Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Boekenoogen Vineyard has a very fragrant nose of rose hip tea, potpourri and fertile loam over a core of red cherries and fresh raspberries plus a touch of cinnamon stick. Light to medium-bodied, with wonderful freshness and very fine-grained, silky tannins, it delivers a beautiful quiet intensity and great persistence.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Winemaker Sabrine Rodems manages to tame the richness of this vineyard while retaining its hedonistic joy. Aromas of rose, pomegranate, hibiscus, rhubarb and dark spice lead into pillowy flavors of strawberry, raspberry and clove. This wine feels light and racy yet full of body and flavor.
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.