Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir

Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir is a 100% Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills, California, bottled at 13.8%–14.4% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Now retired — with no vintages produced after 2014 — this estate-grown bottling earned 92 points from Wine Enthusiast for the 2013 vintage and a Gold medal at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition for the 2014 vintage, making remaining bottles increasingly sought after by collectors.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.8%–14.4% (varies by vintage)  |  Origin: Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California  |  100% Pinot Noir  |  Winery: Clos Pepe Estate (Stephen & Catherine Pepe)

Production & Heritage

Stephen and Catherine Pepe established Clos Pepe Estate in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County, farming their vineyard with a distinctive sustainable approach: legumes planted between vine rows fed sheep whose grazing returned nitrogen-rich fertilizer naturally to the soil. The Pinot Noir was consistently picked on the earlier side to preserve acidity and allow the vineyard's cool-climate terroir to speak clearly through each vintage. Production was limited to roughly 700 cases annually, and the estate label was retired after the 2014 vintage when the vineyard was subsequently leased to Walt Wines.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with fresh strawberry and cherry before shifting into more savory territory — pipe tobacco, menthol, rubbing spices, and a whiff of soy. Later pours can reveal dried mushroom, pencil lead, and black olive, adding real complexity as the wine breathes.

Taste: The entry is bright and fruit-driven, with cherry liqueur and tart cranberry flavors taking the lead. At mid-palate, a mineral backbone asserts itself alongside black pepper and earthy undertones. The overall impression is fresh and lively, with enough structure to reward patience but enough generosity to drink well on release.

Finish: The finish is long and spice-driven, with lingering notes of dried cherry, beef jerky, and elderberry that recall the wine's savory aromatic character. A subtle minerality carries through, keeping the palate engaged well after the last sip.

How to Drink Clos Pepe Pinot Noir

This wine is best served slightly below room temperature — around 58–62°F — in a large-bowled Burgundy glass that lets the complex aromatics open fully. Neat appreciation is the ideal approach given the wine's collectible status and nuanced profile. A classic Pinot-based Kir works if you have a younger vintage — the wine's tart cherry character complements crème de cassis. In a Burgundian-style wine spritzer, the bright acidity holds up to a splash of sparkling water for warm-weather drinking. For a Pinot Noir Sangria built around stone fruit and fresh herbs, the earthy spice of this wine adds a serious backbone that simpler Pinots cannot match.

Best For

• Gifting a serious Pinot Noir collector who values retired, limited-production California estates
• Celebrating a milestone anniversary or birthday with a specific-vintage bottle
• Building a vertical tasting of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir across multiple producers
• Pairing with a composed autumn dinner featuring game, mushrooms, or charcuterie

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Clos Pepe Pinot Noir taste like? Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir leads with bright cherry and cranberry fruit, followed by layers of earth, black pepper, dried mushroom, and spice. The overall profile is fresh and savory with a long, spice-driven finish.

How does Clos Pepe Pinot Noir compare to Walt Wines Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir? Both wines come from the same vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, but the estate bottling reflects Stephen and Catherine Pepe's philosophy of early picking and small-lot production at roughly 700 cases per year. Walt Wines took over the vineyard lease after the estate label was retired in 2014, so the Walt bottlings represent a different winemaking team and stylistic approach applied to the same fruit source.

Is Clos Pepe Pinot Noir good for sipping neat? Absolutely — its layered aromatics, bright acidity, and long finish make it a textbook food-friendly or standalone sipper best enjoyed from a proper Burgundy glass at cool cellar temperature.

Where is Clos Pepe Pinot Noir made? Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir was produced entirely from estate-grown fruit in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, a cool-climate appellation within Santa Barbara County on California's Central Coast known for exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

What foods pair well with Clos Pepe Pinot Noir? Roasted duck breast complements the wine's cherry fruit and earthy spice. Wild mushroom risotto echoes the dried mushroom and savory notes on the nose. Grilled lamb chops match the peppery, mineral-laced palate. Charcuterie — especially cured salami and bresaola — mirrors the beef jerky and soy undertones. Aged Gruyère or Comté cheese highlights the wine's bright acidity and lingering spice.

What sizes does Clos Pepe Pinot Noir come in? Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir was released in the standard 750ml bottle format during its years of production.

Is Clos Pepe Pinot Noir worth the price? As a retired, limited-production estate Pinot Noir from one of Sta. Rita Hills' benchmark vineyards — with only about 700 cases made per vintage — remaining bottles occupy a collectible tier where value is driven as much by scarcity and provenance as by the wine itself, which earned up to 92 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Why Clos Pepe Pinot Noir?

What makes this wine significant is its finality: no more estate-labeled Clos Pepe Pinot Noir will ever be produced. The vineyard that yielded these bottles remains one of Sta. Rita Hills' most respected sites, but the Pepe family's own winemaking vision — early harvest, sustainable sheep-grazed viticulture, and a commitment to terroir transparency over extraction — ended with the 2014 vintage. With 92 points from Wine Enthusiast and a Gold medal at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition validating its quality, each surviving bottle represents both a snapshot of a distinctive farming philosophy and an increasingly rare piece of Central Coast wine history.