Belle Glos Balade Pinot Noir 2016 750mL

The word Balade, French for ‘Wandering’, is a fitting term for our annual exploration of single-vineyard pinot noir blocks on the west coast. Each vintage, we will bottle only the most compelling and nuanced expression of pinot noir from a single selected vineyard and release it as a limite bottling, available exclusively in restaurants and at Chili Liquor. 

The 2016 Growing Season:

A winter of below-average rainfall was followed by very warm weather in February which prompted early and rapid growth in the vineyard. After this jump start to the growing season, a blanket of coastal fog rolled in to keep temperatures cool in Santa Barbara during March and April. With cool weather through May, fruit set was slightly smaller than average. We enjoyed a mild and pleasant summer with cooling in August to provide nice hang time for the crop to fully ripen. The weather remained ideal during harvest, which began in mid-September about two weeks earlier than normal.

Tasting Notes:

Bright cherry red with bold, vibrant aromas of blackberry jam, raspberry tart and toasted oak accented by subtle notes of rose petal, violets and cherry cola. This wine is juicy and generous on the palate with baked cherry, fresh strawberry, cranberry and baking spices. Perfectly balanced with bright acidity and a supple mouthfeel. Fine grained tannins provide an authentic textural distinction and structural depth