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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.9 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 45 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by sfqwino on 4/4/2024: Agree with the earlier notes that this feels tired and over the hill. Acidic but without tension. Not much fun... (220 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 3/30/2024 & rated 89 points: Final of 3 bottles, last had this wine about 4 yrs ago.
No formal TN, but seemed a bit tired, lacks energy and flavor intensity. (186 views) | | | Tasted by popasq on 7/22/2023 & rated 97 points: This vintage keeps getting better, nose was out of this world, unbelievable bottle! (341 views) | | | Tasted by popasq on 10/24/2022 & rated 96 points: Still outstanding. Was the best pinot that night and we had some outstanding burgundies. (707 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 10/19/2022 & rated 90 points: Some Weighty Wines on a Wonderful Autumn Eve (Los Angeles, CA): Just a small taste from a bottle opened the night before. Like some other encounters with this producer, I found the wine somewhat disjointed, all texture and stem-inclusion characteristics. Served blind, I took it for a younger Burg somewhat on the rustic side, maybe Nuit St. Georges. Everyone tells me these need time, but color me a skeptic. (793 views) | | | Tasted by popasq on 4/30/2022 & rated 96 points: I am rating this bottle higher than the last, recalibrating if you don't mind! This is simply amazing, the fruit is unbeatable, to me the best vintage of DLC and i have every vintage. (785 views) | | | Tasted by popasq on 10/2/2021 & rated 94 points: This was excellent and I do believe it is getting better than the last few bottles I have had the last 2 years. One of my favorites Pinot in my cellar and have some of the best burgundy. (1127 views) | | | Tasted by JohanPe on 8/4/2021 & rated 88 points: The La Côte bottles in my cellar are sadly not going in the right direction. Good fruit in this '12 but the 100% whole cluster makes this so green it's almost not drinkable. Liked this when released but I'm beginning to question whether that was down to taste/experience or if the development's just going sideways. Wrote in my last note that I'd stay away from these for a while but now I'm sure that won't be a problem, forget for 5-10 and hope for the best. Disappointing. (1104 views) | | | Tasted by ANWW89 on 6/20/2021 & rated 92 points: lively perfumed nose. lots of fresh fruit. on the palate more earthy and savoury in a yes.. burgundian sense. (945 views) | | | Tasted by herbaceous on 3/14/2021 & rated 91 points: Perfume flavors and refined but something not quite balanced in the mid palette. Black licorice. Plenty of oomph, nice overall. (1070 views) | | | Tasted by gouldcampbell77 on 5/25/2020 & rated 85 points: Very bretty. Smells of horse shit. Is this really what it's meant to taste like? Not good. (1302 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 5/12/2020 & rated 93 points: Bottle #2 of 3, last tasted 1.5 years ago.
PnP and enjoyed over 2+ hrs.
Black and red cherry fruit, cola, wet soil, cooking spices, and sweet tobacco leaf.
On the palate, medium in body, with a velvety mouthfeel, persistent mid-palate weight, luscious texture, with transparency as the tiny, finely grained tannins are ushered into the long and lively, mouth-drying finish.
This is a lovely wine, drinking quite well right now, and should get even better through 2022 and drink nicely through 2026+. (1063 views) | | | Tasted by robertek on 12/21/2019 & rated 93 points: Yes half of the crew was in the US and some had it right as a DDLC but the stalkiness of the wine certainly had some people in Burgundy as well. This wine stood its ground vs a Leroy and DRC RC however without the same body as the later. Impressive. (1204 views) | | | Tasted by robertek on 10/19/2019 flawed bottle: Second recent bottle that has been corked :( (1225 views) | | | Tasted by ppandian on 7/25/2019 & rated 90 points: Spectacular! Fresh fruit, light, great balance and very enjoyable. (1356 views) | | | Tasted by JohanPe on 6/23/2019 & rated 92 points: About 3 years since last bottle. Still the same high quality fruit, wild and luxurious. Red with violet strokes. Some new oak but well integrated. The nose is really top end stuff.
