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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 319 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Santaliz on 11/14/2021 & rated 94 points: Full bodied Pinot. Great wine (1130 views) | | | Tasted by Bowmanifesto on 6/27/2021 & rated 92 points: Always a marvel. (1169 views) | | | Tasted by Pike_Fisherman on 5/26/2020 & rated 93 points: It t became one of my favorite. I really liked it.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. (1640 views) | | | Tasted by FabesMTL on 3/28/2020 & rated 91 points: Medium bodied. Does not look like a Pinot but def smells of Cali Pinot. Red red berries and sour cherries on the nose. All fruit on the palate. Good freshness and balance, held its own with filet mignon and dark cocoa and blueberry pudding. 91 but at its peak. Drink now 2025. (1744 views) | | | Tasted by Martnmac on 1/14/2019 & rated 92 points: Triple yum. Deep dark delicious
Surprisingly heavy but on a good way (2397 views) | | | Tasted by Macsim on 1/4/2019 & rated 87 points: Thicky and syrupy with little acidity and medium finish. Lacks the finesse of a good Pinot noir (1513 views) | | | Tasted by Wine4Life on 11/29/2018 & rated 94 points: Absolutely awesome! (1579 views) | | | Tasted by Bluecharm on 6/20/2018 & rated 85 points: A big thick, blousy, syrupy fruit bomb. Don’t like how it has evolved. Definitely not my style. This grape is so much better when it’s defined by subtlety and finesse. (1885 views) | | | Tasted by naberly on 1/4/2018 & rated 93 points: This wine continues to evolve and has at least 3+ years of improvement but is drinking very well now.
I doubt many people blind tasting this would guess Pinot at all.
Jammy and luscious blackberry smoothed out on the nose with a hint of warmth from vanilla and almost currant like. Nose of a cassis with smoothness and depth not typical to a pinot. (2257 views) | | | Tasted by Cabernet4me2 on 12/26/2017 & rated 91 points: Bought these BG Clark & Telephone Pinots after tasting some aged BG with Joe Wagner some years ago at a Pinotfest. Was not a big fan of tasting at the release, just too much of everything - however these do amazingly well when laid down for some years.
No formal notes taken, but everyone was surprised at how well integrated this pinot was and still has at least 5 years more to go.
Glad i have a few more! (1760 views) | | | Tasted by GimpyBoy on 10/7/2017 & rated 94 points: Opening this wine and the nose hits you. It is very distinct and not like any other Pinot. I smell berries and undertones of vanilla. This wine rolls on the tongue. It is well balanced with smooth finish upon first pour. I can’t wait to see how it opens up in about a hour. Some of the reviews say there is a sweetness to it and I see why. But it is subtle and not overly sweet. If you are looking for a nice light Pinot this is not your wine. It is complex like a Cab and finishes like a Syrah. (2021 views) | | | Tasted by shank on 6/17/2017 & rated 90 points: Bold Pinot that is heavier and overextracted. That is not a bad thing, but don't plan for Burgundian type Pinot. (2441 views) | | | Tasted by Goodwine4ever on 6/5/2017 & rated 93 points: 4 ans depuis ma dernière bouteille. Il y a eu une grande évolution avec les années. Au nez on commence déjà a constater des notes terrecière ce qui ma plutôt étonné car oui le vin a quelques années derrière la cravate mais cela reste bien juste 7 ans. Anyway, le vin était DÉLICIEUX !!! Une touche de vanille était bel et bien présente mais sans tomber dans l'excès. Un beau fruit frais, gouteux, cerise fraiche, mûres avec encore beaucoup de corps. Tannins présent mais bien intégré, acidité encore bien présente, vraiment un beau vin qui a crée un bon match avec la lasagne maison. Malheureusement ce vin a augmenté de 20$ la bouteille dans la dernière année. Une belle réussite ! (1995 views) | | | Tasted by Rcapria on 1/23/2017 & rated 91 points: excellent fryut forward.... (2038 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 1/2/2017 & rated 89 points: No surprises here. This is a strong, forward and tasty cocktail Pinot. This has lost just a step since a bottle I gave a 90 to a few years ago. (1970 views) | | | Tasted by Tarrant on 1/1/2017 & rated 93 points: Agree w/Tannic Monster, this is a Pinot on steroids for sure, but it's damn delicious, apart from maximum extraction, I suspect it may be upwards of 25% syrah/petit sirah to get the massively dark colour - Dark, red fruit and vanilla on the nose, cranberry, blueberry, cherry on the palate with