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 Vintage2012 Label 1 of 13 
TypeRed
ProducerDonum (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardEast Slope
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
SubRegionNapa / Sonoma
AppellationCarneros
OptionsShow variety and appellation

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2015 and 2023 (based on 9 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Donum Pinot Noir East Slope Carneros on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 92.4 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 10 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by SteelerFan on 9/1/2020 & rated 92 points: Very good. Dark rich Pinot. Not super complex but deep and woodsy with vibrant fruit. Good now but potential to improve. (505 views)
 Tasted by jviz on 10/12/2019 & rated 93 points: Tasted great but I can’t say much because we drank it out of garbage glasses. Not helpful, I know, just make sure you pour this into a pinot stem, it really is quite nice. Great depth and extraction with red Fruit and Carneros spice. No roasted notes as my last bottle had (877 views)
 Tasted by SteelerFan on 7/22/2019 & rated 88 points: Somewhat disappointing compared to earlier bottles. Somewhat sweet and disjointed, without the tension to hold together. Still enjoyable, but not nearly as good as prior experience. Hopefully bottle variation. (701 views)
 Tasted by SteelerFan on 7/1/2018 & rated 93 points: Terrific pinot. Dark cherry notes with solid backbone. (845 views)
 Tasted by jviz on 5/5/2017 & rated 94 points: This bottle was still performing well. Day 1 showed dark fruits, some wooded notes, no funk at all. Pretty dense and concentrated even for Carneros standards, but no syrupy viscosity or perceptible sugar. It's a really refined, really masculine pinot. Not unlike a Paul Hobbs RRV. I'm glad to have another to enjoy, but will probably consume in the next 1-2 years. Day 2 showed some more raisin/fig notes, a bit unusual for PN. 93-94 (1322 views)
 Tasted by shaferguy91 on 10/3/2016 & rated 93 points: 1 hour decant. (1106 views)
 Tasted by jviz on 3/18/2015 & rated 95 points: fantastic fruit, balance, funk, woody notes. this has it all. enjoyed at the vineyard (1677 views)

Professional 'Channels'
By Allen Meadows
Burghound, Oct-15, Issue #60
(Donum Estate Pinot Noir - East Slope Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By Gregory Walter
PinotReport, Issue #103 (5/15/2015)
(The Donum Estate Pinot Noir Estate East Slope Carneros) Login and sign up and see review text.
i-WineReview.com, Report 48: Los Carneros (5/1/2015)
(Donum Pinot Noir East Slope Carneros) Subscribe to see review text.
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Burghound and PinotReport and i-WineReview.com. (manage subscription channels)

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

Donum

Producer website

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.

 
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