Alta Maria Vineyards Rancho Viñedo Pinot Noir

Tasting notes & discussion 28

Packages have been upgraded to 2-day transit for increased protection.
Typically $45/bottle from Alta Maria Vineyards
Vintage 2014 from the Santa Maria Valley
Available for AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY
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About Alta Maria Vineyards: “Alta Maria was conceived as a place for collaboration, exploration, and growth outside of our family-controlled Estate Vineyards. The name Alta Maria is a tribute to two things that are real and have deep, direct connection. Alta California has been home to my family since 1781. Specifically, the Santa Maria Valley has been our home since 1855. The Ontiveros farming and ranching family is now 10 generations strong. Alta Maria is family owned, we are farmers first, vineyard focused. Our fruit sourcing has expanded, as our proprietary vineyards have, throughout Santa Barbara County through many friends & partnerships. We bring vast experience from our vineyards to the bottle.”

Ave Maria

TASTING NOTES: “Unmistakably varietally correct and on point. Beautifully balanced by freshness, bright acidity, savory floral, notes of bougainvillea and rose petals, cinnamon stick, and five spice. Secondary fruit offers rhubarb and sour cherry, along with anise seed and sassafras. Wet cobblestone and dolomitic limestone show the providence of location in minerality. Light and balanced, but showing on the entry and mid palate with a tremendous lingering finish that goes on and on.” (AbV 12.9%)

VARIETALS: Pinot Noir

BARRELS: 8 months in French oak.

PAIRS WITH: N/A

THAT REMINDS ME OF: The Ave Maria song that everybody knows, but few seem to know where it came from.

As it turns out, that’s not what it’s called. Everybody calls it “Ave Maria,” but the real title is the much catchier “Ellens dritter Gesang,” or “Ellens Gesang III.” And if you thought those weren’t already a home run, it translates to “Ellen’s Third Song.” Wunderbar.  
This is because it is just one part of Franz Schubert’s 1825 musical interpretation of the narrative poem The Lady of the Lake translated into German. In the story, three men fight for the hand of Ellen Douglas, the titular Lady of the Lake (Loch Katrine). They are King James V, the rebellious highland chieftain Roderick Dhu, and Malcolm Graeme, a younger highland chieftain that Ellen actually loves.

As Roderick Dhu marches to lay an ambush upon James, Ellen sings a prayer to the Virgin Mary. It starts off with the iconic “Ave Maria” line, but diverges from the typical Hail Mary after that. Although some versions just replace the lyrics of Schubert with the Latin Catholic prayer.

Alta Maria Vineyards Rancho Viñedo Pinot Noir

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