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Wine Details
Price:
$22.00 per bottle
Description:
The latest complement to our distinguished line of pinot noirs, the Avant-Garde Pinot Noir is the third pinot noir in our collection. Created to be the vanguard of the vintage, this wine heralds the particular fresh fruit qualities of the Carneros Region. The Avant-Garde is a delicate wine intensely aromatic with notes of strawberries, raspberries, clove, orange peel, chocolate, and black tea. Blended primarily from our own Pinot Noir vineyards, the fruit for this wine is grown on the Estate Vineyard near the Chateau as well as on our Pompadour Vineyard located near the town of Sonoma. This blend exhibits the most fragrant characteristics present in select lots from both of these vineyards. The wine is fermented in small open topped tanks and then aged for 10 months in French Oak Burgundy barrels. The barrels used in the aging of the Avant-Garde Pinot Noir are specially selected from cooperages that complement the aroma and flavor profile of the wine. The Avant-Garde is a wonderful accompaniment to salmon, chicken, veal or pork. This wine will enhance the vibrant flavors of California and Mediterranean cuisine. It is available in limited release only at the winery.
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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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