The palate is definitely marked by the whole bunches, stemmy and evident greenness. Not sure what to think about this, and since no track record exist I guess no one really knows where this is going. Seems to me that most of the talk about potential bottoms in the reputation of the winemaker (and terroir, of course) which is fine, and maybe this really is a wine for the cellar, but it is awfully green at this point. It brings complexity on the palate but is also quite dominant, the fruit has to fight big time to even get a glimpse. I said when I tasted this bottle that I would not open another one for at least 5 years and I'm going to (try to) stick to that. (1246 views) | | | Tasted by Yassine23 on 5/28/2019: So nice tonight. From magnum. Harmonious blend of cherry, game, strawberry, cranberry, raspberry and integrated oak notes. Long finish. Could drink another one !!! (1190 views) | | | Tasted by Vinophiliac559 on 3/17/2019 & rated 91 points: This was enjoyable in a Volnay-esk way. Definitely get the whole cluster component with a bit of stemminess. Nice acidity, fruit is much more developed than expected, starting to show some of those secondary and tertiary flavors although I am not sure how they will all play off each other down the road. Again I felt that the wine feels heavier than the stated abv. This is a very good wine but for me at this price point just doesnt preform like I'd hoped it would. 90-91 (1693 views) | | | Tasted by ppandian on 1/18/2019 & rated 88 points: Nose of fresh cut green grape stems, almost a little grassy. Past that, notes of restrained red berries with mild spicyness. Drinking beautifully now. Quite complex.. (1532 views) | | | Tasted by eags25fla on 12/27/2018 & rated 88 points: Nose of spice, evolved fruit but still exhibited a brightness. Light on the palate with evolved cherries, red plums, spice and a richness that gives it body. Pleasing if not transcending. For the money, I expect more. Improves and develops more interesting & structured bouquet and flavors with 30-60 mins in the glass. (1499 views) | | | Tasted by robertek on 10/26/2018 & rated 95 points: In a perfect spot right now with complexity on the nose and a mix of mature notes and young fruit. Love it. (1652 views) | | | Tasted by AB.wine on 10/13/2018: 2012 La Cote from Rajatpar. Great nose that is very Gevrey like. The palate is delicious with soft spices and red cherries. Very easy to like. I think its quite ready to enjoy now. (1443 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 9/21/2018 & rated 92 points: A beautiful wine, clocking in at 12.8% abv. PnP last night, had a few glasses, TN is from today.
I rated this wine 95 points at a tasting with Raj in 2015. I thought the wine would drink nicely and mature into something more special, and although it is still very nice, the riper California fruit flavors, which I had hoped would stay in the background, have become slightly more pronounced. There is still a soft spiciness to the wine, finely grained tannins, and energetic acidity.
The wine has slipped a bit in my opinion from my original score of 95, but it is still very pretty and delicious.
At the $81 USD cost of admission, it is not a re-purchase for me. Drink now through 2022 or so. (1420 views) | | | Tasted by ppandian on 9/2/2018 & rated 87 points: Excellent (1463 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 7/31/2018 & rated 88 points: This is a very light-bodied wine, and made in that style to capture tons of bright juicy fruit, florals, and just plain freshness. It's almost carbonic, but thankfully it isn't, and there are not off natural-wine sort of flavours here instead. It's a clean wine, but it's not particularly interesting beyond the intense stem notes on the palate. There's some nice fruit here, but at the end of the day, this is a wine that seems to me to be aiming for that glou glou ideal which I don't particularly care for. (2343 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By William Kelley
Decanter, WK Tasting notes (6/30/2016)
(Domaine de la Côte, La Côte Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, Santa Rita Hills, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/6/2016)
(Dom De La Côte, La Côte Sta Rita Hills Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Allen Meadows
Burghound, Jun-15, Issue #59
(Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir - La Côte Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/26/2015)
(Dom de la Côte, La Côte Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, Focus on Santa Barbara County (Dec 2014) (12/1/2014)
(Domaine De La Cote Pinot Noir La Cote Sta. Rita Hills Sta. Rita Hills) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Barbara: The Thrill of Discovery (Jul 2014)
(Domaine De La Côte Pinot Noir La Côte Sta. Rita Hills) Subscribe to see review text. | i-WineReview.com, Tasting Articles 2014- California (1/1/2014)
(Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir La Cote Sta Rita Hills) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and JancisRobinson.com and Burghound and Vinous and i-WineReview.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Domaine de la Côte Producer website
Domaine de la Côte has, in a very brief period, established itself as one of California’s top proponents of Pinot Noir. It is based on six vineyards - Pinot Noir only - on the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills. Planted at extremely high vine densities (one site is as high as 17,000 vines/ha), each vineyard has a unique geology, aspect, elevation, and microclimate. The complexity and diversity of these sites, even though they are in close proximity, is unique in California. From these vineyards the aim is to produce a distinct expression of terroir.
The Domaine farms its vineyards organically and makes its wines with the philosophy of ‘add nothing; take nothing away.’ Fruit is picked early before any overtly ripe character can mask the personality of each vineyard, and the resulting wines naturally have a good level of acidity and a moderate level of alcohol - in most cases around 12.5%. The wines, which really are quite special, embody the philosophy of owners Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr, which centres around freshness, vitality and balance. In Jancis Robinson MW’s words, “these are wines that eschew the heavy-handed, overripe approach of so many Californian producers. They are beautifully elegant, always refreshing and effortlessly drinkable.”
