Winemaker Notes
Golden Mean is a mathematical term for the beautiful middle between two opposites, and this wine is so named because it is a blend of two distinctive clonal selections, Swan and Pommard. The Swan clone shines first with opening notes of delicate rose petals, strawberries, cranberries and a hint of violets, followed by more robust Pommard aromas of brambly blackberries fresh off the vine, with hints of iron and blood orange. The palate showcases an ethereal entry from the Swan and ends with the sublime texture of Pommard, but it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. This wine isn't just a beautiful middle – it's more than the sum of its parts.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Produced from the Pommard and Swan clones, the 2021 Pinot Noir Golden Mean is a jeweled ruby with a purple tinge and reveals aromas that are fresh and lifted with spice, including pure black raspberry, violets, and pine. Medium-bodied and taking on more concentration in its ripe tannins and notes of dark berries and turned earth, it has fresh lift and a long finish. This beautiful wine will take some time to reveal its full spectrum.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir Golden Mean is glossy and expressive this vintage. It comes from Pommard and Swan selection vines planted on east- and west-facing slopes, respectively. It begins with ringing tones of truffle, moss, allspice, cranberry and red cherry aromatics. The light-bodied palate is velvety and refreshing with a surprisingly concentrated core of perfumed fruit, and it has an expansive finish streaked with nuances of spice and earth.
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James Suckling
This is tight and tannin driven with hibiscus and other floral aromas as well as dark fruits. Medium to full body with a juicy and flavorful character yet the fine tannins frame it and keep it together. Racy. A blend of Swan and Pommard 4. Delicious now but will age beautifully.
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Wine Spectator
A fairly rich version with nice range, leading with hibiscus and pomegranate notes, followed quickly by crushed mulberry and raspberry flavors. Shows lively energy and flickers of tea and spices that help drive the finish, where the fruit takes an encore.
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.”
On the far western edge of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA hugs right up against the Pacific coast. Vineyards, planted at rugged elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, occupy only two percent of the total land in the AVA. Fort Ross-Seaview growers believe that the region boasts an ideal mix of sunshine, cool air and beneficial stress for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot noir.