Sean Thackrey Andromeda Pinot Noir 2016
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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This is Pinot Noir from a vineyard above Nicasio in Marin County, thus the closest to Bolinas of all the vineyards Sean Thackrey harvests from, and one of the cooler and windier Pinot Noir growing sites in the world. This means the fruit is never baked, fatal to the quality of Pinot in warmer locations; but the vineyard being above the fog line, there's no lack of sun, thus no problem with ripeness. This means a naturally very high proportion of skins to juice, in turn meaning a Pinot Noir naturally intense in color and flavor.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Andromeda comes from Marin County and is a spicy, complex, exotic expression of Pinot Noir offering ample ripe cherry and redcurrant fruit as well as plenty of spice, exotic flowers, mint, and incense aromas and flavors. Beautifully textured on the palate, it's medium-bodied, has a seamless, layered mouthfeel, good sweetness of fruit, and a touch of salinity on the finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It's another incredibly compelling, satisfying release from this winemaker.
Since 1980, Sean has been producing wines that are extraordinary not only for great quality and complexity, but also because Sean utilizes unique wine-making techniques, often drawing from historic, sometimes ancient, wine-making practices from all over the world. The results are consistent, as evidenced by Sean’s continued support and enthusiasm from his peers and devoted customers.
Sean sources grapes from many locations throughout California, and makes all his wines by hand–”touching every grape”–at his small Bolinas winery. Self-taught, and fully reliant on his intuition and senses, Sean is the antithesis of corporate wine-making. The proof is in the bottle.
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.”
Bordered by Napa and Sonoma Valleys to the north and the Golden gate Bridge to the south, most of the region’s vineyards are planted on Marin County’s western side where they are exposed to the moist and cold air of the Pacific Ocean. Varieties like Pinot noir and Chardonnay do well here.