Nacina Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir by Dan Tudor 4-Pack
$79.99 $174.00 54% off List Price
2013 Nacina Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
CT link above
We recently tasted the 2013 Nacina Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. I liked this wine right away. It had a lot of competition from the aromas coming from the kitchen this time—we’ll have to work on that and begin the tasting process a bit earlier because I was not able to get a lot on the nose. Sorry about that—I may also have some issues due to the frigid temperatures outside, currently at -1 degrees F! This wine is a beautiful ruby red in color and 13.5% alcohol. It is a well-balanced young wine that will benefit from a few more years in the bottle. It appears to be made in the old world style.
On the palate, I got a lot of lush berries and some cedar and some really nice mellowness with a long finish. It paired very well with the Veal Marsala that ddeuddeg prepared along with green beans and roasted herbed potatoes. It also held up to my Spinach Salad with Roasted Garlic and Pine Nuts. After I finished my salad and my wine, I kept sniffing my glass to continue enjoying the wonderful aromas that remained and the memories of a nicely made wine. Thank you, Dan Tudor! 
Bahwm and I tasted this wine recently with a dinner of Veal Marsala. On opening, I found a nose of cherries and raspberries, which despite the olfactory fatigue from time spent in the kitchen cooking dinner, still came across nicely. The first taste was full of fruit, more berry flavors, with a fullness that held up wonderfully to the rich meal. As it continued to open up, it proved a nice accompaniment to our spinach salad with pine nuts, Romano cheese and roasted garlic/olive oil dressing. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I think it will be even better after a little aging.
EDIT: Bahwm and I spent much of the rest of the evening on schoolwork, in case we have to go to school later, so we prepared our posts without much of the discussion that usually ensues. Interesting how similar they wound up. I think that confirms our impression of how good the wine was.
As a preface I have really enjoyed SLH wines in the past and wines from Tudor. I am not sure of Dan’s involvement with this label but I like the simple label design and screw top.
Upon opening and pouring I noticed the rich deep red color, the wine is clear and free of sediment. I could smell the wine from several feet away, the primary note is black cherry with a bit of spice box, what I mean by spicebox is a a variety of common kitchen spices. Most noticeable of these was cinnamon but there where some other spices as well that were harder to distinguish. The nose is big and I really enjoyed it, the kind of nose that you can just sit and enjoy for quite a while with out even taking a sip of the wine. I also a got a minor cola note and actually a little hint of yeastiness. I enjoy baking breads so its a smell that I often find in my kitchen.
On the tongue the flavors are not as big as in the nose. The wine is dry, medium bodied, medium acidity, and has low drying tannins. The primary notes are cherry and strawberry. But not the bright lively strawberry that you often come across in cali style pinots. I did not detect any heat in the nose or palette. I did get a small bit of tartness in the finish as well as some additional spiciness but I didn’t feel it really detracted from the wine.
The overall feel of the wine is young, smooth and velvety. the only noticeable oak is the spicebox in the nose. I think the woot price of around $20 a bottle is a good price for this bottle and I would be in for at least a couple of bottles if I had room for more wine.
Great to hear you like it! This wine is from the same fruit and aged in 3 yr air dried french oak barrels that we normally put into the Tudor SLH pinot noir at twice the price. This wine is really stunning with gobs of bright fruit, perfect balance, low alcohol, and perfumed nose. As always, Woot.com has the best deal and we’re offering it here to introduce the wine to our wooter friends. Enjoy!
Greetings Wine Wooters,
please shoot me any questions you have about this wine. Nacina is our new 2nd label at Tudor Wines as of 2012. We made some Riesling “Wein der Eisbox” ice wine (post harvest frozen) in 2011 under the label Maestral and changed the name to Nacina in 2012. Our rieslings, ice wines, and now declassified Tudor pinot noirs are under this label.
As many of you already probably know, we declassify from 30% to 100% of each vintage of SLH pinot noir so only the very finest barrels that we put up against the $300 to $1000 grand cru burgundies goes into the Tudor pinot label. Our declassified pinot such as this 2013 Nacina SLH is really an incredible wine and will compare well to wines two and three times the price. Enjoy!! Cheers, Dan Tudor, Winemaker
How long will this cellar for? When would you estimate that it will be “mature”?
C’mon, woot.com, get on-board. Clean up yer website and tell us the truth: Massachusetts laws now allow online ordered DELIVERY to Massachusetts!!! Yes, I can now get your wine but you’ve gotta do the paperwork.
C’mon, woot, tell it like it is: How come we in Massachusetts still cannot get your wine???
Wineries must still purchase a license. This will take time.
There are other considerations internally that must be worked on as well.
Tell us the truth about the deflated balls and we’ll tell the truth about shipping wine.
Dan, Radog was your 2nd label. Are you phasing it out?
This stuff looks great, and I really appreciate the tasting notes. I need four more bottles of wine like I need a hole in the head, but I’m trying to convince a friend to split with me.
I think this process for tasting wine is the best - especially for a forum here.
This is when and how we truly enjoy wine - In a kitchen and at a table with great food.
You just sold me some Pinot.
Thanks for the good question tlrowe, I believe this wine is one that is ready to start drinking this Spring through 2018.
Thanks for the question cortot20, we will keep the Radog label alive however, the production will only be a small litter of Radog pups each year.
Dan, can you provide some additional spec’s?
Also, oak regiment and some vineyard details please?
Michael, I’m so glad that I was able to help in your decision to buy this wine. I really enjoyed it and will likely buy some a bit later, although we really have no more room for wine! But I really love a well-made Pinot Noir and this one fits the bill at an excellent QPR! More than 12 hours later, the wine glasses are still passing the sniff test! 
Dan, I am unfamiliar with the term “air dried french oak barrels”. I think I know what it means, but may I have some clarification please? I often hear of barrels being toasted, but this is a new term for me. Thank you.
Thanks for your thoughts, Sleepless in Seattle.
Go Pats.