Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Wow, the inky opaque colored 2014 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard is a sensational Pinot Noir. Giving up tons of black raspberry, cassis, toasty oak, crushed violets and campfire aromas and flavors, this youthful, even backwards effort has fabulous richness and depth, a layered texture and ripe tannin that emerges on the finish. This is a big, rich Pinot Noir that should benefit from short term cellaring and have a decade or more of longevity.
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Wine Enthusiast
Black cherry, dried violets and vanilla cookies in berry syrup show on the fruity, floral nose of this bottling, but the minerally, turned-earthy quality is most intriguing. Ripe black plum, tart plum skins and bitter black-tea flavors fight for attention on the dynamic palate that shows both power and finesse.
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Wine Spectator
Broad, rich and expansive, with a deep core of wild berry, blueberry, spice, pepper and bergamot orange, showing subtle earthy shadings. Tightens on the finish but is easy to drink now and sure to gain. Drink now.
WALT is dedicated to the production of premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast's most distinctive vineyard sites, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, and the Willamette Valley. Their philosophy is that of precision, non-interventionist winemaking, thereby allowing the wines to naturally and honestly express the character of the site where the wines are grown. Under the artisanship of Director of Winemaking Steve Leveque and Winemaker Megan Gunderson, WALT Wines will continue to evolve and develop.
Located in the heart of Sonoma, just off the historic Sonoma Plaza, WALT Wines focuses on sourcing Pinot Noir fruit from premiere appellations stretching from Oregon's Willamette Valley to the Santa Rita Hills in California to craft the finest wines possible.
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 superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.