Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
If its reach seems a bit less than the pricier Goldeneye offerings, this very explicit Pinot hits all the right varietal marks from ripe-cherry fruit to its velvety texture. It is moderately full-bodied but very well-balanced and never close to being too much, and its very accessible fruit sustains beautifully. It will handle foods like lamb and pork and duck with aplomb, and it shows no signs of fading away any time soon.
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Wine & Spirits
This wine makes a strong first impression: a bold hit of dark berries, a cool, spicy length of flavor that's more than just fruit. There's an earth tone to the tannin that adds a subtle black olive-skin or black mushroom savor. And then oak makes its presence clear. Supple and juicy, this should evolve well over the next several years.
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.”
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.