Lady of the Sunshine - Pinot Noir, Bassi Vineyard, SLO Coast 2024

The 2024 vintage of Lady of the Sunshine Pinot Noir comes from our home ranch, Bassi Vineyard, in Avila Beach which was certified Demeter biodynamic for farming in July, 2024.

This is my first of many vintages making wine from Bassi.  This bottling comes from the hillside blocks, planted in 2001 to all Dijon clones, on sandstone soils. At 1.2 miles from the ocean and south facing exposure, the grapes were harvested over several picks, from mid to late August as Bassi is one of the earliest ripening sites in the SLO Coast AVA.  

The grapes were fermented with native yeast in 1.5 ton boxes with 33% whole cluster. The wine was pressed in our wooden basket press at dryness and aged for 10 months in neutral French oak barrels before being racked for the first time to bottle, unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulfur used to capture the energy of the wine.

Aromatic red berries (wild strawberry, cranberry), subtle herbal or sea-breeze hints, bright acidity, fine-grained tannins, and a mineral finish evocative of sandstone soils and coastal air. 

Pair with red meats, grilled lamb, herb-roasted pork, seared salmon or tuna, especially when paired with herbs or a light sauce, dishes with mushrooms or earthy vegetables (to match the herbal/mineral hint in the wine, salads or dishes with beets, root vegetables, or Mediterranean herbs.

336 cases were produced 

Type: Red
Producer: Lady of the Sunshine
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Country: United States
Region: California
Farming: Biodynamic, Organic, Low Sulphur