Winemaker Notes
Fresh aromas of wild berries, raspberry and cherry fill the glass and lead to a well-structured medium weight on the palate. Warmth from the oak with intense spiced vanilla and slightly burnt sugar mingle with notes of raspberries, licorice, and candied spice. Balanced intensity with bright red color, this Pinot Noir’s racy and complex tannins with sweet structure and integrated acidity carry through to a well balanced finish.
Due to its soft tannins and bright acidity, this wine pairs well with seafood, lightly smoked meats and chicken, as well as root vegetables and mushrooms.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This savory, minerally, nervy wine goes for earthy, herbal aromas and steely, tart fruit flavors like bay leaf, black tea and rhubarb, giving it a distinctly different profile. A full body and light tannins add good texture.
Best Buy
Internationally recognized for gorgeous, pure fruit combined with great elegance, California Pinot noir thrives among the state’s cooler, coastal zones. Characterized by eclectic flavors and aromas of strawberry, black cherry, plum and potpourri with notes of forest floor, mushroom or black tea, the best California Pinot noir boast a supple texture and good acidity, giving them the ability to improve with age.
Credited with the beginning of Pinot noir’s glory in California, two growers, Joe Rochioli and Joseph Swan in the late 1960s independently planted Pinot noir vineyards in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. Today Sonoma County remains the leading producer of Pinot noir in the state, and Pinot noir is the leading red grape in the county, achieving its highest potential, in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.
Other coastal appellations where Pinot noir flourishes include Carneros, Anderson Valley and most of the Central Coast.