W.H. Smith Maritime Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
Pinot Noir
from Sonoma County, California
winemaker's notes:
Maritime is our proprietary name for the very best Pinot Noir from the vintage. The 2007 Maritime Pinot
Noir is predominantly from two vineyards located just miles from the Pacific Ocean. This vintage of
Maritime also includes small lots of Marimar Estate Vineyard and Umino Vineyard for some added
complexity
The Twin Hill Ranch Vineyard was originally planted as an apple orchard in 1942. This small four acre Pinot
Noir vineyard is now owned and farmed by Ben Hurst. It lies in one of the coolest growing regions, southwest
of the town of Sebastopol in western Sonoma County. The vineyard is planted with the Swan clone and Dijon
777.
The Hanes Vineyard is located west of Sebastopol on Burnside Road in the Sonoma Coast Appellation. This
vineyard is farmed as a 'labor of love' with total devotion to developing perfect Pinot Noir flavors. This cool climate vineyard, one of our favorites, is planted to clone 777.
These Sonoma Coast Appellation vineyards are farmed to low yields with concentration of flavor in mind,
and each brings unique qualities to the finished wine.
In 2007, Maritime stands out from our other Pinots because of its density and concentration. The fruit is dark
and brooding – plums, blueberries and dark cherry. But, don't be fooled by all of this serious fruit. You will
still get the elegance, balance and acidity that you have come to expect from the W.H. Smith Pinot Noirs.
Our wines are made to accompany food and to express the grape in its purest form, which is why we focus
on the most extreme, cool-climate vineyards. No wine is more a testament to classic Pinot Noir flavors than
our Maritime.
531 cases
critical acclaim:
"Bill and Joan Smith, of La Jota on Howell Mountain, got involved with Sonoma Coast pinot noir in the early 1990s, when they purchased a parcel of land in Cazadero and began planting their Maritime Ridge Vineyard. This Maritime Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard further south, between Freestone and Occidental, where they purchase fruit from Marimar Torres; it's a blend of the Pommard clone and Dijon clones. The wine's power is tied to its bosky fruit, the tart cherry flavor bound to mineral tannins, both generous and a little sanguine or sauvage. All of it is suppressed by new oak at the moment, but there is plenty of wine to back up that oak and outlast it in the cellar."
94 Points
Wine & Spirits
