Santa Barbara is Pinot Noir country, and the range of expressions in this county are varied. One of the stalwarts, having first started in 1975, is Lucas & Lewellen. For an inexpensive Pinot Noir, L&L does an admirable job of crafting a tightly wound Pinot with excellent fruit, good acidity, and oak influence (a mere 10 months in oak, only a small portion of which was new French) which doesn’t break the bank. Black cherry, Rainer cherry, huckleberry, macerated strawberry, light notes of vanilla and sandalwood, this is a lovely iteration of Pinot Noir that can be a great go-to every day wine and that is compatible with a variety of foods. The deft use of oak maximizes the fruit from their estate vineyards. ORIGIN: Santa Barbara County. ALCOHOL: 14%
