2019 Pinot Noir La Côte

One of the biggest changes at Domaine de la Côte in recent years has been the decision to pick the Chardonnay just a bit riper than in the past. The 2020 is a great example of what can happen at slightly higher sugar levels. As for the Pinots, I went back to revisit the 2019s, wines from a tricky vintage that have so far only seen a limited release. Sashi Moorman describes the vintage as "June gloom all the way to harvest." Greater intervention was required in the vineyard to stave off mildew, and that has left the wines with reductive quality. Whether or not that dissipates over time is anyone's guess. These remain very interesting wines, but there is no getting past the fact that 2019 was especially hard here, on the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills.