Presqu'ile 2023 Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley

Presqu’ile’s 2023 Pinot Noir arrives with a quiet invitation—red cherry and rose petal drift from the glass, then deepen into dried orange rind and warm sandalwood. It’s balanced, unassuming, but undeniably expressive.

This isn’t just about fruit, though that’s a good start. The wine carries mid-weight poise: soft spice and lingering earth notes thread through the palate, supported by well-integrated tannins that anchor freshness without weight. It moves out gently, but stays around just long enough.

Under that frame is a site designed, not discovered. The Murphy family scoured the West Coast for cool-climate potential before settling on 200 acres atop a hill in Santa Maria Valley in 2007. That site, planted methodically with varied clones, exposures, and elevations, embodies thoughtful terroir in every bottle.

Presqu’ile isn’t just a name; it’s a story. Creole for “almost an island,” it was the beloved family gathering place on the Gulf Coast before Hurricane Katrina. Naming the winery after it was an act of memory turned into purpose—a tribute carried forward in their farming and hospitality.

This is Pinot built for both reflection and dinner. It befriends roasted mushrooms without trying to steal the show. It whispers detail, not shouts. That meeting of restraint and clarity—that’s where this wine lives.