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Say When

When Pinot Noir 2018

Price: $38.95
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Tasting notes

Spanish Springs Vineyard sits only 1.5 to 2 miles from the Pacific, with marine sandstone and shale soils that push the wine toward earthy, meaty depth rather than ripe fruit. Native fermentation and 10 months in neutral French oak keep the profile tight and savory, with cranberry, baked black plum, and sagebrush rather than jam.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
EarthBlack PlumCranberryViolet
  • Style: Dry, light-to-medium-bodied red; 100% Pinot Noir; earthy, savory, and floral; native ferment; unfined and unfiltered
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Pinot Noir; Spanish Springs Vineyard, San Luis Obispo County; SIP Certified Sustainable; stony clay loam over marine sandstone and shale; 1.5-2 miles from Pacific Ocean
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested October 12, 2018; native yeast fermentation; 10 months neutral French oak; bottled unfined and unfiltered
  • Serving: Serve at 58-62F; 20-30 minute decant optional
  • Pairing: Roast duck, braised pork, mushroom pasta, charcuterie, aged cheese
  • Similar To: For fans of earthy, savory Burgundy-style Pinot Noir and lighter-bodied California reds

Say When's When Pinot Noir 2018 is made from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Spanish Springs Vineyard in San Luis Obispo County, California. The vineyard sits in Price Canyon, approximately 1.5 to 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and holds SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certified Sustainable status. Soils at the site are stony clay loam over uplifted marine sandstone and shale, and the proximity to the ocean keeps daytime temperatures moderate with rapid cooling at night.

The grapes were hand-harvested on October 12, 2018, fermented with native yeast, and aged 10 months in neutral French oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. No additions are documented. Winemaker Rachel Silkowski DeAscentiis produces the wines at a shared facility in Lompoc, California.

On the nose, this wine shows earthy and meaty aromas alongside baked black plum and violet. The palate delivers cranberry and raspberry fruit with sagebrush and game notes, and a vanilla-laced finish. The cool, fog-influenced site at Spanish Springs and the long coastal growing season translate directly into firm acidity and restrained fruit weight in the glass.

Say When was officially launched in 2016 by Rachel and Michel DeAscentiis. Rachel trained at Oregon State University and worked as assistant winemaker at Loring Wine Company in Lompoc before starting her own label. The operation sources exclusively from small family-owned vineyards across the Central Coast, working with organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming operations.

The earthy, savory profile works well with roast duck, mushroom-based pasta, and braised pork. The firm acidity makes it a natural match for dishes with umami depth, like lentil stew or a charcuterie spread with aged cheeses. Avoid heavily spiced or sweet preparations that would overwhelm the wine's restraint.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Pinot Noir
Farming:, Sustainable
Vintage:, 2018
Alcohol:, N/A
Country:, USA
Region:, Central Coast
Appellation:, San Luis Obispo County
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


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If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Say When

Say When was officially launched in 2016 by winemaker Rachel Silkowski DeAscentiis and her husband and business partner Michel DeAscentiis. Rachel studied agricultural business management at Oregon State University, interning at Loring Wine Company in Lompoc during her studies. She went on to become assistant winemaker at Loring before producing her first personal barrel of Pinot Noir in 2013 under the name RASI. Michel, who worked as a Creative Director in Los Angeles, joined the winemaking operation in 2014 and the two built the Say When label together.

Say When sources grapes from small, family-owned vineyards across the Central Coast of California, working with organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming operations. The winery does not own vineyard land; all fruit is purchased from carefully selected growers. Vineyards used include sites in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County.

All wines are produced at a shared winery facility in Lompoc, California. Rachel handles the physical winemaking, and all fruit and winemaking decisions are made jointly. The house style favors native yeast fermentation, neutral oak aging, and bottling unfined and unfiltered. Say When produces several single-varietal wines per vintage, including Pinot Noir, rosé, Chardonnay, and skin-contact whites, each under its own distinct label name.

Wine region

Central Coast, USA

San Luis Obispo County sits along California's Central Coast, encompassing the SLO Coast AVA established in 2022, as well as the older nested appellations of Edna Valley (established 1982) and Arroyo Grande Valley (established 1990). Spanish Springs Vineyard, the source for this wine, is located in Price Canyon between the southern end of the Edna Valley and the town of Pismo Beach, approximately 1.5 to 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The site's proximity to the ocean produces a cool climate with daytime highs that typically top out around 80 degrees Fahrenheit before rapid evening cooling. Morning fog is common and provides natural temperature moderation through the growing season.

The soils at Spanish Springs are stony clay loam over uplifted marine sandstone and shale, the result of ancient seabed that was pushed to the surface. This marine origin is common across the SLO Coast AVA, where soils derived from the Franciscan Formation, sandstone, shale, and metamorphosed sedimentary rocks are characteristic. The SLO Coast AVA encompasses over 480,000 acres stretching roughly 70 miles along the Pacific, with the majority of commercial vineyards planted within six miles of the ocean. Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley, both sub-appellations within SLO Coast, are primarily planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, benefiting from one of California's longest growing seasons and cool Winkler Region I and II conditions.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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