I know, I know. I’m behind on my posts. It’s been harder than expected to keep up with the CorkPopper Calendar this summer. But fear not. Though it may take me a few extra days, I will absolutely get to everything eventually. Pinkie swear!
The final California Pinot Noir is from one of my favorite wineries and, therefore, admittedly had a significant leg-up on this week’s other two contenders. Babcock is located along Highway 246 between Buellton and Lompoc in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Rita Hills appellation. As my regular readers already know, this is the area where I first really fell in love with wine. As a student at the University of California at Santa Barbara, I was barely an hour away from the vineyards of Santa Barbara wine country and would find myself inexplicably giddy every time those vines first came into view. While the greater Santa Barbara County AVA is huge and diverse, the Santa Rita Hills might be said to specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as those grapes directly benefit from the way the hills gently slope toward the Pacific Ocean, allowing the coastal fog to creep up the ravines at night just the way Pinot Noir and Chardonnay like.
Now, Babcock makes a wide variety of wines at a wide range of price points. This, the Rita’s Earth Pinot Noir, is the winery’s entry level Pinot Noir, which retails for $25/bottle at the winery’s website (though I get it at an additional 35% discount with my club membership).* A bright, deep ruby red, this wine has a beautiful aroma of cherries, pepper, and, well, earth. On the palate, the cherries and spice are most prominent, but what makes this wine especially interesting (particularly to J) is the faint hint of savory bacon. Indeed, on one of our last trips to the winery, J took one sip of the 2007 Rita’s Earth and could only say one thing, “Mmmmmm….. bacon…..” Trust me, it’s a high compliment.
4 corks popped!
Cheers!
* Babcock’s other three Pinot Noir bottlings – the Grand Cuvee ($35/bottle), Ocean’s Ghost ($55/bottle) and Deja Vu ($55/bottle) - don’t quite fit within the CorkPopper Budget but are worth every penny if you happen to see them anywhere.