Wente Reliz Creek Pinot Noir 2002

    Sold Out - was $22.99
    OFFER Take $20 off your order of $100+
    Ships Thu, Apr 4
    0
    Limit Reached
    Alert me about new vintages and availability
    Wente Reliz Creek Pinot Noir 2002 Front Label
    Wente Reliz Creek Pinot Noir 2002 Front Label

    Product Details


    Varietal

    Region

    Producer

    Vintage
    2002

    Size
    750ML

    Your Rating

    0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

    Somm Note

    Winemaker Notes

    This vintage of Reliz Creek Pinot Noir has ripe cherry, blackberry, and raspberry aromas, with some smoky oak in the background. On the palate, the wine is rich and viscous, delivering the ripe fruit fl avors to all parts of the mouth. There is a slight earthy character, which adds to the complexity of this wine.

    Other Vintages

    2006
    • 90 Wine
      Enthusiast
    2000
    • 88 Wine
      Enthusiast
    Wente

    Wente Vineyards

    View all products
    Wente Vineyards, California
    Wente Vineyards Family Owned and Certified Sustainable Winery Video

    Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards is the country’s longest continuously family-owned and operated winery. Today, the winery maintains its leadership role in California winegrowing under the ownership and management of the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices, the winery draws from its sustainably-farmed vineyards to create an outstanding portfolio of wines. The family owns and operates vineyards in two world-class regions of the Central Coast of California - Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco, Monterey. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, food and wine experiences, and championship golf.

    In 1912, 2nd Generation Ernest Wente persuaded his father and founder, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery, F. Richter Nursery in Montpellier, France, to the Livermore Valley. Ernest hand-picked vines that showed the best health and pronounced flavors, grafted the two together and propagated those characteristics forward. Ultimately creating what is known as the ‘Wente Clone.’ Today, over 75% of all California Chardonnay stems from the Wente Clone and the Wente Family property.

    Image for  content section
    View all products
    Image for Central Coast Pinot Noir content section
    View all products

    Let’s start with the obvious – Central Coast Pinot Noir is an incredibly broad category. This of course is because the Central Coast appellation is enormous, and it contains several stellar Pinot Noir regions within it, all of them kept cool by elevation or proximity to the ocean (or both). So we’ll break things down a bit with a brief look at each of these: Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey and the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills. These are not the only Central Coast sources of good Pinot Noir, but they are the major ones. So let’s get started.

    In the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, just west of Silicon Valley, producers craft excellent Pinot in spite of serious challenges. The land is mountainous, rugged and can be foggy, the topsoil is thin and poor and yields tend to be low. Yet Pinots from the likes of David Bruce, Martin Ray, Mount Eden and Thomas Fogarty exhibit undeniable quality, along with bright red fruit, minerality, earth and herbal hints.

    Just south lies the large Monterey appellation. Monterey Pinot Noir is grown in coastal areas, taking optimal advantage of the cooling effect of the Pacific. The most highly regarded of these is the Santa Lucia Highlands. Situated on hilly benchlands south of the city of Monterey, this central coast region relies on a long growing season, night and morning fog and consistent afternoon winds to produce world class Pinot Noir. Attributes include intense, rich fruit, subtle earthy notes, spice and a silky texture. Look for producers like Siduri, Kosta Browne, Talbott and Lucienne.

    The Santa Maria Valley in northern Santa Barbara County (a section of it falls into southern San Luis Obispo County) is also a haven for quality Pinot Noir. A mere 15 miles from the Pacific, the valley runs east-west, creating a natural tunnel through which ocean breezes and fog flow. This effect lengthens the growing season and promotes both ripeness and development of acidity, lending Santa Maria Valley Pinots their characteristic full flavor, balance and elegance. The famous Bien Nacido Vineyard is located here, and notable producers include Cambria, Foxen, Byron and Au Bon Climat.

    Finally, we arrive at the Sta. Rita Hills, also in Santa Barbara County. Located in the western part of the Santa Ynez Valley, it too benefits from an east-west orientation that leads to the same conditions mentioned above. Once again the result is extended hang time for the grapes, which can be tasted in the vibrant, ripe red fruits evident in these Pinots, along with dense coloration and an impression of richness and intensity. Try wines from producers like Ken Brown, Ampelos, Fess Parker and Melville.

    As you can see, California’s Central Coast offers a wealth of options for any lover of Pinot Noir. Cheers!

    CDW173964_2002 Item# 82647

    Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
    Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

    It's easy to make the switch.
    Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

    Yes, Update Now

    Search for ""