Red Wines    Pinot Noir    Sonoma County    California   
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Date Printed: 6/20/2013
Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir 2006
Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir 2006
 (search item no. 98128)
collectible wine
boutique wine

Wine Enthusiast rating: 95 points
PRICE ON 6/20/2013: $69.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2008 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
2007 Wine Enthusiast rating: 94 points
2007 International Wine Cellar rating: 90 points
2005 Wine Enthusiast rating: 96 points
2005 The Wine News rating: 94 points
2005 International Wine Cellar rating: 91 points
2005 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
1996 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 This open and inviting Pinot Noir begins with aromas of rose petal, black tea, tart cherry and spice. The rich fruit flavors and vibrant acidity keep the wine well-lifted on the palate. The round, fine-grained tannins and wonderful oak integration carry through on the finish, which is persistent with hints of orange zest and minerality. This young wine will continue to evolve for several more years and promises exceptional complexity and age-worthiness.

All the fruit in this Pinot Noir is grown on the Etude Estate Vineyards in Carneros and comes from shy-bearing selections with a marked tendency to produce small, irregularly shaped bunches and very small berries. Growers typically hold such vines in low regard due to their inability to produce consistent crops. This tenuous economic viability threatens their existence.

Heirloom Pinot Noir is made in small lots using the most traditional techniques, with no fining or filtration. New French oak barrels are employed for aging each vintage. Approximately 1,000 cases of the 2006 vintage were produced from these very restrictive sources.
My Notes:

Additional wines from Etude Wines:

About Etude Wines:

 The underlying philosophy at Etude Wines is that winemaking begins in the vineyard, long before the grapes are harvested. Winemaker, Jon Priest, believes that superior grape growing diminishes the need for intervention by the winemaker and results in a wine that is grown, not made. Etude specializes in two classic red varieties: Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Though modeled on the best from Burgundy to Bordeaux, these wines speak clearly of their contemporary California origins, combining rich, ripe fruit with an elegant and opulent mouth feel.