Birichino Saint Georges Pinot Noir 2022

Birichino Saint Georges Pinot Noir is a Pinot Noir built around very old vines at the southern foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

George Besson's vineyard was established in the early 1900s and sits a few metres too low, and on the wrong side of the road, to qualify for the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, so the label honours him instead. Fair enough, after more than twenty years working together. The Pinot Noir rows were grafted over from Bordeaux varieties in the 1980s using cuttings Josh Jensen of Calera gave Besson's late father. Old roots in decomposed granite and clay, organic farming, and fog and wind funnelling through the Hecker Pass Gap from Monterey Bay thirty kilometres away give a wine Alex Krause calls distinctly floral and never dark. Seven barrels from two high-elevation Chalone sites were blended in for stony grip.

Pale, perfumed and drinkable: rose, raspberry and sappy undergrowth, with a firm mineral edge at the end from the Chalone fruit. No new oak anywhere. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees with roast chicken, salmon, or duck with beetroot.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.