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Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir

Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir Wine Details
Price: $43.00 per bottle

Description: The Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir comes from the original vines Richard Sanford planted in 1971. These 32 year old vines are the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the Santa Ynez Valley. Primarily from the Mt. Eden selection, this wine is always highly aromatic and classically Burgundian. This wine is fermented in 100% new French Oak for 18 months and is not filtered. This is a pedigreed wine that ages well. Wonderful aromas of blackberry, black cherry, mineral, lavender and spice, with a rich core of fruit flavors that are plush yet structured, with lively acidity and firm, ripe tannins. Drink now through 2007. 1,200 cases made

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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