Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Pinot Noir, which they first produced in 1978, is a blend from the well-known Dijon clones along with the so-called Pommard clone and then put in 100% French oak. This is a sexy, seductive style of Pinot Noir with an unimpressive light ruby color, but beautiful ripe strawberry fruit, a graceful, generous mouthfeel, medium body, and red apple skin notes intermixed with pomegranate and black cherry. A sexy premier cru Côtes de Beaune in stylistic terms, it should drink well for another 5-7 years. This is how Pinot Noir can hit the high marks, by being delicate rather than a blockbuster.
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.”
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.