Winemaker Notes
Saintsbury Donnelly Creek Pinot Noir pairs well with wild boar ragout or lemon-rosemary roasted vegetables with lentils.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Who could ever have imagined that an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir could be so very tannic and so very good? The 2013 Saintsbury Donnelly Creek is pretty amazing. Deep ruby, garnet color; brooding ripe red and black fruit aroma, really youthful, fine richness; medium bodied, fully textured, yet upfront and stand-up on the palate; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; tight-knit ripe fruit flavors, super fine with accents of strawberries and mineral; medium to lingering finish. Needs a bit of time, will be excellent, with a little bit of bottle age. (Tasted: May 6, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.