2023 Dial Tone Pinot Noir [JD92][JS91][V91][WE91]

Producer: Babs Wine Company 
Region: Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California
Varietal: Pinot Noir  
Year: 2023 

Retail Price: $30.00 
Our Price: $18.99* 

Dial Tone is a collaboration between rising star Moret Brealynn, famed winegrower John Wagner and equally famed winemaker Adam Lee.  The label is a throwback to a different time in Santa Barbara when the region was barely known, the wines were great and the prices were low.  Moret Brealynn is a rising star in the California wine scene who has earned numerous accolades since her first vintage in 2021.  John Wagner is possibly the largest landowner in Santa Rita Hills, owning both the John Sebastiano Vineyard and Peake Ranch Vineyard & Winery.  Adam Lee is a superstar winemaker and a true Pinot Noir specialist known for his critically acclaimed wines.  Lee founded Siduri in the early 90's and is perhaps the most instrumental person in the rise of the Santa Barbara wine region to the world stage.  They created Dial Tone as an entry in the reasonably priced Pinot Noir category.  They believe that great Pinot Noir is never cheap, but not every outstanding bottle needs to be upwards of $100.  Dial Tone makes superb, everyday Pinot Noir.  Jeb Dunnuck calls them "a smoking value" and the wines have earned effusive praise from critics.  The 2023 Dial Tone Pinot Noir is a monster value with super high-quality winemaking.  It's medium-bodied, fresh, nicely balanced and loaded with bright, super-ripe red fruit.  The palate is spiced and refreshing with ripe tannins and a clean, even finish.  A gravelly mineral undercurrent weaves through the wine.  This Pinot has notes of dark cherry, raspberry, lavender, thyme, anise, bay leaf, sweet rose petals, sweet spices and fresh herbs.  Enjoy!

Jeb Dunnuck, 92 Points

"Produced by Moret and Adam and pouring a bright red ruby color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Dial Tone reveals pretty aromas of raspberry, pressed roses, sweet spices, and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is spiced and refreshing, with ripe tannins, a gravelly mineral undercurrent that weaves through the wine, and a clean, even finish. Drink 2025-2035." 

James Suckling, 91 Points 

"A snappy, oak-accented wine with a dry, moderately tannic texture and good red- and black-cherry flavors. Medium-bodied, fresh and nicely balanced by acidity. Aged in one- and two-year-old barrels and made from grapes from Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. Drink now. Screw cap." 

Vinous, 91 Points 

“A new joint-venture project between Adam Lee, Morét Brealynn and John Wagner, the
2023 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County is a blend of fruit from Peake Ranch, John
Sebastiano and Sierra Madre. It’s loaded with bright, super-ripe red fruit, cinnamon and
sweet rose petals. Lively and cheerful, this is a monster value with super-high-quality
winemaking. Enjoy it over the next three to five years.”

Wine Enthusiast, 91 Points 

"Dark cherry and crumpled lavender aromas meet with thyme, anise and toasted sagebrush on the nose of this bottling. A wild cherry flavors is playful on the palate, as bay leaf and more purple flower elements add a floral depth." 

Winemaker Notes: 

"Do you remember what a dial tone sounded like? It was the sound of possibilities. A dial tone was the beginning of you asking that girl out on a date. It was the start of you catching up with your daughter who was away at college for the first time. A dial tone was what you first heard when you called your parents and told them you were engaged.

When you heard that hum you knew you were about to be brought together with someone. This wine is like that. Dial Tone Pinot Noir is meant to bring people together. Open a bottle on that date, share a glass with your daughter when she comes home from college, and drink it while celebrating your life with someone.

Possibilities. They all start with a Dial Tone." 

Alcohol: 14.2% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Discounts do not apply to wines like this one currently on sale.