The owners of one of the most famous vineyards of California’s Central Coast debut the latest vintage of their flagship Pinot Noir in the UK.
In the United States it is rare that a vineyard name is more famous than that of the winemaker. However Bien Nacido vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley AVA of Central California, is the exception.
First planted in 1973 by brothers Bob and Steve Miller – when growing Pinot Noir in this part of California was anything but a foregone conclusion – the vineyard is now famous for its pristine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah fruit. Luminaries like the late Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat were amongst those who made the name famous but estates like Fess Parker, Lindquist Family and numerous others have made and bottled wines from this IT, making it a household name. Roughly on the same latitude as Tunisia, the vineyard is exposed to cool Pacific influence which makes it a marginal site where fruit ripens slowly and retains all-important acidity. The ocean is just 16 miles away.
It was not until 2005 that the Miller family started making their own wines rather than selling grapes. Initially, this was just for friends and family but from the 2007 vintage onwards, the wines became available to the public. Grapes are still sold, but the Miller family also continues to make wines from their own vineyard which is often likened to California’s equivalent of a grand cru.
The flagship wine of the estate, The Captain Reserve Pinot Noir, is made from fruit grown on “the highest and most exposed limestone soils of the estate’s vineyard.” It is made from a single block of vines planted in 2006 at 335m elevation on dolomitic limestone. Fermentation occurs naturally and is done separately with native yeasts. It is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. In the UK, the wine is available from Armit Wines at £82/bottle. It was named in honour of Robert Miller, captain of USS Ticonderoga, a World War II aircraft carrier.