decent acidity, big, brawny w/high alcohol for a 'Pinot' (14.3%), definitely a warm climate version with a blend of other grapes, not traditional but oh so delicious!!! (93 Points). (1851 views) | | | Tasted by Tannic Monster on 11/25/2016 & rated 92 points: I get why people seem to either love or hate this stuff. It's like no other Pinot Noir in terms of style. It looks like a Cab in the glass, and tastes like a Pinot on steroids. It's not refined or delicate. It's the bull in the china shop of Pinot Noirs...but it's delicious. It's a massive fruit bomb party in your mouth kind of thing. (1456 views) | | | Tasted by garambler on 10/7/2016 & rated 93 points: We had this after dinner on 10/7/16. It had a deep, powerful bouquet of raspberry, black cherry, blackberry, anise, cinnamon, vanilla and spice. The palate was rich, dense and a little sweet with flavors of raspberry, black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla and spice. (1479 views) | | | Tasted by Bowmanifesto on 8/23/2016 & rated 93 points: This is not everyone's "cup of tea." But it IS mine. Clark & Telephone is intense, intoxicating, and impressive year after year, bottle after bottle, glass after glass. After six years, this vintage is powerful and potent. The legs are massive; the color is deep purple to the edges. The aromas snap your head back with bevies of berries and deep spices. The flavors are full tilt cherry and blueberry. The finish is medium, but that's OK -- because the next sniff and sip will blow me away once again. (1481 views) | | | Tasted by Primordialsoup on 7/21/2016 & rated 92 points: Modern, full fruit Cali Pinot bomb. Delicious with grilled salmon. You know by now what this wine is like. If you don't like it, stop banging your head against it. Just leave the rest to those that do. You can always try a $50 spin at the French Burg roulette wheel and hope your ship don't sink. (1610 views) | | | Tasted by Stelvinator on 7/2/2016 & rated 90 points: A crowd pleasing wine. Big, dark, sweet, fruity, extracted; hedonistic. As new world as pinot gets. Dark fruit nose, a bit smokey with notes of vanilla ice-cream. A bit of rosehip is the only thing really in character for a pinot noir. Black cherry, vanilla, rose and toasted oak on the palette. Fine tannin, pretty high residual sugar, and the acidity to support it. Perhaps a bit over-manipulated in the wine making. It's brash, maybe a bit fatiguing after a couple glasses. This is a cocktail hour wine, not a food wine; it will bowl-over all but the boldest dishes. Aging well, would drink over the next five years. (1625 views) | | | Tasted by Rcapria on 5/24/2016 & rated 91 points: good overall wine better then its little brother meomi (1696 views) | | | Tasted by Mtpisgah on 3/12/2016: Not Pinot like but much improved. Smoky flavor, very dark color, pretty tasty. Still not Pinot like. (1950 views) | | | Tasted by Mark Brandon on 2/7/2016 & rated 93 points: Well... this was awesome! Had with dill salmon and it worked. My tastes run more Willamette and this is usually a bit much, but it was seriously terrific. (1769 views) | | | Tasted by Hi.its.Don.4.Wine on 1/28/2016 & rated 93 points: I wish I could add something additional to the previous reviewer, but it summed it up very nicely. Big, elegant fruit with that suppleness. WOW! (1956 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Allen Meadows
Burghound, January 2013, Issue #49
(Belle Glos Pinot Noir - Clark & Telephone Vineyard Villages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, November/December 2012, IWC Issue #165
(Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark and Telephone Vineyard Santa Maria Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (10/13/2012)
(Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (10/10/2012)
(Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (10/3/2012)
(Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Burghound and Vinous and WineAlign. (manage subscription channels) |
| Belle Glos Producer Website
The vineyard locations can all be described as coastal, but the climate differences are significant, depending on the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site.
Each wine is crafted to distill the purest essence of the vineyard into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir.
Winemaker Joseph Wagner chose the name Belle Glos (pronounced BELL GLOSS) to honor his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards.
http://www.meiomiwines.com/'> Producer website
Meiomi, (pronounced May-oh-mee) , has a separate website.
