Union Sacré Squire Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2016

Union Sacré’s 2016 Squire Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir may not arise from one of California’s bastions of power and privilege, but it most certainly reflects Union Sacré’s devotion to bringing the finest noble varietals to table. Enclosed in a clear bottle that reflects its bright ruby red robe, the 2016 Union Sacré Pinot Noir looks good and tastes even better, that is if you can take your nose out of the glass long enough on account of its intoxicating aroma to taste it. Scents of crushed raspberries and strawberries mingled with hints of forest woodlands and a silky minerality make the 2016 Union Sacré Pinot Noir hard to resist. Better still; the wine’s enticing aroma emerges on the palate along with touches of spice and a crispness that keeps this Pinot Noir fresh and engaging all the way through to a smooth, succulent finish. Enjoy this exceptionally made, food friendly Pinot now and for the next several years. For optimum enjoyment, we suggest serving the 2016 Union Sacré Squire Pinot Noir cool (60° F) after 20-30 minutes of aeration. Enjoy!

Although the 2016 Union Sacré Squire Pinot Noir drinks beautifully on its own, it truly shines at table. It brings its welcome to grilled salmon that’s served with fresh burrata on a bed of wild greens and organic beets. The wine’s bright acidity and gentle loamy qualities add lift to the beets and bed of greens and accentuate the flavors of a perfectly seared salmon. A fennel and garlic rubbed pork roast served with roasted onions and potatoes makes another fine accompaniment to the 2016 Union Sacré Squire Pinot Noir. Roasted eggplant stuffed with ground lamb, pine nuts, and herbs provides an exceptional pairing. Ham with creamy white beans or lentils and vegetable and onion tarts offer more tasty pairings to complement Union Sacré’s delicious 2016 Pinot Noir. And if culinary arts or good take-out should not be in the offering, fine cheeses provide more than enough companionship to a glass of the 2016 Union Sacré Squire Pinot Noir. Bon appétit!

California wine country has more than its fair share of interesting people, unusual stories, and compelling wines. So how does one stand out in a crowd of thousands and not appear ridiculous or worse… invisible? In the case of Xavier Arnaudin and Philip Muzzy, two longtime friends from opposite ends of the world who came together along California’s Central Coast, standing out means coming together to “pay homage to beauty’s odd ability to build unexpected bridges.” Hence, the birth of Union Sacré!

Xavier is an ex-boxer who holds a degree in oenology and is WSET certified. Philip, a creative type, is a self-taught designer from Michigan who admits to kind of missing living in a van. What they have in common is friendship, a love of wine, and collectively more than 25 years of experience working in premier Central Coast wineries. Xavier has worked as cellar master or assistant winemaker at Sans Siege, Arcadian and Herman Story, while Philip has served as creative director for Herman Story and Desparada after working for Proof Wine Collective.

Union Sacré fashions small lots of elegant, single vineyard, single varietal wines that are truly food friendly. Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sangiovese all make their appearance at Union Sacré. And as Union Sacré is fond of proclaiming: “These are not wines of privilege and power, these are wines made from a lifetime of labor for the untelevised tables that unite the very heart of the world.”

America is in love with Pinot Noir, but it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. A generation ago, Pinot Noir was the proverbial step child of American grape growers, an afterthought and an anomaly at best. Only a few stalwart visionaries like André Tchelistcheff of BV vineyards dared to plant France’s most coveted, yet often mercurial grape variety, in California. And frankly, those early attempts yielded less than exciting results.

Pinot Noir is all the rage today, not only in America but around the world where it stands at the pinnacle of the world’s grape varieties, but it is not because the planet’s other favored varietals (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo to name a few) are incapable of greatness; rather, Pinot Noir is the rare grape variety that is capable of being transformed annually into the planet’s most complex red wines as well as the most exquisite rosé, still white, and sparkling wines.

Although Pinot Noir was born in Burgundy a millennium before Cabernet Sauvignon made its appearance in Bordeaux, it now thrives in Champagne, California, Oregon, and in rare hallowed parcels across the planet in addition to its native Burgundy. However, the difficult to grow and often unforgiving Pinot Noir varietal demands attention, a cool temperate climate, and a deft hand in the cellar. When all stars align, Pinot Noir yields light to full-bodied wines of stunning aromatics, depth, and length of flavor. Moreover, good Pinot Noir can age gracefully for as long as any wine when stored properly. Not surprisingly, it also yields the world’s most expensive wine on average, which makes it all the more attractive to collectors and a growing legion of wine lovers.