Ryan Deovlet built up years of wine interest bouncing around Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, but discovered his true winemaking abilities under Stephen Dooley of Stephan Ross Wine Cellars and as the assistant winemaker for Red Car Wine Company. His return to California in 2008 prompted the first-ever release under his own label. Over the past 14 vintages, he’s become a certified winemaking rockstar on the Santa Barbara County wine scene. Just ask Vinous’ Antonio Galloni: “Ryan Deovlet is one of the most exciting young winemakers...his wines, which emerge from some of the top sites in Santa Barbara, are impeccable, pure, and wonderfully transparent to site.”

One of those is “La Encantada,” a sprawling Pinot Noir-dominant vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills that lies just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean. It was planted by Richard Sanford in 2000 and became Santa Barbara County’s very first Certified Organic vineyard. Deovlet’s inaugural vintage was from here too, so it holds a special place in his heart. Today’s cuvée was harvested over one week in late August of 2015, and the small amount of fruit was raised with little influence to best express this cool-climate, fossil-rich site. The grapes were cold-soaked for five days with a routine pump-over and completely de-stemmed prior to a native-yeast fermentation. Once inoculated, they were lightly trodden by foot before a routine punch-down regimen. The wine then aged 18 months in 40% new French barrels. 

Deovlet’s “La Encantada” is a luxurious and harmoniously balanced Pinot Noir with superb levels of detail and polish. Although high-toned aromatics immediately flood out of the bottle upon pulling the cork, we urge you to treat this just like you would a young, top-shelf Premier Cru Burgundy: decant for 30-60 minutes, serve in ballooned stems, and savor over many hours. It has Chambolle-like structure and explosive aromas of high-toned goji berry, ripe strawberry, black cherry, damp clay, rose petal, and blood orange peel alongside exotic spices that crescendo into a thunderous finale. This generous Pinot delivers a soft yet serious palate with a long finish that can only be described as a mélange of fruit and spice. You’re going to love it.