Winemaker Notes
Pandora is a very feminine wine that we hope has advanced the end of the idea that some grapes are nobler than others; that Grenache is too paltry to be planted on premier vineyard sites. I am happy to say, that over the 30 years we have worked with Grenache, a generation has emerged that really doesn’t even know there were once, so called, noble varieties. In our opinion, there are only noble wines. Aromatic and exotic with smoked herbs, juvenile fresh red fruits, fennel, and wet crushed stones; dense and long. Aged 34 months in larger French containers of various ages after being fermented open to by its native yeasts. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted out of bottle, the 2010 Pandora checks in as a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah that comes from a single block of chalky soils. Showing the cool year, it has a pretty, elegant and fresh profile to go with notions of black raspberries, flowers, mint and spice on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, lightly textured and juicy, it should drink nicely through 2022.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
California’s coolest wine growing area, Edna Valley excels in the production of high quality Central Coast wines like Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Rhône Blends and aromatic white wines. It has a cool Mediterranean climate and an incredibly long growing season, giving late-ripening varieties plenty of opportunity to develop great phenolic complexity.
Its northwest to southeast orientation creates a direct path for cool Pacific air and fog to penetrate the valley from the Los Osos and Morro Bay area inwards. Low hillsides of both calcareous and volcanic soils are home to much of the vineyard acreage of the Edna Valley.