Cambria Estate Winery, Santa Maria Valley (California) Pinot Noir 2018

 Julia’s Vineyard, named for a daughter of founders, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, is dedicated to Pinot Noir.  It is a delicious wine with juicy black cherry, blackberry fruit laced with vanilla and notes of dried thyme, velvety smooth in the mouth.  It is medium bodied and animated with vibrant acidity.  It finishes with sleek, ripe tannins.  It is the perfect partner with a roasted pork tenderloin, duck,  quail or grilled salmon. The 2018 vintage was the second at Cambria for winemaker Jill Russell.  She considered it a magnificent vintage with “canopies luscious and full; the vines were thriving and happy. We had zero weather events to push our picking decisions and we were able to let the grapes hang longer for more complexity while still retaining acidity.”