Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: When I first tasted Pinot Noirs from the Chalone AVA, nearly four decades ago, I found joy in the wines' fruit purity. The 2017 Jimmy John's Vin de Sandwich Pinot Noir exemplifies that quality. TASTING NOTES: This wine is fresh, bright, and lively. Its aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and a touch of savory spice. (Tasted: May 10, 2019, San Francisco, CA )
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.”
Located in the Gabilan Mountains east of the fertile Salinas Valley, Chalone is named for the nearby Chalone peaks and produces fine Chardonnay and Pinot noir, among others.