Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
If one ever wanted a superfine Pinot Noir that is an unabashed showoff, the 2013 Patz & Hall Gap's Crown Vineyard is the one to snag and savor. So powerful, yet well-built and subtle from within its soul that I was immediately drawn to it, not because of its richness but from its intricate interlacing of elements. I would serve this one with an herb-infused leg of lamb. Deep ruby, garnet color; rich and exotic in the nose, lots of stuff going on; medium bodied, layered and firm on the palate, multidimensional; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; rich, penetrating flavors of black fruit and brown leaves, very impressive; long finish. (Tasted: December 9, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich and thick, this is an opulent offering of dark cherry and Asian spice, the spice popping on the palate throughout the long finish. Full bodied, it nonetheless features crisp, balanced acidity and a taste of rosemary and lavender, the perfect companion to a butterflied lamb seasoned the same.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard (15% whole clusters used and 65% new French oak aging) exhibits a dark ruby color along with a big, sweet bouquet of kirsch liqueur, raspberries, redcurrants, pomegranates, Provençal herbs, and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied with rich, zesty acidity as well as a long finish, it should drink well for 7-8 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.”
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.