Los Hermanitos

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

A fantastic nose of black cherry, cola spice, savory herbs and crushed earth lets you know it is definitely Pinot in the glass.

The palate cascades with rich dark fruits on the forefront followed by baking spices, subtle vanillin and a lively acidity that balances out the mouth coating glycerin.

The subtle tannins lend a nice foundation to a finish that persists with elegance and grace.

Enjoy this wine between now and 2028 

Winegrowing Approach

The Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara offers the ideal climate for Pinot noir while also offering a dynamic range of soils and slope aspects.  First established in 1998, Fiddlestix has been planted to 35 mini-blocks with a multitude of clones and rootstocks. At less than ten miles from the Pacific Ocean, Fiddlestix is usually blanketed in fog where it lingers long into the morning, allowing for a long growing season.

In 2016 we picked Pinot noir grapes from two separate blocks and clones to create a dynamic wine. One of these blocks is from the oldest section of the property and lends itself well to stem inclusion, which brings another dimension to the flavors and structure of the wine. We carefully fermented these grapes using many different methods of control to make sure we have a healthy, yet slow fermentation. This approach extracts good tannins, color, and flavor; while protecting the aromatic compounds. We drained the “free run” wine into large 500-liter puncheon barrels and gently pressed the remaining wine to standard 228-liter barrels. 

Technical Information

• Elevation: 150 feet above sea level

• Soil: Botella Clay Loam, with chert and Monterey shale

• Slope and Aspect: West facing, 20-30% slope

• Farming: Sustainable, low yields, all by hand

• Fruit Selection: 82% Clone 115, 18% Clone 113, 18% Whole Cluster with the balance destemmed

• Fermentation: 5-day cold soak, 6-day fermentation, 2-day post-fermentation maceration; pump overs, rack and returns and punch down depending on fermentation kinetics; followed by a very gentle pressing

• Aging: 18 months in once used French oak Puncheon (free run) and once used Barrique (press fraction); Racked once

• Production: 75 dozen bottled March 1, 2018; neither fined nor filtered

• Alcohol: 13.4%