Winemaker Notes
The 2000 Le Moulin Rouge is a rich garnet-colored wine with an expansive, fruit-filled nose of raspberries and strawberries with the subtle aroma of tea and roses. Flavors of fresh mint, rhubarb and raspberries.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Peter Michael brings in fruit from the well-known Santa Lucia Highlands' Pisoni Vineyard for his Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge. I was knocked out by the deep ruby-colored 2000. It reveals a La Tache-like perfume of sweet forest floor, game, black cherries, strawberries, earth, and herbs in addition to a velvety texture, medium to full body, and 14.5% alcohol that is impeccably concealed by the wine's glycerin and richness. Low acidity suggests consumption over the next decade is warranted.
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.