Winemaker Notes
The nose opens with aromas of strawberry, red plum, and subtle hints of tobacco. On the palate, boysenberry and pomegranate are supported by earth-driven notes of beets and black tea. The texture is plush and richly layered, with juicy yet balanced acidity and seamlessly integrated toasted barrel spice.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This bottling from what's turning out to be an epic vintage punches far above its price class, and stays on point even days after being opened. Aromas of freeze-dried strawberries set in a pile of dusty white rocks combines freshness with earthiness on the nose. The palate is snappy, bright and yet rich with raspberry, rose petal, white pepper and sagebrush flavors.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.