In Raj and Sashi’s own words: Domaine de la Côte is a collection of five vineyards in the far western reaches of the Sta. Rita Hills, seven miles from the Pacific Ocean. Here in Santa Barbara County, California, our vineyards negotiate a landscape narrated by faults and folds. In this moment of immense geologic upheaval, in a place remarkable for its rhythmic coalescence of wind, fog and sun, Domaine de la Côte presents a singular opportunity for engaging with Pinot Noir.
We planted our vineyards in 2007, intent on comprehensively investigating the diversity of a south-facing hillside of marine sedimentary soils. To do so, we utilised California’s heritage selections of Pinot Noir, planted with extraordinary density, and today we farm in the service of posterity and ecological stewardship.
When making wine we equally consult memory and intuition. We make use of the whole grape cluster – its berries and stems – and ferment without additives or temperature control. We raise our wine in barrels assembled by a single cooper. The winery is a simple and collaborative space in which we can compose wines with clarity, detail, and, above all, authenticity.
Winery History
Domaine de la Côte is a project founded in 2013 by famed sommelier Rajat Parr and esteemed winemaker Sashi Moorman based in the Santa Rita Hills. Sashi had been developing and cultivating the vines since 2007 with Chris King, perhaps the most famous organic grower in Santa Barbara county. When the opportunity arose to purchase the land with a few other investors, the duo jumped at the opportunity. A collection of 6 vineyards planted over 40 acres, their aim is to produce single vineyard Pinot Noirs with distinct expressions of terroir.
Fought over by sommeliers and collectors the world over, the wines of Domaine de la Côte have catapulted to cult status in less than a decade. Because of the limited vineyard area, only 5000 cases of wine are produced annually, with no plans to expand due to the location and its geology. These are some of the most coveted California wines of our time.
Viticulture/Winemaking Style
The Domaine de la Cote property sits upon a south facing slope in the Santa Rita Hills with varied soils lying on top of 25 million year silex and diatomaceous seabed. The five single vineyards on this tiny 60 acre property - Memorious, Bloom’s Field, la Côte, Clos Juliet and Siren’s Call, each have a unique geology, aspect, elevation and microclimate. The Domaine farms its vineyards organically and makes its wines with the philosophy of ‘add nothing; take nothing away.’ All the wines are fermented with high levels of stem inclusion, which is intended to imbue the wines with additional freshness, silky tannins. They are produced and bottled at the winery in the town of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, three miles from the Domaine.
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
Fun Fact
In addition to restaurants, Raj Parr worked at Calera in 1997 and then with Jim Clendenen for five years making his own label called Parr Selections, a small label that came before Sandhi and Domaine de la Cote.
Domaine de la Côte is a collection of 6 vineyards planted over 40 acres on the furthest western edge of the Sta.
Rita Hills appellation: Memorious (3.5 acres), Bloom’s Field (7.5 acres), Siren’s Call (3 acres), Clos Juliet (1 acre), La Côte (9.5 acres), and 15.5 acres of appellation Sta. Rita Hills. Dramatically rising to an elevation of 700 feet above the Santa Ynez River, the Domaine lies on an ancient 25 million year old siliceous (silex) and diatomaceous seabed 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
The Domaine was purchased by Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman at the beginning of 2013. Sashi Moorman discovered the site and developed the vineyards with Chris King in 2007. Under his direction, the vineyards were planted entirely to California heritage selections at extremely high vine densities between 4,000 and 7,000 vines per acre, unprecedented at the time for the appellation. Although the Domaine spans a mere 40 acres, the diversity of its climats is staggering: each vineyard has a unique geology, aspect, elevation and microclimate. Such distinct expression of site, or terroir, in such close proximity, is unparalleled in California.
The Domaine organically farms its vineyards and makes its wines with the philosophy of “add nothing; take nothing away.” All the wines are produced and bottled at the winery in the town of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, three miles from the domaine.”- Skurnik2012 Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir La CôteThe Estate Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Notes
“The 2012 appellation Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir comes predominately from 15 acres of vineyards planted at 200 feet above sea level in silty-clay loam; 25% of the vines are own-rooted at a vine density of over 4,000 vine/acre. Similar to last year’s wine, the 2012 is 50% whole bunches with 0% new oak used in the elevage. This wine has a brilliant red color and is perfumed, balanced and elegant. Currants, pomegranate and elderflowers fill the nose and hints of wild mushrooms and fresh garden herbs appear on the palate. The mouthfeel is round, but focused and finishes with savory tannins. We believe the wines will have a long life in the bottle if properly cellared and should develop aromas and flavors of great complexity over the next 5+ years.”
•2100 cases produced
•50% stem inclusion
•12.5% alcoholPinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA Wikipedia |
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