Pinot Noir,
Sangiacomo Vineyard
Sonoma Coast, 2007
The grapes are from the Roberts
Road vineyard in the ridiculously cool Petaluma
Gap, where coastal fog is de rigueur. It pleases
me no end to receive Pinot Noir from the Sangiacomo
family. They are longtime farmers in Sonoma County,
whose grapes I first worked with at Joseph Phelps
Vineyards. This wine will entice you with its
subtlety. It’s not a flashy “look
at me!” Pinot. Rather, it will reveal itself
slowly, bit by bit. Be patient and you‘ll
be rewarded.
Ruby color; pronounced spice
bouquet with sour cherry/earth aromas. Fruit-driven
entry that gives way to firm, acidic mid-palate
and lengthy, balanced finish. This wine will
evolve in your glass. I used French oak barrels
and kept down the amount of new oak deliberately.
No Medium-plus toast (Heavy toast? Are you kidding?).
I make Pinot Noir for the long haul, my wines
are meant for aging.
185 cases produced.
A bright streak of raspberry
flavor punches through the initial reduction,
shifting the pungent blackness toward tangy coastal
scents of fresh berries and salt air.
Decant
this for pan-roasted black cod. 91 points.
Wine & Spirits
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$42 per bottle
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Pinot Noir,
Marin County, 2007
The vineyard is located in
the Chileno Valley in the northeast corner of
Marin County. The Petaluma Wind Gap affects the
local weather with coastal fog and moderate temperatures
that make for a long growing season. The vineyard
is a field blend of several Dijon clones, which
presents a challenge when it comes time to pick:
no two
clones ripen at exactly the same time. There
is less than 140 acres of Pinot Noir in all of
Marin
County.
Ruby color; bouquet of spice,
earthy, and red cherry aromas. Pronounced earthiness
that is not the result of Brettanomyces! The
fruit-driven entry opens into a silktextured
mid-palate that ends with a seamless and long
finish. This wine is made for aging.
That’s how I roll.
138 cases produced.
Vivid red. Fresh red berries,
cherry and spicecake on the nose, with a smoky
mineral undertone. Fresh, focused, gently sweet
raspberry on entry, giving way to deeper bitter
cherry with air. Silky tannins add focus to
the long, sappy, increasingly spicy finish.
This is balanced to age but there'd be no crime
in drinking it now. 90 points
Josh Raynolds, Stephen
Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
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here for full winemaking and tasting notes.
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$36 per bottle
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Pinot Noir,
Russian River Valley, 2007
This particular vineyard lies
to the east of Highway 101 near Windsor in one of
the warmest areas within the Russian River AVA.
The weather cooperated very well until the latter
part of August and the first week of September when
someone turned up the heat. Panic picks ensued -
as is always the case when heat makes sugars climb
through the roof - and some folks picked up to three
weeks earlier than I did from the same vineyard.
I held off for the simple reason that the grapes
simply were not ripe enough. On the evening of September
6, the fog rolled in and stayed for four days, which
cooled everything off and grape sugars plummeted.
All it takes is nerve and patience to wait it out.
Ruby color; pronounced spice bouquet
with sour cherry/earth aromas. Fruit-driven entry
that gives way to firm, acidic mid-palate and lengthy,
balanced finish. This wine will evolve in your glass.
106 cases produced.
Medium ruby color; rich, red
cherry and smoky aromas; ripe, rich bright red
cherry flavors with spicy notes and a bit of smoky
oak; good structure and balance; long finish. Bright
and spicy, this Pinot is all about Russian River
red cherry! 91 points
PinotReport, Issue 60
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here for full winemaking and tasting notes. |
SOLD OUT
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Pinot Noir,
Van der Kamp Vineyard
Sonoma Mountain, 2006
Located on Sonoma Mountain in
Sonoma County at an elevation of 1,200 feet, Van
der Kamp vineyard exemplifies the concept that a
wine should reflect its place of origin. This wine
is practically hand-made, with some assistance from
equipment specifically designed for gentle handling
Ruby color; pronounced spice bouquet
with sour cherry/earth aromas. Fruit-driven entry
that gives way to firm, acidic mid-palate and lengthy,
balanced finish. This wine will evolve in your glass.
135 cases produced.
Dark reddish purple color. Beautiful
aromatics that really draw you in.
Deep, dark fruits including black raspberries and
mu shu plum sauce.
Full-bodied and mouth coating black fruits with
an earthy underpinning.
Velvety tannins frame the lush fruit perfectly and
the dry finish lingers memorably.
The pedigree of this vineyard shows through in this
excellent wine.
Rusty Gaffney PinotFile,
September 2009
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here for full winemaking and tasting notes. |
$45 per bottle
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Cabernet
Sauvignon
Napa Valley, 2006
Grapes for this wine are from
two separate vineyards located in the Coombsville
District, east of the city of Napa. Coombsville
is down-valley, closer to the North Bay’s
cooling influence, which helps the wine achieve
vibrant acidity and flavors. I learned a lot about
Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux grapes while
interning at the Hess Collection Winery, at Joseph
Phelps Vineyards plus stints in Australia, Europe
and Chile.
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon has
a deep red color with a bouquet of earthy blueberry
pie, barrel spices, and dark berry aromas. The
entry is fruit-driven opening into a silky-textured,
well-structured mid-palate that is followed by
a lingering finish. This dark, brooding wine is
age-worthy for years to come.
130 cases produced.
Opaque ruby. Musky aromas of cherry,
sassafras, licorice, smoky Indian spices and roasted
herbs. Sweet, round and supple, with flavors of
red- and blackcurrant and candied flowers framed
by pepper and spice notes and dusty tannins. Sweeter
on the finish, leaving behind sexy cola and vanilla
notes. The fruit is covering the structure now,
making this wine drinkable today.
Josh Raynolds, Stephen
Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Click
here for full winemaking and tasting notes. |
$48 per bottle
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