2009 Pinot Days Seminar - Southern AVA 2007s

Fort Mason, San Francisco, California
Tasted Saturday, June 27, 2009 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 803 views

Introduction

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This seminar featured 2007 bottlings from Santa Maria Valley, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Lucia, Santa Barbara and Central Coast regions. All wines were poured blind in flights of four (except the last flight of 3), and the winemakers or representatives on hand each spoke about their wine after it was revealed.

It's early to be showing the '07 vintage, and most of our samples were quite tight yet, but there's clearly good substance there. Several were pre-release bottlings, and the Arcadian was a barrel sample. My WOTT was the '07 Gainey Limited Selection.

Flight 1 - Flight 1 (4 Notes)

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Arcadian's Joe Davis speaking, while the Melvilles look on:
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Dan Tudor
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Alma Rosa's Richard Sanford
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  • 2007 Arcadian Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Barrel sample - dark cherry red color; nice deep red fruit, cherry and touch of baking spice on nose; solid tart cherry palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 90-92 pts. (40% whole cluster; to be released in a year and a half or so; Joe says, "It needs more time in barrel.")

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  • 2007 Tudor Wines Pinot Noir Tondré Reserve 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; high pitched berry, slightly herbal nose; tight tart berry, plum palate, a little hot; medium finish (1/3 new oak; to be released Spring 2010)

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  • 2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir Clone 667 La Encantada Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; earthy, herbal nose; creamy texture, tightly wound but deep tart red fruit, cranberry and sour cream palate; medium finish 90+ pts. (20% new oak; single clone bottlings are only available at the winery)

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  • 2007 Alta Maria Pinot Noir 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

    Dark, slightly cloudy cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, blueberry nose; fairly concentrated, boysenberry, tart berry pie, tart raspberry, tart cherry pie, a little primary; medium-plus finish (blend of 36-year-old Pommard clone vines and a little 115)

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Flight 2 - Flight 2 (4 Notes)

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Alta Maria's James Ontiveros
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Rusack's John Falcone
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Gainey winemaker Kirby Anderson
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  • 2007 Rusack Pinot Noir Reserve 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; nice tart cherry and red fruit nose; tight, tart red fruit, tart cherry palate; short-medium finish (mainly from Fiddlestix Vineyard; clones 113, 4 and 667)

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  • 2007 Alta Maria Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard 86 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

    Dark raspberry red color; big, green, herbal, stemmy nose; tart herbal, green, unripe palate; medium finish (40% whole cluster; 36 yr old Pommard clone vines and 7 yr old 115)

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  • 2007 Gainey Pinot Noir 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Medium dark cherry red color; tight, Bergamot, tart cherry nose; tight tart cherry, berry palate with some intensity and herbal edges, has potential; short-medium finish 88+ pts.

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  • 2007 Gainey Pinot Noir Limited Selection 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; solid cherry and incense nose; tight, tart but rounded cherry, raspberry palate with depth, lovely mid-palate, balanced, pretty; medium-plus finish (blend of 3 vineyards; 10% whole cluster; 16 mos. in barrel)

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Flight 3 - Flight 3 (4 Notes)

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Rob Jensen - Testarossa
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Paraiso's David Fleming
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Clos Pepe's Wes Hagen
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  • 2007 Dominion Tantara Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard 87 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

    Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; big ripe cherry and berry nose; high pitched tart cherry and cinnamon palate, a little too aggressive; medium-plus finish (6 mos. in barrel)

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  • 2007 Testarossa Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; earthy, intriguing, baking spice nose; nicely balanced, tart cherry, red fruit, orange blossom, orange palate with good acidity; medium finish

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  • 2007 Paraiso Vineyards Pinot Noir West Terrace 88 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; big berry, tart cherry nose; big, tart cherry, baked cherry, rhubarb, baking spice and tart red fruit palate; medium-plus finish 88+ pts.

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  • 2007 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, hibiscus, cranberry nose; tart cranberry, hibiscus palate with medium acidity; medium finish 90+ pts. (no stems - Wes says, "I farm grapes, not stems.")

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Flight 4 - Flight 4 (3 Notes)

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Pelerin's Chris Weidemann
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Landmark's Greg Stock
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Chad Melville
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  • 2007 Pelerin Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard 89 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

    Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; big cherry, cherry pie, ripe rhubarb nose; big, tart cherry, strawberry, rhubarb palate with good acidity but a little hot; medium finish (75% Pisoni clone, 25% 777; 16 mos. in barrel)

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  • 2007 Landmark Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

    Medium dark cherry red color with clear meniscus; big berry, boysenberry, cinnamon, spice nose; tasty, tart cherry, tart berry palate with focus, needs a year or two; medium finish 91+ pts.

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  • 2007 Melville Pinot Noir Estate 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    1st bottle - TCA
    2nd bottle - medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; reduction, tart red fruit nose; focused tart red fruit, cinnamon, and a touch of spice on palate with intensity, sweet firm tannins and an herbal note at the end; medium finish 91+ pts. (40% whole cluster; from 16 different clones planted in '97 and '98)

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