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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2012 and 2016 (based on 5 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.5 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 21 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ginfizz on 5/16/2021 & rated 92 points: Well balanced, mature. Dusty sour cherry with hints of tar, leather. Round and good length. Reminded me of a Leroy 1999 Vosne Romanee Beaux Monts. Held up to the cheeses. Lovely bottle. (231 views) | | | Tasted by rappman on 2/18/2020 & rated 95 points: Deep color mineral rich black cherry (317 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 4/27/2017 & rated 92 points: Really good fruit forward pinot with spiciness and cola. Black cherry fruit in a dark pinot with nice lifted finish. More of a sipper than a true food wine but would complement spicy food. Plenty of life left (943 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 2/28/2015 & rated 92 points: Beautiful. All cherry, good concentration but not overdone. Good lift, fine tannins, nice oak influence. Very elegant. (1251 views) | | | Tasted by suburbanfrog on 1/19/2015 & rated 92 points: Nose and flavors tended to show a little earth and funk to go along with the concentrated red fruits. Very compelling and interesting. (1336 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 9/1/2014 & rated 92 points: Tasty dark cherry and earthy notes on the nose and palate with moderate oak notes and refreshing acidity on the finish. (1309 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 5/2/2014 & rated 91 points: Not quite up to the last bottle. The finish seemed a bit disjointed and bitter. (1480 views) | | | Tasted by pjhr on 12/13/2013 & rated 92 points: Tasty dark cherry and earthy notes on the nose and palate with refreshing acidity on the finish. (857 views) | | | Tasted by jscanlon20 on 12/13/2013 & rated 91 points: Give it a little time to breathe, then it's pretty great. Earthy for Pinot, fairly smooth and good acidity at finish. (1265 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 6/1/2013 & rated 91 points: Decanted for an hour. Ah... the cherry, the acidity, nicely oaked, black tea tannins. Such a terrific bottle of wine. Really needs more time, will hold the last bottle for a couple of years methinks. (1082 views) | | | Tasted by conortreacy on 12/23/2012 & rated 91 points: Dark and earthy. Not like regular pinot.. was excellent on its own, but i would have let it wait another year maybe. Long lingering taste of dark fruits (1104 views) | | | Tasted by daniel.jay on 2/18/2012 & rated 93 points: This is a pinot in a more earthy, musty, funky vein - totally different from the strawberry 'n' acid style. Was thoroughly enjoyed, good nose, intense flavor, dark fruit, vanilla and earthy/funk. Great balance and integration, long enjoyable finish. (1447 views) | | | Tasted by Lee Fining on 2/9/2012 & rated 89 points: Musty with a vege character. (1326 views) | | | Tasted by trucrime on 9/28/2011 & rated 95 points: Barnyard nose. Nice concentration. (1610 views) | | | Tasted by vegasoenophile on 6/25/2011 & rated 91 points: A pinot with darker, blacker fruits than normally expected. Integrated and ready for consumption sooner than other 2009s. A big, bold, dark pinot. Very nice.
- Tasted at winery 12/29/10 (1303 views) |
| MacPhail Producer website
James MacPhail produces an array of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, primarily Vineyard designates, focused on the Sonoma Coast and Mendocino's Anderson Valley. Most offerings are small lots of 150-600 cases. The MacPhail Tasting Lounge@TheBarlow is in Sebastopol, CA and the winery is in Healdsburg, CA
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.Gap's Crown VineyardGap’s Crown is perched on the western edge of Sonoma Mountain and is comprised of 37 vineyard blocks that span 140 planted acres. Ranging in elevation from 300’ to 840’ above sea level Gap’s Crown takes advantage of the steep Sonoma Mountain hillsides to promote natural airflow and soil drainage within the vineyard.
Gap’s Crown is part of the Sonoma Coast AVA and is situated at the confluence of where Sonoma Mountain and its surrounding southwest facing hills meet the Petaluma Wind Gap (Petaluma Gap). To the south the hills of Sonoma Mountain turn southeast and channel the cool breezes of the Petaluma Gap toward the San Pablo Bay. To the north Sonoma Mountain gives way to Crane Canyon and eventually a northwest oriented set of hills. A pocket is formed by Crane Canyon and these northwest hills just to the north of Gap’s Crown, creating a natural fog pocket around the vineyard. Typically, coastal fog that is trapped in this pocket takes longer to burn off during the latter days of the growing season. This lingering fog during at the end of the growing season allows Gap’s Crown fruit to ripen slowly, developing sugar and phenolic ripeness in unison.
Gap’s Crown vineyard is owned and managed by Gap’s Crown, LLC and is located in the Petaluma Wind Gap. Kosta Browne Winery has purchased Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir grapes since 2006, and now enjoys a long term lease of 37 planted acres. Their viticulture is second to none, producing some of the finest grapes in Sonoma County.
William “Bill” Price III, co-founder of private investment company TPG Group and a financier of North Coast wineries such as Kosta Browne, purchased the 138-acre Gap’s Crown pinot noir and chardonnay vineyard in the Sonoma Coast appellation east of Rohnert Park. Mr. Price on Dec. 11 purchased two properties from what had been part of the CalPERS vineyard portfolio. The 106 acres of planted pinot noir and 32 acres of chardonnay are located off Roberts Road on the western slopes of Sonoma Mountain east of Rohnert Park. The sale price wasn’t disclosed in public records. Mr. Price told Wine Spectator that the purchase price was above $100,000 an acre and a new high value level for Sonoma Coast vines. With plantings in 2002 and 2005, Gap’s Crown is a source if grapes for wineries such as Kosta Browne, Paul Hobbs and Patz & Hall. Mr. Price will continue to supply those grape contracts and will purchase fruit for his Three Sticks and Price Chanin brands, he told Wine Spectator. Vineyard acquisition as a way to access key grape supply was a main driver in dozens of North Coast property sales in the past year to wineries, including several in the Premier Pacific Vineyards portfolio. Mr. Price’s history in the wine business includes the purchase and sale of Beringer Vineyards and, more recently, the formation of a boutique vintner investment group called The Vincraft Group. It’s investments include the Kosta Browne and Gary Farrell brands.
Zepponi & Company of Santa Rosa advised Menlo Park-based private-equity firm GI Partners, which has been managing the Premier Pacific Vineyards portfolio for CalPERS for the past year. CalPERS in late 2011 said it would end its relationship with Premier Pacific Vineyards, and GI Partners has been marketing vineyards for sale. American AgCredit financed the purchase.
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 Sonoma CountyMendocino CountySonoma Coast * Sonoma Coast AVA (Wikipedia)
* Sonoma Coast AVA (Wine Institue) |
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