CellarTracker!™

Search: (advanced)


External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher

Vintages
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
  Home | All Cellars | Tasting Notes | Reports | UsersHelp | Member Sign In 
  >> USE THE NEW CELLARTRACKER <<


 Vintage2005(NOTE: Label borrowed from 2008 vintage.)
TypeRed
ProducerGary Farrell (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardCarneros Selection
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
SubRegionNapa / Sonoma
AppellationCarneros

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2010 and 2013 (based on 10 user opinions)

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 84 pts. and median of 84 pts. in 1 note) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by bilnjil on 3/26/2012 & rated 84 points: This had lost much of its body by 2012 - still quite drinkable but well past it's prime. (762 views)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Gary Farrell

Producer website
Beginning in the late 1970s, Gary Farrell was working with seminal Russian River Valley vintners such as Davis Bynum, Joe Rochioli, Tom Dehlinger and Robert Stemmler – a group that was instrumental in showcasing
the world-class Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of the nascent Russian River Valley AVA, a breathtaking, redwood-studded wine region 55 miles north of San Francisco whose mighty river cuts a scenic swath through the
heart of Sonoma County. He made his first wine under the Gary Farrell label in 1982 and built the winery into one of the most acclaimed producers of small-lot Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in the Russian River Valley.

Gary built a state-of-the-art winery in 2000 on a ridge overlooking the Russian River Valley. The barrel room and cellar reflect his legendary obsession with cleanliness, natural process flow, small-tank fermentations,
top-flight French oak cooperage and meticulous attention to detail. With its northeastern orientation, the "crush pad" houses custom belt systems for gently moving and hand-sorting grapes, European presses and
varying sizes of temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The fermentation room is a winemaker’s dream with ample room between the rows of small custom-designed, open-top stainless steel tanks, raised tank pads
and pneumatic punch-down devices. The barrel rooms allow for precise temperature and humidity control to provide a perfect environment for fermentations and barrel aging.

Although he sold the winery in 2004, the Winery continues its collaborative partnerships with many of the same growers we’ve worked with for 30 years as well as Gary’s legacy of crafting wines that capture the unique
character of the vineyard.

Pinot Noir

Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.


Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.

Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.

The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.

Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.

With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.

Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

California

2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson

Napa / Sonoma

SONOMA: The Yorkville Highlands AVA, approved in 1998, is located in the southwestern corner of Mendocino County, between Sonoma County's Alexander Valley to the South and Mendocino County!s Anderson Valley to the North. The region is 25 miles long, roughly in the shape of rectangle and bisected by Highway 128 which runs the length of the AVA. The region!s terrain is hilly and forested, with elevations ranging from 1,078 to 2,442 feet above sea level.
The distinguishing features of the Yorkville Highlands AVA are rocky soils with a high gravel content and the climate, which is cooler than Alexander Valley but warmer than Anderson Valley, and significantly cooler at night than the surrounding areas.

Carneros

Straddles the southern ends of Napa & Sonoma Counties.

 
© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC. All rights reserved. "CellarTracker!" is a trademark of CellarTracker! LLC. No part of this website may be used, reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of CellarTracker! LLC. (Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.) - Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook