Peay Vineyards Sonoma Coast Scallop Shelf Pinot Noir (Magnum) 2005
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The 2005 Scallop Shelf Estate's nose is concentrated with aromas of dark cherry and plum framed by orange peel and lead. The depth of aromas is truly profound. The mouth has medium to full body with breadth and volume though it is not heavy or cloying. The classic cherry notes come from the predominance of Pommard clone Pinot noir bolstered by pluminess from clone 115. As a result the flavors are on the border between red and black fruit. The wine maintains the crisp acidity and relatively low alcohol that are the hallmark of our vineyard yet delivers a full mouth feel and concentration rare in a wine of this profile. The finish is very long with soft tannins that will subside with aging. Flavors of forest floor, mushroom and dried cherry linger on the palate long after the last sip.
The Scallop Shelf is built to last and will not fall apart as secondary aromas develop with bottle age.
Drink one now after a 45 minute decant to gauge the style and cellar the remainder for at least 3-5 years and longer
Other Vintages
2007-
Spirits
Wine &
Peay Vineyards is a first-generation family winery. Husband and wife, Nick Peay & Vanessa Wong, grow and make the wine and brother, Andy Peay, and his wife Ami, sell the wine and run the business.
All wines are made from grapes grown on our 53-acre estate vineyard located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Sea Ranch. We sit in the chilly inversion layer with fog and wind from the Ocean maintaining cool temperatures with plenty of sunlight.
Winemaker Vanessa Wong left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards. Formerly she worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Winery.
We farm organically and maintain our licenses for fish friendly farming and integrated pest management. The health of our vineyard dictates these approaches to farming and making wine. We also run on bio-diesel at the vineyard and solar power at both the vineyard and winery.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.