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Steele Reds
STEELE PINOT NOIR
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Bien Nacido, literally Spanish for “Born Well”,
is one of the vineyards in Santa Barbara where Steele Wines
purchases Pinot Noir grapes. It is an expansive tract of
land with many different aspects and exposures. It sits
on a bench above the Sisquoc River and is one of the most
well known of the Santa Barbara area vineyards. Many of
the most prestigious wineries in California purchase grapes
from this vineyard. Our favorite block for the single vineyard
wines is “F-Block” which gives the most intense
fruit.
With Pinot Noir we take a minimal approach to wine making.
Fermentations are carried out with as little manipulation
as possible. We use a gentle crusher, one short pump-over
per day and cool soak the grapes prior to the onset of
fermentation. The wine is always elegant, perfumed and
alluring. The wine from Bien Nacido is deeper, richer with
more color and body than from other vineyards. Our aging
program is always in French Oak barrels which are heavily
toasted during the bending of the staves. This toasting
gives a smoky aromatic backdrop to the wonderful cherry
fruit aromas and flavors. We usually bottle the wine in
December of the following year, so at a minimum the wine
spends 12 months in French Oak.
The wines made from Bien Nacido have a unique “Terrior”. A
salty, briny complexity reminds us that the grapes are grown close to the sea.
Salmon in dill sauce or rack of lamb work well with this wine. Try to avoid heavy
sauces or reductions as these may cover some of the unique character of this
wine.
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