presqu’ile ( pronounced ‘press-keel’) is a small winery owned by the Murphy family in the Santa Maria Valley that focuses on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah from their Santa Barbara County grown estate fruit and from select vineyard sites in the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills seeking to “capture the true essence of its vineyards, vintages, and unique senses of place.” Learn more a at presquilewine.com
Winemaker Dieter Cron says the 2016 Rim Rock Vineyard is a special Pinot Noir because “2016 was the last year we made wine from Rim Rock Vineyard, and in my opinion, it has always carried whole cluster fermentation beautifully. Every vintage, we produced this wine in the exact same way, which was to do a 100% whole cluster fermentation in concrete followed by aging in 100% neutral oak. The 2016 has aged wonderfully thus far showing a nice balance of acid and smooth tannins on the palate.”
Presqu’ile ( pronounced ‘press-keel’) comes from the French word presqu’île, meaning almost island—a geographical term for land that’s more like an island than most peninsulas. The Murphy Family lost a property with that name during Hurricane Katrina.
Of 1188 bottles produced, this is bottle number 620. Presqu’ile is pouring at WOPN on
Appearance: Cloudy, dense, ruby maroon, purple tones, dusty rose or mauve.
Aroma: Chaparral, white sage, fresh bing cherry, herbal, cedar.
Palate: Concentrated fruit, cherry, raspberry, fresh ripe fruit, tannins and acidity are beautifully balanced, salinity, iron rich, peppery, long lingering finish, leather.
Pairing: The pate is so rich and lovely, and the wine is bright and fruity, the wine loves the rosemary in the marcona almonds, great with the crispy lardons on the cheese plate loving the richness of the crispy pork fats, beautiful with the creamy mushroom brie, the brie becomes so rich and earthen while the wine is elevated in its bright cherry fruit, with this wine the beef becomes like a warm hug, the wine becomes very smooth and the dish is absolutely fabulous, every element of the dish is decent and enhanced by the wine, the wine also refreshes your palate and reduces the richness of the meal. The potatoes, the root vegetables all of it become so much sweeter with the wine. I loved this wine so much with this dish, I could distinguish all 0f the flavors in the dish and then the fruit was enhanced by what I was eating. This would be the perfect restaurant pairing. The winery suggests pairing this wine with a roasted beet hummus indicating the wine’s versatility.
2017 McIntyre Pinot Noir, Estate Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
2017 McIntyre Pinot Noir, Estate Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
ABV: 14.5%
SRP: $48
Grapes: Pinot Noir
sample for my review
346 cases produced
They say that Steve McIntyre is one of the most knowledgeable viticulturists in California with decades of observation and experimentation with the goal to minimize human intervention so vineyards and wines remain as natural as possible which made it possible to be among the first properties in the Santa Lucia Highlands to be SIP (Sustainability In Practice) Certified.
The best blocks, lots and barrels from their 80- acre estate went into this wine, with the core from their “Old Vine” block that was planted almost 50 years ago, is the oldest planting of Pinot Noir in the SLH AVA, and is own rooted. He makes wine keeping his minimalist philosophy of “thoughtful but limited intervention” in mind using the wild, indigenous yeast strains from his vineyards.
Appearance: Dark and dense, ruby, garnet rim.
Aroma: Cherry cola, earthy muddy, funk, river banks, eucalyptus, dry dusty duff in a eucalyptus grove, mulberry, mushroom, loam, wet damp earth, ginger flower, dried roses, herbs de Provence, meaty, savory, spiced strawberry, baking spices.
Palate: Super concentrated ripe fruit, Lazardo cherry, cherry pie, cooked strawberries, cinnamon sugar toast, bold tannins, this is not a sweet wine both on the nose and the palate, but this is not a sweet wine, it is just fruit forward, cherry cola, cherry snuff, a Manhattan in your mouth, the orange bitters and the Luzardo cherry.
Pairing: All the musky funkiness is wiped away with food. Fabulous with the rosemary macron almonds on the cheese plate, the creamy rich almond tames the tannins in the wine and the rosemary on the almonds elevate the experience of them both, great with the mushroom brie, the wine cuts the richness of the brie and the brie bring out the fruit in the wine, the spices in the pate are enhanced by the wine, I was convinced that the Presquille was the best wine with the dish, however the McIntyre with this dish has changed my mind and IT is the best ever with the beef dish. What I really tasted in the finished dish with this wine was all of the layers of flavors both in the dish and the wine. I could taste the two cloves that were in the marinade and the sprigs of thyme and the fresh parsley, and the earthy mushrooms and the dried roses. This dish brought out all of the beautiful complexity of the wine. With the dessert the wine became too sweet.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 