VINTAGE & VINEYARDS

After three years of plentiful harvests in Santa Barbara County, the 2015 vintage brought low, but outstanding yields. A mild winter and spring with almost no rain allowed the fruit to ripen at a very steady and deliberate pace, and picking began a few weeks earlier than ever before. The drier-than-normal conditions and the region’s abundant sunshine contributed to the smaller bunch and berry size and low yields, resulting in wines with excellent concentration.

Santa Barbara County’s lengthy growing season and coastal climate make the appellation a perfect place to grow balanced and concentrated Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit. The southerly location of these inland valley vineyards provides generous sunshine to ripen grapes to full maturity, but the cool direct influence of the Pacific Ocean moderates the heat, making this one of the coolest growing regions in California. The east-west transverse valleys, unique to this region, open the vineyards directly to the maritime fog and breeze, and cool the sunny valleys significantly.

WINEMAKING

Etude’s winemaking philosophy remains steadfast with this Santa Barbara Pinot Noir and the wine was crafted with very minimal winemaking intervention in order to reflect the unique terroir of North Canyon and Fiddlestix Vineyards. Lyric undergoes open-top fermentation with extended time on the skins and is then aged for 11 months in French oak barrels.

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