Babcock Santa Rita Hills Pinot 2013

Notes from the Winemaker: Stemming from a rigorous selection of some of my best Estate Grown cuvees, along with aggressive blending of barrels from some of the most amazing vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, this bottling is now the focal point of my effort to create a true flagship wine for distribution throughout the US. Since 1/3 of the wine hails from my vineyard, you do get a little suggestion of Ocean's Ghost, but with the contribution from vineyards further west in the appellation, you also get a jolt of dark power; baked black fruits and cherries with gobs of earth and spice. Calling it complex does not do it justice. After it's open for a while, the oak comes together with the fruit, creating a nice mocha quality, and the mouth feel turns plush with a succulent viscosity.