Winemaker Notes
This wine behaves equally well when paired with roasted chicken; seared salmon, mushroom risotto; pan-fried lamb chops with rosemary garlic; or pasta alla vodka.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bolder and bigger than most, this wine combines generous fruit flavors with great acidity and structured tannins for a lip-smacking texture. The red cherry and raspberry aromas are intriguing, while the flavors deliver the goods and the finish is firm.
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.”
Sitting on the northeast side of the Clear Lake appellation, this warm area boasts multiple soil types that allow growers a lot of flexibility and experimentation with grape varieties. While Sauvignon blanc is a mainstay, this zone excels with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, as well as other less common varieties like Barbera and Tempranillo.