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Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Wine Details
Price: $29.00 per bottle

Description: In our region the 2003 growing season produced an unusually low crop. This natural occurrence promotes intense aromas and flavors in the fruit. Because each vine has a limited storehouse of color, flavor and texture, the light crop allowed deep concentration of character in fewer grapes. The small berries hung in loose, open clusters, penetrated by sunlight to produce dark color and full flavors. A classic example of the effect of vintage on wine, the low crop load revealed to me certain qualities of the cool Sonoma Coast terroir. The 2003 grapes emphasized deep, red fruit aromas and flavors, with Royal Ann cherry and blackberry in the foreground, complemented by a finely-edged quality of minerality. Ripe fruit, captured and protected by gentle winemaking, forms the core of this wine. Aging ten months in French oak barrels added delightful aromas of vanilla, spice and smoke to a foundation of deep, crushed berry. I find the flavors intense and focused, evoking the pleasures of fresh fruit coulis. Weight, density and balance give the wine a sleek, firm structure. Its layered flavors and ample, smooth tannins make the wine a candidate for cellaring, or for enjoying now with rich dishes such as roasted duck with rhubarb-berry compote.

Varietal Definition
Pinot Noir:
The name is derived from the French words for ‘pine’ and ‘black’ alluding to the varietals' tightly clustered dark purple pine cone shaped bunches of fruit. Pinot Noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. By volume most Pinot Noir in America is grown in California with Oregon coming in second. Other regions are Washington State and New York.During 2004 and the beginning of 2005, Pinot Noir became considerably more popular amongst consumers in the United States, possibly because of the movie Sideways. Being lighter in style, it has benefited from a trend toward more restrained, less alcoholic wines. It is the delicate, subtle, complex and elegant nature of this wine that encourages growers and winemakers to cultivate this difficult grape. Robert Parker has described Pinot Noir: "When it's great, Pinot Noir produces the most complex, hedonistic, and remarkably thrilling red wine in the world."


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