Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Readers will find a wonderfully complete wine in 2010 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar. It is beautifully layered from start to finish, with gorgeous depth in its black fruit, leather, mint, licorice and spices. The Sierra Mar is one of the richer, weightier wines in the Siduri lineup. I am very impressed with the quality of the 2010, just the second crop off this newly developed site in the southern part of the appellation.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and snappy, with ripe, vibrant black cherry, wild berry and red plum flavors, this defines pure, ripe dark fruit. Full-bodied and impeccably balanced, ending with a persistent 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.