Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Twelve Clones demonstrates the finesse typical of pinot noir from the
Santa Lucia Highlands. It displays aromas of black cherry, cedar, and sweet baking spices. Flavors of red and black fruit are complemented with a hint of sassafrass. Perfectly poised, this medium bodied wine is light on its feet with weightless tannins and crisp acidity.
A wonderful accompaniment to roasted chicken and grilled salmon, as well as almost any duck, beef, or lamb preparation.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Medium ruby color and a spiced cherry nose. Juicy, fresh, crisp, and tangy; balanced and delicious, with bright acidity and excellent length.
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Wine Enthusiast
Bright aromas of pomegranate, orange peel, pepper and sea salt show on the nose of this clonal combination. Zesty, energetic flavors of lemon and orange zest meet with a tart and snappy red-currant flavor on the palate, with oregano and cardamom adding complexity toward the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir Twelve Clones features blackberry and pomegranate scents with tones of blood orange, aniseed and potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and chalky with crunchy, citrusy flavors and a satisfying, bitters-laced finish. Best After 2022.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of raspberry and deeper, warm cherry flavors have a wind-carved heft accented by a caramel oak warmth. A generous, juicy red, richly expressed and complex. For lamb.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.