Winemaker Notes
Earthy notes of leaf and turned soil provide warmth and depth to a wine initially defined by a nose of bright tart cherries. The tension between these components wrap nicely around lush rounded tannins, and make for a delicious and complex experience that finishes long.
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Lithe and earthy, with pleasing notes of cinnamon, pomegranate, tobacco, and black cherry. Streamlined acidity frames an underlying grip of dusty graphite before the finish of juicy Mcintosh apple and spiced red tea.
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.