Domaine de la Côte
Santa Barbara // California // USA
Organic
“Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr have made some of the most epic, dramatically beautiful Pinots I have ever tasted in the Sta. Rita Hills, or anywhere for that matter. The wines are rich, potent and full of character. As always, the Pinots are done with a healthy amount of whole clusters… I was utterly blown away…”
ANTONIO GALLONI
“These are wines that eschew the heavy-handed, overripe approach of so many Californian producers. They are beautifully elegant, always refreshing and effortlessly drinkable.”
JANCIS ROBINSON MW
Domaine de la Côte has, in a very brief period, established itself as one of California’s top proponents of Pinot Noir.
It is based on five vineyards - Memorious, Bloom’s Field, la Côte, Clos Juliet and Siren’s Call - lying on top of 25 million year old silex and diatomaceous seabed on the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills.
Planted at extremely high vine densities (one site is as high as 17,000 vines/ha), each vineyard has a unique geology, aspect, elevation, and microclimate. The complexity and diversity of these sites, even though they are in close proximity, is unique in California. From these vineyards the aim is to produce a distinct expression of terroir.
The Domaine farms its vineyards organically and makes its wines with the philosophy of ‘add nothing; take nothing away.’
Fruit is picked early before any overtly ripe character can mask the personality of each vineyard, and the resulting wines naturally have a good level of acidity and a moderate level of alcohol - in most cases around 12.5%.
The wines, which really are quite special, embody the philosophy of owners Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr, which centres around freshness, vitality and balance.
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Fought over by sommeliers and collectors the world over, the wines of Domaine de la Côte have catapulted to cult status in less than a decade.
Because of the limited vineyard area, only 5000 cases of wine are produced annually, with no plans to expand due to the location and it's geology. These are some of the most coveted California wines of our time.
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Featured Wines
Juliet Chardonnay
2021
"Almost golden, with honey, dried apricot, pineapple, grape skin and some salted caramel. Full-bodied with incredible depth and precision. It reminds me of some of the great Montrachets of my life, which sadly I never come across now, because of the crazy prices. But great finish and length here. What a wine! 75 cases. Drink or hold."
100 points, James Suckling
Sous le Chêne Pinot Noir
2021
"Extremely floral and bright with bark and dark fruit, as well as sliced strawberries and raspberries. Hints of forest flowers, too. Full-bodied with earth, dark fruit and orange peel. Very long. A unique wine from vines growing around an ancient oak tree. Drink or hold."
99 points, James Suckling
La Côte Pinot Noir
2021
"Cool yet ripe strawberries, together with crushed spices, such as cloves and cardamom. Then mushroom and bark. Full-bodied with a solid structure and layers of firm tannins. Great finish. But needs three to six years to soften."
98 points, James Suckling