Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Pinot Noir has notes of red cherry, wild strawberry and spice. It is an elegant wine.
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.”
Occupying hillsides of the extinct volcano, Mount Canobolas, the Australian region of Orange has volcanic, clay soils with patches of terra rossa and an ideal environment for the production of lively Chardonnay, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc, and elegant reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. At elevations of between 2,000 and 3,300 feet, this is a decidedly cool climate region. It is also nonetheless a major gourmet hotspot, sought out for its restaurants, food festivals and regional specialties like wild berries, local truffles and cheeses.