Winemaker Notes
A beautiful, bright, translucent garnet in color, the 2019 Complicated Pinot Noir intrigues with old world elegance. Aromas of dark cherry and pomegranate show up front. Additional backgrounds of lavender and cinnamon are complemented by hints of tobacco leaf from the oak influence. The palate is balanced and medium in body. A smooth, mellow, medium finish makes this a great, food friendly wine.
Sourced mostly from the acclaimed Herbert Ranch in Monterey County. This certified sustainable vineyard was planted in 1997 and pushes into the coastal Santa Lucia Mountains on the west side of the Salinas River Valley. This site is sheltered from the traditionally strong Salinas Valley afternoon winds by a canyon, thus creating warmer temperatures in comparison to surrounding areas. After being picked in the cool, early morning hours, the Pinot Noir grapes underwent a cold soak for 24 hours before being fermented with select yeast strains to enhance vineyard character. Each lot gets a tailored pump over schedule selected to enhance oak character and desired extraction levels. Once fermentation was complete, the highest quality lots were blended and aged to ensure the best aromatic and structural components worked in harmony. Aromas of dark cherry and pomegranate show up front. Additional backgrounds of lavender and cinnamon are complemented by hints of tobacco leaf from the oak influence.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Notes of cherries, redcurrants, flowers and baking spices on the nose. It’s full-bodied with plush tannins. Round and creamy. Rich and full with a caressing texture and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Juicy aromas of raspberry sorbet, plum, mace and tarragon are fresh and zesty on the nose of this bottling. The palate is full of pleasant herbal tones, from fennel pollen to licorice, and also offers black raspberry and potpourri flavors.
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.”
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.