Our Unique Wine stories: Domaine de la Côte

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This Summer, D&D London are championing a selection of hand-picked wines that have unique stories; a fascinating founding , an extraordinary wine making process or a bottle design like no other. THE DISH caught up with the founders of Domaine de la Côte to find out what makes their wines unique.

Firstly, we’d love to know a bit of history about you guys. How did you get into the wine industry?

Domaine de la Côte translates literally to ‘Estate of the Slope’. Our Domaine is a collection of five vineyards planted along a south-facing hillside at the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County. Rising to an elevation of 700 feet, the Domaine sits atop a 25 million year old seabed, just 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

How does the production of this wine differ from others?

All the wines are fermented with high levels of stem inclusion, which is intended to imbue the wines with additional freshness, silky tannins and the structural definition that is often found in Raj and Sashi’s favourite Burgundies. Other than the stems, everything else about the vinification is the same across the wines – 14-18 days of post-fermentation maceration before racking into barrel (15% new), followed by about 18 months of maturation. The wines are then racked back into tank before being bottled without fining or filtration.

What is this wine best served with – food dishes?

I would have this wine with a cheese board, charcuterie, stews, red meats such as steak, lamb or game dishes e.g. duck.

Is there a particular season the wine is best?

I wouldn’t say there’s a particular season to drink it, for me this is such a versatile wine, not so heavy that would be seen as a “Winter Wine”, not so light it would be seen as a “Summer Wine”, for me this wine can be drunk all year round.

Why should guests try out this wine?

The 2016 Bloom’s Field is an absolutely stunning Pinot Noir from Domaine de La Côte, more than any other vineyard, Bloom’s Field embodies the spirit of the Domaine. The 2016 iteration of Bloom’s Field is both more generous and more composed than its predecessors. The palate is immediate and concentrated without being showy. The influence of both Bloom’s Field’s iron-rich clay top soil and marine sedimentary sub soil result in a juxtaposition of density and effortlessness for which we’re always striving. The 2016 Bloom’s Field is the most immediate and generous wine of the vintage upon release.

What characters can you pick out from this wine?

The wine has a wonderful complex aromatic profile, offering up nuances of red berries, savoury spices, wild game and iron, with secondary nuances of green leaf, sea salt and dark soil slowly emerging with extended air contact. On the palate this possesses a medium-plus body that displays wonderful overall balance and poise, as flavours of wild strawberry, iodine and smoke and tea are all underlined by lovely minerality, which persists through the mouth-watering finish. Overall, this is a beautiful Pinot Noir, which combines remarkable complexity and purity of fruit. While the 2016 Bloom’s Field certainly has its appealing youthful characteristics, it is ultimately a wine destined for the future, additional bottle age allows the wine to evolve over the course of the next decade and beyond. Enjoy 2020-2035; produced: 700 bottles, 150 magnums, 12 jeroboams.

The unique wine is available at Orrery, Plateau, Le Pont de la Tour, 20 Stories, Coq d’Argent and New Street Wine.