2014 La Voix ‘Rebel Rebel’ Quinta del Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir

Region: San Luis Obispo County < Central Coast < California
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; partial whole cluster fermentation, macerated 28 days, 12 months in barrel (10% new)
Winemaker: Steve Clifton

La Voix, a new label from talented winemaker Steve Clifton is a unique passion project. He doesn’t own any vineyards, but has his own farming crew and 100% manages the farming of every vineyard he works. All organically.  Equally hands-off in cellar, he adds only a small addition of SO2 at bottling. I think Steve describes La Voix best himself: “Born from a love of wine and music, La Voix explores French varietals through the sensory and emotional stimulations that are shared by both mediums.” Winemaking is often described as a balance between art and science, and La Voix takes this to a new level, seeking to interpret the wine through a lens other than just the palate. As you may have guessed, Steve was a musician before he was a winemaker and although he spent over 20 years making wine in a rigorous, traditional fashion (you may remember him from the Palmina wines we’ve featured!), he is finally branching out on his own – rebelling if you will. Hence the name of this cuvée, taken from his idol, David Bowie. Fresh and bright on the nose, but not simple at all, with aromas of plump raspberry, pomegranate, rose petals, hibiscus and a hint of eucalyptus on the edge. It has tons of verve and pin-pricking acidity on the palate, where you get juicy pomegranate, alpine strawberry and chopped thyme. Pair with your favorite David Bowie album.