Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard 2017 Sta. Rita Hills, California - $79.95./bottle- 96 points Wine Enthusiast--- Ships in 6 bottle case
Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard 2017 Sta. Rita Hills, California - $79.95./bottle- 96 points Wine Enthusiast--- Ships in 6 bottle case
Very exuberant aromas of freshly smashed black raspberry, sumac, wild strawberry and star anise pop on the nose of this bottling. Tart cherries and toasted sage meet with opulent strawberry cream on the palate, which is quite complex and layered in herb and fruit flavours.
What the Critics say: 93 points Wine Enthusiast
In many ways, Flying Goat Cellars is a study in contrasts. A humorous name and a serious lineup of wines. A startup 'garagista' mode and 25 years of winemaking experience. A caricature of a leaping goat on a premium wine bottle. Flying Goat Cellars focus on producing premium Pinot Noir handcrafted in small quantities that reflect the unique variations of the individual vineyard. Production is extremely limited.
About Flying Goat Cellars
Two pygmy goats, Never and Epernay, inspired winemaker Norm Yost to name his winery Flying Goat Cellars. The goats were his pets and lawnmowers and came to be a source of entertainment and enjoyment, with their unrestrained spiral loops, flipper turns and straight-legged leaps.
When pondering a name for his new wines and brand, Norm wanted to project fun, enjoyment and happiness. While many people put their own name or their children’s name on their label or vineyard, Norm’s playful spirit opted to name it after his kids. His kids, of course, were those two pygmy goat pets, who had always inspired him and made him laugh. With this same spirit of enthusiasm, Flying Goat Cellars and Goat Bubbles were launched in Lompoc, CA.
Flying Goat Cellars is a study in contrasts. A humorous name and a serious lineup of wines. A startup “garagista” mode and 40 years of winemaking experience. A caricature of a leaping goat on a heavy and premium wine bottle. A mission of merriment and a dedicated commitment to professionalism.
Norm Yost has a particular passion for Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. He launched Flying Goat Cellars specializing in vineyard designated Pinots from Santa Barbara County in 2000. Later Norm courted Kate Griffith with his first release of Goat Bubbles (2005 Rosé). We don’t know if it was the bubbles or the winemaker’s charm but it culminated in a marriage and a family of wines. Kate has been a partner in the business since 2010.
Flying Goat Cellars produces about 2,500 cases a year and includes three labels: Flying Goat, Goat Bubbles and YNOT. Flying Goat focuses on vineyard designated Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris from Sta. Rita Hills AVA and Santa Maria Valley AVA. Goat Bubbles offers five méthode champenoise sparkling wines: Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Crémant and Brut Cuvée. YNOT offers both a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay from the finest of Santa Barbara County vineyards.
— 2016 Vintage — The lack of rain continues to be beneficial to wine quality because restricting water to the vines, either naturally or by minimizing supplemental irrigation, produces smaller berries, which have a greater skin to juice ratio. Since all the color, aromatics and much of the tannin in wine come from the grape skin, these smaller berries generally improve wine quality.
