Winemaker Notes
Juicy berries, leather, herbs, and chaparral are tell-tale flavors of this Pinot. Earth and herbs underly flavors of freshly picked, perfectly ripe red cherries and blackberries.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard comes from a site planted in the early 2000s, and it's slightly warmer than Rosella's. Its semi-opaque ruby hue gives way to concentrated, medium-bodied Pinot Noir that has beautiful richness in its ripe black cherry, iron, baking spice, and savory herb-like aromas and flavors. With terrific mid-palate depth, ripe, soft tannins, and outstanding length, it benefits from a short decant and will drink brilliantly through 2032+.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Lush and intense aromas of dark strawberry are decorated in rose petal and violet on he lovely nose of this bottling. The palate is grippy in texture, giving a structure for the rich flavors of boysenberry pie, red flower and chocolate bitters.
-
Vinous
The 2022 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard is expressive and pliant. Generous swaths of spiced dark fruit open the nose, leading to a plush, round, gently sweet wine packed with sheer allure. Moderate acidity and crushed rock minerality keep the 2022 propped up, finishing dark and super-long. The 69% new oak is particularly evident in the mouthfeel and spice character, but it’s neatly woven into the wine’s fabric.
-
Wine Spectator
A ripe, sleek, polished style, with a steady beam of raspberry and mulberry pâte de fruit flanked by a light apple wood edge and laced with licorice and sweet spice accents on the finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard was a touch closed relative to the rest of the Roar wines, opening with a reticent but ripe nose of blue/purple fruits, licorice and graphite aromas. The palate is velvety and decadent in its fruit concentration, and there's a stony, mineral-tinged finish that lacks depth compared to its counterparts. It's possible I caught this in an awkward spot and could merit a higher score with time.
Rating: 91?
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.