External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2015
2014
2013
2011
2010
2009
2008
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2016 (based on 2 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/27/2013: Wow. For the aromatics alone. And just opened too. Palate is really tightly wound up. Even tighter than when I first had it. Very interesting. Breath on the mid palate, lots of stuffing. We shall see where it goes. (1572 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 2/26/2013: That is pretty pure and elegant. The "high oak" that I think was used on this vintage has integrated nicely. Showy and smooth. Delicious. (1762 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 3/25/2012: Funny: I opened it at noon and poured it into a Riedel Oregon Pinot glass. I recongized the smell, but the palate was very light, lingering in harmony but quite faint. I kept with it for a couple of hours.
Around hour five I took it to a friend's house where we switched to Riedel Grand Cru Burgundy glasses. Maybe it was the time, maybe it was the glass, but the change was dramatic -- a filled in palate, rich, highly aromatic, robust wine. Wonderful. Funny how I like to check in on these wines as well. (2336 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 3/23/2011: So this is sweet and beautiful. (3373 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 3/17/2011: A drinkers paradise. (3316 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 1/5/2011: On day one a new note of fresh green is coming through, almost like a Pinot Noir sweet brown spice. Charmingly pleasing, very easy to drink.
On day two (second bottle mind you) its still all there but maybe lacking in a touch of exhurberance that I associate with these Pinots. (2574 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 12/8/2010: Quietly unassuming. I drink too much of it and had forgotten how great it was. (2417 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/24/2010: Even better on day two -- softer, more integrated, perhaps showing more wood but also showing more pinot spice and finesse as well. Reminds me very strongly of a Domaine Leroy. (2289 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/23/2010: Jumpy from the cork pull with lively, upfront fruit. But that isn't all it has -- the oak has been tamed into the body revealing herbs, wild sweet cherries and strawberries. The taste is complex. The body finishes tangy, in a very Kenny style, and needs just a touch more time to soften out. Which I assume air / time being open will aid. A steal at $40. (2032 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/5/2010: The fruit seems lower and the oak seems a bit higher. (2087 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/5/2010: Two bottles in a row -- why not I guess.
I was guessing that this Pinot was the most structured, or maybe tightly wound is the best way to put it, of the Folk Machine / Hobo set. So I thought I would start a bottle on Friday and finish it on Saturday.
The experience was rewarding. Much more open and expressive on Saturday, with the ruhbarb and strawberry notes dominating the oak. My thought is to hold in the cellar for a year. (2232 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/2/2010: Expressive right off the cork pull. Poweful palate. Suggestive. (2238 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 6/9/2010: The label says 12.9 alcohol but I believe when talking to Kenny he thought it was probably lower -- more like 12.7 or even less still.
Cherry / cranberry / rubarb fruit to the nose but in a really particular way. I associate the smell strongly with something but I can't remember what. The cinnamon spice / sugar component of the Pinot fruit really pops as well. Sexy and generous on the palate. Finish lingers lightly. Cork just pulled. We will see where it goes.
The first time I had this wine we started in on a discussion of the barrel treatment. I believe Kenny made a total of three barrels and the original plan was to make it 2/3 new oak. However, for some reason everything got oaked. I will ask. In any case, the first time I had it I thought the oak was prominent, but not in a bad way. Now I don't sense that at all. (2357 views) | | | Tasted by nzinkgraf on 6/9/2010: Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (Waterford Wine Co., Milwaukee): oak expression as a high pitched grain. wild red fruits. a whole grain bread. ripe and full in the mouth. sweet dark red vine fruits. something rather wild in there. some rhubarb. bright high toned acid. new world for sure, NZ or CA.
Open top fermenter, 20-30% whole cluster, 50% new oak, no temp control. '09 is a ripeer vintage and the new oak backs off to 25% (2812 views) |
| 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.USAAmerican 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.California2021 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 Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
Once referred to by wine writers as the Chaine d'Or -- or "golden chain" -- the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA sits above Silicon Valley, running along the craggy range next to the Pacific on some of the prettiest parts of Northern California. The area supports more than 75 wineries, despite being limited by geography and high land prices.
In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west. |
|
