Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge Pinot Noir 2004
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Winemaker Notes
Since bottling, this wine has been developing an increasingly complex mixture of ripe plum, black cherry, and earth tones. On opening, more mineral and forest floor tones are noted with a hint of rhubarb (as in strawberry-rhubarb pie). As the wine breathes, the CMR trademark East India spices and dark, rich fruits begin to appear. The wine continues to evolve in the glass to late aromas of cardamom, tealeaf, and smoky, roast coffee framed in sweet vanilla and cola. On the palate, the wine's layered tannins indicate that this offering will continue to age for a long, long, time. The structure has a rich middle core that supports both the acid and tannin structure, making the wine enjoyable now, but patience should reward the collector with a superbly sculptured wine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
From Flowers' earliest planting on the far coast, this is plusher than wines from the firm's younger vineyards a few miles closer to the sea. The flavors range from tart cherry to black cherry, the aromas from rose to lavender to orange oil. Though soft enough to enjoy now with filet mignon, it has the structure to improve significantly with age.
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Over 25 years ago, Flowers Vineyards and Winery pioneered the growing of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged coastal ridges of the extreme Sonoma Coast. Joan and Walt Flowers had a simple goal, to make exceptional wine that captures the wild beauty of the land and the spirit of the Sonoma Coast. This idea continues to drive everything we do - farming responsibly, harvesting by hand, using 100% native fermentation, and making wine with minimal intervention. Our unwavering commitment to crafting distinctive wines that capture the spirit of the Sonoma Coast has been the bedrock of our success, and it will continue to drive us forward for years to come.
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the nearby Pacific Ocean, our estate vineyards, Camp Meeting Ridge and Sea View Ridge, rise to impressive elevations from 1,150 to 1,875 feet. Flowers resides in the Fort Ross-Seaview American Viticulture Area (AVA), which was established in 2012 and located on the extreme western edge of the Sonoma Coast Appellation. Defined by elevation, rugged terrain and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, vineyard plantings are limited to 920-1,800+ft above sea level and are only 2% of the total AVA acreage.
The Pacific Ocean is less than two miles from the vineyards, generating cooling sea breezes and coastal fog while the soaring elevations ensure abundant sunshine for a long, slow growing season. Together they create an ideal environment for elegant and nuanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.