Sta. Rita Hills
Winemaker Rick Longoria lovingly farms this terrific site and generously allows us to purchase a small portion of his vineyard’s production. Rick and I agree that there is only a moment in time when the character of the vineyard fully expresses itself. Picked a couple of days too soon or too late and all is lost. The raw material here at Fe Ciega is so interesting–it has the acidity that is needed for good balance and it possesses a unique vineyard personality that is intriguing. While it is always fruit filled, deeply colored and dense, it is not particularly fruity—this is a wine that speaks of its earthy origins!
The 2012 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega special bottling is a rare wine (17 cases) that looks at the interaction of very nice barrels and very nice grapes. We bought the wood for these barrels 4 years before they were made, giving the staves two additional years of air drying than usual, so the wood influence is very subtle. In France oak trees are grown for 150 years, then cut and split into staves and stacked to air dry and age. The rainy winters wash away the wood’s harsh tannins. We never age wines in 100% new wood because wood often obscures the distinctiveness of vineyards we are trying to present. Never say never. This wine turned out great!
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir | Alc: 12.5% | Vinification: 100% New French Oak | Barrel Aging: 13 Months | Total Production: 17 cases
Buy the 2012 Fe ciega pinot noir special bottling
Press Reviews
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
“One of the more explosive, full-throttle Pinots this year at Ojai, the 2012 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard Special Bottling hits the palate with a rush of dark fruit, mint and sweet spices. The Special Bottling was aged in 100% new oak, which is unusual for Ojai, but an inspired choice given the inherent richness in the fruit. Stylistically, the 2012 flashy, extroverted and impossible to resist.” -AG 94 Points
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Harvest at the same time as the regular bottling, the 2012 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Special Bottling was aged all in new French oak as opposed to neutral barrels. Gorgeous all around, it gives up fabulously pure black raspberry, flowers, violets and just a hint of sweet oak to go with a silky, layered and seamlessly textured profile on the palate. Still playing in the elegant, lightly textured style of the estate, this classy, elegant and beautifully defined Pinot can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 5-7 years.” – JD 94 Points
