2013 Tyler La Rinconada Pinot Noir

It was while working as assistant winemaker at Arcadian Winery that Justin Tyler Willet started honing his craft as a master of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. At the tender age of 24, he started playing around with a few barrels hidden in a corner of his employer’s space. These experiments would become the inception of his personal endeavour, Tyler, which 16 years on has become a flagship Californian modern classic, combining forward-thinking with precise elegance. His inspiration has come from local winemakers and European producers such as Roulot, Bonneau du Martray, Dujac, Bachelet and Rousseau.

The Tyler wines are vinified from grapes that tend to be picked earlier than most with the aim of achieving bright aromatics and fresh flavours with modest use of oak.

Tasting Note:
Planted by Richard Sanford in 2000 on the Rancho La Viña Spanish land grant, and located on the eastern hilltops of this singular property. Here we find soils derived from organic, rich Monterey formation consisting of Gazos clay-loam, Ballard fine sandy-loam, and Santa Lucia shaly clay-loam.
La Encantada effortlessly traverses a cascade of aromas drawn from marine fog and meager soils: sandalwood, rosehip, and bergamot. A persistent saline spine delivers a core of wild, brambly fruit and the grounding nuance of black tea. Bound in its !ne tannins is the promise of years of complexity still to be revealed.