2017 Martellotto "Le Bon Temps Roule" Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
Divvy-Up
80 Points
Tasting Notes
Double Gold Medal, New Orleans International Blind Wine Competition 2019
94 Points & Double Gold Medal, Las Vegas Global Wine Competition 2019
92 Points, PinotFile
Loosely translated from Cajun French, the name of Greg Martellotto’s latest Pinot phenom means “Let the Good Times Roll.” It’s an appropriate phrase; this elegant limited-production expression of some of California’s most sought-after Pinot grapes brings joy the size of a boulder, at a price that won’t crush a wine lover’s wallet. Sensual notes of oak, lavender and raspberry seamlessly transition from the nose to the palate, where they’re accompanied by a voluptuous structure and sublime balance.
The 2017 vintage is sourced from the exciting new project at Spear Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. Located just over a hill from the Seasmoke vineyard and south of Highway 246, these are some very lovingly and organically farmed vines.
The wine is aged in 100% French oak, 10% new. It was bottled after 11 months to maintain a freshness and vivacity. Like all great Pinots, this wine is a bit of a seductress. It allures with notes of spice, light cedar, and a bright raspberry. Slowly, it reveals itself with aeration. This will be a very intriguing wine in 5-10 years, but given the 450 case production, it will not be around that long.
Comments
The best Pinot in California?
You might get some arguments, but there is no debating that the Santa Rita Hills AVA boasts some of the most coveted Pinot Noir from Califonia. It's a unique AVA for several reasons. It's one of the most southerly Pinot AVAs in California and much closer to the equator than any European Pinot Noir growing region. Yet these cool climate loving vines do extremely well here given the cooling breezes of the Pacific.
Unlike any other part of the state, the mountains here run perpendicular to the ocean, not parallel. There are three mountain ranges forming a trident that opens to the Pacific and funnels cool breezes and fog into the valleys.
This combination of cooling influences with a site so far south allows the wine growing season to be extended by 30 to 40 days longer than most other Pinot Noir growing regions in California. Then there's the soil. The hills harbor some of the world's largest deposits of diatomaceous earth to which some attribute the unique minerality and salinity in the wines.
The Spear Vineyard, source for Le Bon Temps Roule, is one of the most recently planted in the AVA. It's in a prestigious neighborhood, with world renown SeaSmoke right next door. Spear Vineyards is one of the area's highest, peaking at 900 feet in elevation. A sustainable, fully CCOF vineyard, the Spear Vineyard is rapidly making a name for itself as a standout in the Santa Rita Hills for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit.
Read more about the Santa Rita Hills AVA
The Spear Vineyard:
https://www.spearwinery.com/Vineyards
The Santa Rita AVA
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/california-pinot-noir-sta-rita-hills-ava/
https://www.jjbuckley.com/wine-knowledge/blog/what-you-should-know-about-the-sta-rita-hills-ava/1081
http://www.staritahills.com/
Join the Summer Celebration and enjoy our offer "Le Bon Temps Roule" for your summer get togethers
Take an extra $20 off your order with coupon code BonTemps20
With coupon:
$14.99 per bottle 3-packs
$13.33 per bottle with a 3-way Divvy-Up
First time PrevViewer, not my first time tasting or reviewing wine though! I tried to post photos but I'm guessing they are too large and gives me an error.
Bottle arrived last week, and while the weather has been hot here in Houston, the transit time was very quick and the Styrofoam kept the wine cool and I noticed no signs of leakage, raised cork, etc. It went into the cooler for a few days to settle and I drank it over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday evening.
Pop and pour out of the cellar, beautiful bouquet, strawberries, cranberries, cherry. Maybe a hint of vanilla. Light ruby in the glass, mostly translucent. Thin but slow legs.
On taste, it was quite closed. Some fruit fordwardness with an indescribable red fruit, and a quick tinge of acidity and faded quickly. Letting it warm in the glass helped, pulled out some more Raspberry, cherry, strawberry. As it was already late, I decided to leave the rest for the next day. I accidentally did not cork the bottle (usually ill vacuum cork it or lightly stopper it) and instead just left it out with a light cloth over the top.