Prince of Pinot Article on Belle Glos
Belle Glos: Caymus Genes
Belle Glos (pronounced BELL GLOS) is owned by the Wagner family of Napa Valley Caymus Vineyards fame. Caymus Special Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Mer Soleil Chardonnay, and Caymus Conundrum are well know wines, but the winery has a long history with Pinot Noir, producing some excellent examples from relatively warm locations of the Napa Valley (Rutherford) in the late 1970s and 1980s. They even produced a Pinot Noir Blanc wine labeled “Eye of Partridge.”
The Pinot Noir program was revived in 2001 with the release of Belle Glos Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir and the wines have improved every year since. The name comes from Charles J. (Chuck) Wagner’s mother, Loma Belle Glos Wagner, a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards. Joseph Wagner, a fourth generation winemaker whose family’s roots in the Napa Valley date to 1906, has been the label’s vineyardist and winemaker since 2002. Belle Glos is a separate label from Caymus Vineyards, much like Mer Soleil and Conundrum, made independently from wines Chuck Wagner makes at Caymus Vineyards, referred to as “by the Wagner Family” rather than “by Caymus”, but distributed by Caymus Vineyards.
Caymus farms Pinot Noir in three coastal regions including the Sonoma Coast, Santa Maria Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands and produces vineyard-designated Pinot Noir from the estate vineyards in each region. A fourth Pinot Noir, Meiomi, is a value-priced wine found in wide distribution and restaurants. A distinctive and excellent rosé, is also produced that revives the name, “Oeil De Perdrix,” sourced from the Yorkville Highlands of Mendocino County. The Gambit Series of Pinot Noirs debuted in 2008 at Pinot Days San Francisco. These limited production single-vineyard wines with no added sulfur were intended to offer the rich and voluptuous nature of raw Pinot Noir grapes. I have not seen or heard of these wines since, but they are briefly described on the Belle Glos website.
Caymus acquired a portion of the historic Santa Maria Hills Vineyard in the 1990s. The land, on a west-facing slope of the Santa Maria Valley foothills, had been planted to Pinot Noir from 1972 to 1974, so the vines were almost ancient by California Pinot Noir standards. The vines were own rooted and the clone uncertain, but probably Martini, an heirloom clone that was one of the first Pinot Noir selections to grace California coast lands. I first reviewed the 2001 Belle Glos Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir in the July 7, 2003 issue of the PinotFile, and the wine was generally well received by the wine press. At the time, little was known of the label. Bob Hosmon of the Miami Sun Sentinel wrote, “To say that this is one of the best United States produced Pinot Noirs I’ve ever tasted is not an overstatement... if you’re looking for something truly special, you won’t be disappointed. Unfortunately no website, mail, e-mail or phone orders.” The website is still very basic and offers no opportunity to purchase the wines. With the 2002 vintage, winemakers Joseph Wagner and Jon Bolta (Conundrum) took what was already a low-yielding 76-acre vineyard and reduced the crop even more radically by regular thinning to increase the flavor concentration of the berries. When the grapes were hand harvested, they ended up with just over one ton per acre. The quality was so high and the flavors so distinctive they felt the wine deserved to be named for the vineyard that produced it which was located at the intersection of Clark & Telephone roads.
The 10-acre Sonoma Coast Taylor Lane Vineyard was planted near the town of Occidental in 1995. While Joseph Wagner was in middle school he helped develop this vineyard, clearing trees and rocks from this previously unplanted land, and laying out and planting the vine rows. To get the grapes to ripen in this cool seaside climate, the trellis system was converted to “Trentina,” named after the region in Italy where it originated, which maximizes sun exposure on the leaves. There is a very consistent diurnal temperature variation at this vineyard site which insures a good balance between ripeness and acidity. The first Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir was in 2002.
The Las Alturas Vineyard is located in one of the highest plantable sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, at altitudes of 540 to 1,210 feet. The site has warmer afternoons and tamer winds than the northern portion of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. This 15-acre vineyard was planted to match various Pinot Noir Dijon clones to different soils and slopes of the vineyard. Yields are kept deliberately low. The inaugural vintage from this vineyard was 2004.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 Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA WikipediaSanta Maria Valley Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association | Santa Maria Valley Wine Trail |
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