Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard comes from one of the top sites in the region. Coming from three clones; 115, 777 and Pisoni, it sports a deeper ruby color as well as a rocking bouquet of sweet raspberries, tart cherries, flowers, and mint. It's ripe and sexy, yet stays fresh, lively and clean on the palate, with good acidity. It's a beautiful wine to drink over the coming 4-6 years (I suspect it will keep longer).
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Wine Spectator
Aromas of melted black licorice, roasted coffee and blackberry combine for an enticing mix of complex flavors that runs deep and persistent. Perfect for near-term enjoyment. Drink now through 2023.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.