95pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2020 Pinot Noir Mae Estate is very pretty and very easy to drink! The nose features savory red cherries and cranberries with nuances of tobacco leaves, mushroom powder, incense and charcuterie. The medium-bodied palate is soft, refreshing and perfumed with concentrated yet detailed flavors, and it boasts a very long, layered finish.

95pts James Suckling

Blackberry and strawberry with forest floor and bark aromas. Oyster shell. Some hibiscus. Full-bodied and juicy. Tight, fine and chewy tannins. Excellent length. Needs time to come together. From young vines. Impressive.

Winemaker Notes

The Mae Estate vineyard is located above Highway 246, the northern corridor of the Sta. Rita Hills. Just fifteen miles from the Pacific Ocean, Mae is host to ocean winds and fog and comprised of marine sedimentary soils.

To host their Pinot Noir, Tyler Winery chose the clay-rich grounds east and upslope from their Chardonnay—and planted at half the density of Burgundy (two meters between rows, one meter between vines) to promote a balanced crop and to cater to organic cultivation practices. 

Winery Notes

Tyler is dedicated to producing wines of delicacy and balance, where structure and nuance are favored above all else. Our focus is exclusively on exceptional vineyard sites throughout the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley within Santa Barbara County, and feel pinot noir and chardonnay are the best mediums to express each vineyard site. Within these two appellations, the unique combination of marine-based soils, transverse ranges and valleys, and cool ocean influence make this a truly wonderful place for growing pinot noir and chardonnay.

We believe wine should be elegant and honest, and must possess aromatic purity.