Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Cherries, plums, cinnamon and clove all mingle on the nose of the 2015 Pinot Noir Tom's Block. This medium-bodied wine turns more savory on the palate, shaped by crisp acids, firm tannins and some cola-like, meaty notes. Give it another year or two to round into form (or decant it an hour or so before serving) and drink it over the next 5 years or so.
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.”
Rolling hills evolve from a scenic coastline to form an ideal setting for Sauvignon Blanc vineyards. Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay rank in after New Zealand’s prized varietal as most widely planted in Nelson. The region is slightly cooler and has more precipitation on average compared to Marlborough.