The next day, after having nearly 24 hours to breath, made the wine extremely enjoyable. Fruit is still there, but getting more vanilla and other nuanced notes. It's not particularly layered or complex, but it is a fine easy drinking wine that would hold its own with some of the best RRV or Oregon PN. I paired it with a simple filet and some sweet potatoes and it didn't get washed out and held well.
I had put it at a price point of $20-25 so this is coming in right where I'd peg it if not a bit better.
I'd go in on this offer but am unfortunately a bit heavy on my PN and light reds already!
Houstonian - too much wine to drink
Hey deadlyapp. Thanks for the nice PrevView. As mentioned in the Martellotto video this is an early vintage from the Spear vineyard. Reviews of several more recent vintage Pinots from Spear Vineyards speak about more spice and herb aromas which I like in my Pinot. Did you pick up any of these aromas on the second day in this earlier vintage? Thanks.
Two time domestique the Giro d'Bottiglia!
Hi Cyclesnip. The aroma is certainly overpowered by the fruit, I didn't pick up many herbal or spice notes either day, perhaps some baking spices on day two but nothing distinguishable. There were certainly more herbal and spice notes on the taste day two, but they are well integrated and I couldn't pick out anything specific. This did not have the earthiness that I commonly find in PN and I suspect the light oak treatment did not contribute much to the baking spices.
Houstonian - too much wine to drink
Thanks deadlyapp! I think you're right. Light oak and the winemaker said they bottled quickly - so probably more about the fruit. I burned through the Onesta Cinsault, so maybe this will replenish my light red for the summer stock. Think I'll send out a share buy invite and see if any of my gang is interested. I do like the Sta. Rita Pinots. Cheers.
Two time domestique the Giro d'Bottiglia!
Coincidentally I had had the Onesta Cinsault only a few days prior! The cinsault has more prominent herbal notes, and feels like a nice blend of a Sonoma pinot with an underlying vein of zin. This PN feels more balanced and enjoyable, albeit getting more of the grape rather than terroir or oak treatment. Both great wines.
Houstonian - too much wine to drink
Thank you for the PrevView. I like your food pairings.
SF Split Available On Pinot Deal.
Pick up in South Beach. I could arrange drop off anywhere north of Mission Bay to complete the case.
Join the Divvy-Up: https://divvy-up.com/2017-martellotto-le-bon-temps-roule-pinot-noir-sta-rita-hills?group=4619c1bf-082e-e6e2-e92c-402e0705ae46
Hey SF! We only have 2 bottles left to close out this Divvy-Up! Come on we can do it.
If you want to use the coupon in a case it's a 4 bottle min, but I can back out a couple bottles to make room. Let me know.
Last Monday I was pleasantly surprised with my shipment of The Martellotto Le Bon Temps Roule Pinot Noir. Being the primary wine drinker in my house I tend to reserve partaking in wine for the weekends (Thursday counts as the weekend, right?) However, it had been a particularly stressful day and I simply couldn’t wait to give this Pinot a try.
Pinot Noir is my favorite type of red and this wine was so worth a Monday night drink. Vibrant ruby red in color but I could tell by the first pour it would not be heavy. The first sip was light and bright with flavors of red berry fruits and Spanish spices. With some aeration this wine revealed its cinnamon and vanilla notes but not too overwhelming.
It coincidentally paired perfectly with the lemon and herb grilled chicken and Mediterranean summer salad I had already planned to prepare. I think it would also be a great wine to pair with a classic Italian charcuterie board of meats, cheese and stone fruits or as an appetizer wine because it compliments and doesn’t overpower.
In the summer I tend to stick to whites, but this pinot is a perfect summer red because it captures the same light sensation that I crave on a warm night but with the added benefit of the ripe richness I look for in reds. Even my husband, who is not a big wine drinker and particularly dislikes red wine, was intrigued enough to enjoy a full glass. This wine has converted me, and possibly my husband, to a summer red drinker.