The unique clay composition of the soil at the UV site is exhibited in this Pinot Noir’s perfumed aromatics and voluptuous texture.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2024 UV Pinot Noir is soft, enveloping, and packed with a complex mix of spicy floral tones and pure berry fruits. Aromas of hibiscus, Isparta rose, and lilac waft from the glass over a core of pure cherry and raspberry coulis. On the palate, a mélange of ripe red berry fruits echoes the aromatics, supported by complex elements of orange oil, tonka bean, and terra cotta earth tones. Texturally the wine is silky with ultra-fine tannin, mouthcoating density, and finishes with a lift of acidity that confers brightness and points to a long, graceful future of continued development with cellar age.
We refer to this wine as the “chameleon,” as it evolves and morphs in each glass. The combination of climate, soil, and rare clones planted at UV-SL produce kaleidoscopic, site-driven nuances.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2024 UV-SL Chardonnay is all about poise and precision. The wine opens with inviting aromas of citrus blossom, nectarine, and opal apple, but it is the saline coastal elements of crushed seashell, wild fennel, and sea spray that really sing and celebrate this site’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean. On the palate the wine is expansive and texturally fine, especially when allowed time to blossom in the glass, gaining breath and volume quickly. Dynamic, evolving wines like this are a sure bet for graceful and rewarding ageing, and the 2024 UV-SL Chardonnay will continue to develop and unfurl for the coming 10 to 15 years of bottle age. The wine is slightly hazy, showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking.
Our most masculine Pinot Noir, the UV-SL, is opulent in color, reflecting a tangible fullness across the palate. The vineyard’s proximity to the ocean is deceptive, as the notably warm climate allows the grapes to reach our optimal ripeness.
Mark Aubert’s Tasting Notes
The 2024 UV-SL Pinot Noir is statuesque in its poise and structure, opening with aromas of black cherry, mulberry, hoisin, and star anise. A complex, foresty note, emblematic of the chaparral environment surrounding the vineyard, anchors the wine firmly in place. Notes of graphite and blonde tobacco add further dimension. On the palate, the wine possesses a firm and fine tannin structure, with deep, rich flavors of blackberry oil, cocoa, and black cherry unfurling and expanding in time. The structural framework, ripe fruit aromas and flavors, and bright acidity coalesce in a long palate-staining finish. Chiseled in its youthful frame, this is a wine that will continue to blossom and reveal itself for years to come.