Winemaker Notes
The 2019 San Pablo Bay Block is racy with flavors of tart cranberries, red cherries and a delicate perfume of rose petals. The palate is layered with similar fruit notes, along with a depth of pomegranate, macerated strawberries and baking spices with a subtle hint of vanilla that leads to a smooth finish. This wine is full of verve and will beautifully round out with aging.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Robust in body and pleasurable to sip, this French oak–aged Pinot Noir is distinctive, with smoky cedar, sage, black cherry, and black pepper. Round and earthy, with unexpected muscle
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James Suckling
Aromas of raspberries, cherries and sweet spices. Medium-bodied with sleek tannins. Round and creamy with fruity character. Flavorful finish.
Cherry Pie is all about one thing: location. Single and multi-vineyard wines that have a distinct sense of place. From cool, well-draining sites at sea-level to wind-blown, elevated vineyards on steep slopes, each cluster begins with the influence of its surroundings. Vineyards for Cherry Pie are chosen as if they are buying a home–carefully selecting a place to live, to set down roots, to embrace the culture of the neighborhood. A place that will leave a distinct imprint from harvest to bottle.
The Cherry Pie founder was inspired by his grandmother’s baking and the artwork of TR Colletta, Cherry Pie is at once a rich and layered, redolent of the flavors and aromas of something delicious and beautiful, being made with care. The painting by artist TR Colletta of a juicy, mouthwatering hot-out-of-the-oven cherry pie was the perfect visual to pair with Cherry Pie wines. If you look closely, in the very middle of the pie you will see an image of a woman dancing with joy--which expresses their love for Pinot Noir.
As early as the 1970s Carneros became known as a source of terrific Pinot Noir, and was one of the first California regions to gain such a reputation. The combination of sunny days, cooling fog and thin clay soils are tailor-made for the variety. Another factor in Pinot Noir’s prominent place here is vintners’ willingness to experiment widely. The history of the grape in Carneros is marked by continuous research into clonal variations, viticultural techniques and site selection. Careful evaluation over time has revealed a signature flavor profile as well. Complex aromas and flavors of cherry, red berry, spice, earth and cola appear time and again in Carneros Pinot Noir. To this day the appellation remains one of California’s standard bearers for the variety.