Bernardus Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Bernardus Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir exhibits a deeply-colored crimson robe. The nose expresses gorgeous ripe, red fruit aromas with notes of rose pedal. Delicious flavors of red cherry and cranberry are accented by notes of toasty oak and spice. The 2016 Rosella’s Pinot Noir shows the elegant and refined aromas and flavors which typify the terrior of this superb vineyard.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
A pretty, floral effort that has loads to love, the 2016 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard comes from a cooler site in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands and was destemmed and brought up all in French oak. Medium-bodied, incredibly silky, and with beautiful raspberry and strawberry fruit, it’s pure class and will keep for a decade.
-
Wine Enthusiast
There's an herbal kick on the nose of this single-vineyard expression, with dried seasonings and tea leaves lifting the boysenberry fruit core. More tea and marjoram meet with roasted plums on the palate, which is cut by crisp acidity.
Other Vintages
2019-
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator
Pon appreciates wine as an art-- a form of art that transcends the ordinary. His dream with Bernardus is to make a red wine equal to the finest from Bordeaux. To achieve this purpose, Ben, a Dutchman who could have planted vineyards anywhere in the world, has chosen the Carmel Valley for his estate vineyards and winery. Since the early 1970's, there has been a growing awareness of the outstanding potential for Bordeaux varieties from this new viticultural appellation. The Bernardus estate vineyards of Marinus and Featherbow Ranch are located in the Cachagua region of the Carmel Valley. We have been told that Cachagua is the Spanish word Native Americans used for deep or hidden water. It has been said that Native Americans believed that all things in nature were sacred and interrelated. Their respect for balance in nature is carried on in the vineyards of Bernardus. More than 300 live oaks have been preserved to thrive among carefully planted vines.
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.