Winemaker Notes
Legendary winemaker, Dick Peterson, handcrafted this true, old-world style Burgundian-style Pinot Noir from his vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA situated just south of Monterey Bay. The wine offers undertones of earthy minerality, with flavors of black currants, cardamom, fresh porcini mushrooms and smoked meats. Approachable now, this Pinot Noir will age beautifully over the next 25 years.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is extremely fine and balanced with strawberries, cream and hints of orange peel. Medium to full body, round tannins and a flavorful finish. Love the balance and finesse to this wine. Impressive finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Richard G. Peterson Pinot Noir is pale ruby-purple in color with a nose of bold Bing cherries, ripe raspberries and cranberry notes with hints of violets, cinnamon stick and tilled soil plus a waft of fallen leaves. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and elegantly played with satiny tannins and a long finish.
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.