Many winemakers are hopeful that over time, the appellation will be further subdivided to better organize the impressive diversity of soils, sites and exposures found here. This silica-based fossilized algae is Santa Rita Hills’ more porous corollary to the famous limestone and chalk of Champagne and Chablis. One of the world’s largest diatomite mines lies just two miles south of nearby Lompoc, a winemaking hub for Santa Barbara County that has christened the surrounding hills ‘The White Cliffs of Lompoc’. Diatomaceous earth is the unique thread that stitches this region together, with sand also being prominent in the northern section that runs along Highway 246, and alluvial soils in the southern section along Santa Rosa Road. Situated at Western edge of the greater Santa Ynez Valley, the 10-mile-long Santa Rita Hills AVA lies between the Santa Rosa Hills to the south and the Purisma Hills to the north, creating two corridors that open to the Pacific Ocean a further 10 miles away. I knew that ripening grapes had to do with daytime temperatures and photosynthesis not how hot it got, but how much sunlight you had.’ Southern California sunlight hardly being in short supply, combined with the moderating effect of the maritime fog and breezes that roll in each day like clockwork, it’s not hard to see what Richard and Michael saw in this place, and clearly their initial investment has paid off in spades. Find spectacular vineyards and estate wineries just minutes from Lompoc in the Sta. ‘I don’t know what they thought they knew, but I knew what the climate of Burgundy was. September releases 2022: full score table.Rhône 2021 score table: top white wines Rita Hills Pinot Noir comes from the cool growing region known as the Santa Rita Hills between Buellton and Lompoc in.March releases on the Place de Bordeaux 2023. They are yet another example that the wines of the Golden State are in the midst of a golden age. His prodigious talents and ability to surround himself with equally talented artisans have helped make these extraordinary wines an absolute must have for serious collectors. Already a legend amongst his winemaking colleagues, Justin will go down as one of the greats of California wine. He doesn't just rely on his no-how as he consults with some old hands from the area and over the last few years with his close friends Etienne Montille of Domaine de Montille and Rudolph Peters of Champagne Pierre Peters. Each year brings new challenges and opportunities which he celebrates by producing wines that are some of the clearest snapshots of the vintage. The Santa Rita Hills AVA consists of approximately 2,100 acres of Pinot Noir, 500 acres of Chardonnay, and an additional combination of, 140 acres of Syrah. He and his crew work these sights themselves, allowing the level of control necessary to produce wines of this caliber.In the cellar there is no recipe. His intuition has led him to choose some of the best spots in the world class vineyard he works with. His knowledge is so granular that he can speak to the particular vagaries of individual vines. His knowledge of the vineyards he works with and the geology of the land he hails from are second to none. He has continued to impress them with his knowledge allowing him access to some of the best plots and thus some of the best fruit on the planet.Justin is armed with a powerful intellect, intuition and unbounded creativity. It was there that he started developing strong and lasting relationships with the caretaker of some of the area's best sites. A native of Santa Barbara, in 2005 Justin founded Tyler while working as the assistant winemaker at Arcadian Winery. Justin Willet's wines exude the grace and understatement that are the hallmark of exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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