2018 Bien Nacido Estate, The Captain, Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, California, USA

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Located in the Santa Maria Valley of California's Central Coast, Bien Nacido Estate has a rich history dating back to the early 1970s when it was founded by the Millers, a farming family. The name "Bien Nacido" translates to "well born" in Spanish, reflecting the region's fertile soil and favourable climate.