2015 Tolosa Winery Apex Vineyard Pinot Noir

Tolosa was founded in 1998 by Robin Baggett, Bob Schiebelhut and Jim Efird. The business partners began buying Edna Valley ranches and planting them with vineyards. Baggett was a native of the area who dreamed of running a cattle ranch as his grandfather had done, but by the late 1980s viticulture interested him more. Baggett in 2006 started the Alpha Omega wine venture in Napa Valley with the idea of making world class Bordeaux style wines. The success of Alpha Omega prompted him to focus on French style wines in Tolosa too, and in 2015 Baggett hired French native Frederic Elivert to craft Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Tolosa’s Edna Valley estate. Consulting winemaker is Jean Hoefliger. Under its 1772 Series label Tolosa also produces small amounts of Rhone blends, Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc.

Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is a 12-mile long, narrow strip of an appellation wedged along the eastern hillsides of the Santa Lucia mountain range. Given its proximity to Big Sur and the Gabilan Mountain Range to the northeast, Santa Lucia a cool-climate wine growing district. Morning sun is often followed by maritime winds and fog in the afternoon, a weather pattern that prolongs the growing season and means long, gentle ripening of the grapes. Spanish missionaries planted vineyards in the district in the 18th century, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that modern winemakers planted vineyards and began making high quality wine. The district received AVA status in 1991 and today there are 6,000 vineyard acres in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Pinot Noir is the dominant grape planted, followed by Chardonnay and Riesling.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.