Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Peppery, forest-floor aromas and black fruit flavors make this wine taste bold and concentrated. A firm texture wraps around the palate and supports the rich black cherry and cardamom flavors beautifully.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A powerful rendition of this grape variety, the black-fruited 2014 Moniker Pinot Noir is wine on its own terms. Far from the classical, more delicate models, this wine stays large and substantial on the palate. Its generous style pairs well with grilled pork ribs. (Tasted: October 2, 2017, 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.”
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.