Winemaker Notes
Try pairing this well-balanced pinot noir with sautéed mushrooms or Coq au Vin.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Leading off the single vineyard releases, the 2014 Pinot Noir Rincon Vineyard is a killer effort that has plenty of intensity and depth in its black cherry, raspberry, crushed flowers and underbrush aromas and flavors. Very fresh, floral and vibrant, with bright acidity, it has solid concentration and will keep for a decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
Soft yet dark aromas of alpine strawberry, blackberry, pepper and leather need time to open on this bottling's tightly packed nose. With patience, the palate releases layers of flavor, from cranberry and pomegranate to wild herb, crushed rocks and earthy spices.
Cellar Selection
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.”
One of the coolest growing areas in California, the Arroyo Grande Valley runs from the southwest to the northeast, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Central Coast AVA. Situated so that cold Pacific Ocean air and fog is allowed to filter into the valley, Arroyo Grande also has an incredibly long growing season. Bud break occurs in February in most years with flowering in May and harvest in late September; the area is classified as cool Mediterranean.
These weather factors combined with the soil types—continental and marine rocks, greywacke, limestone, shale and volcanic—create wines with great concentration and fresh acidity. The cooler end of the valley is perfect for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and is a good producer of sparkling wines. The warmer, more inland part of the valley is home to some of California’s oldest Zinfandel vines.