Winemaker Notes
The 2017 vintage was another year of record setting heat, continuing our string of record setting temperatures. Luckily, Spring was mild and allowed Thomas Fogarty to set the best crop they have seen since 2012. It will go down as a vintage with good yields and potentially great quality. This wine is Full of energy, the flavors and texture of this wine are unmistakably Santa Cruz Mountains in origin with cherry fruit highlighted by spice, mineral and tea accents. It should drink well over the mid term, 4-7 years at minimum.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made mostly from purchased fruit, the 2017 Pinot Noir is pale to medium ruby in the glass and has a spicy nose of roasted cranberries, rhubarb, fresh pomegranate and Bing cherries with notes of dried herbs, dried flowers and garrigue. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is delicate and restrained, with pleasant amaro and orange-peel-like bitterness, a firm, lightly chalky texture and seamless freshness, finishing spiced.
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Wine Enthusiast
Cherry-cordial aromas gain complexity with dried rose, hibiscus, turned earth and cinnamon-roll touches on the nose of this appellation blend. There is a leathery, dried plum flavor to the sip, where an underlying zip of acidity lifts the dark fruit and sticky tannins.
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.”
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.