Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe 2019 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard also has a big kiss of iron and obvious minerality. Deeper ruby-hued, with lots of mulberry, cranberry, and tart cherry fruits, it has lots of underbrush and earthy nuances, medium to full body, beautifully integrated acidity, and terrific tannins. It shows more and more marine-like seaside, almost iodine nuances with time in the glass and this is another brilliant Pinot Noir in the lineup.
Clean lines of cherry, clove, potpourri and incense slice through the nose of this bottling. There's noticeable pepper spice on the sip, where baked cherry and cola flavors are hit with a flash of incense while riding a fairly substantial frame of viscosity and power.
Very much in the Roar fold, yet a bit more transparent than its meatier, slightly fuller mates and showing a dusty rose veneer to its complement of fresh, optimally ripened cherries, the 2019 Garys’ Vineyard bottling is a deep, exceptionally well-balanced Pinot that, while firmed by a modicum of youthful tannins is continuously fixed on very keen varietal fruit throughout. Its scant streak of last-minute astringency does not rule out near-term drinking but does ask for the buffering effects of service with food, and there is no question in our minds that what is now a very good wine will be that much better if allowed to sit in the cellar for three or four more years.
Both vineyards have developed a reputation among high-end wineries for low yields of intensely flavored grapes. In 2007 and 2008, we planted two new vineyards; our own "high altitude" Sierra Mar Vineyard, which is located six miles south of Garys' Vineyard at 1000 ft elevation; and the Soberanes Vineyard, just south of Garys' Vineyard, developed in partnership with the Pisoni Family. After working with several wineries to develop the pedigree of the vineyards and the region, we decided in 2001 to make our wine. As third generation growers, our goal with ROAR Wines is to make small lots of wine that are a pure reflection of the Santa Lucia Highlands and in particular the signature flavors of our vines. The name ROAR comes from the sound of the Monterey Bay winds that roar through our vineyards as well as the thrilling sound of a roaring crowd.
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.
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.”