Wine Lovers Club
Pinot is Back
After many months without our regular
Pinot Noir, during which time we have been pouring our Reserve Pinot Noir, we
are releasing not one, but two new Pinot Noirs. One is the 2001 vintage from the Old Adobe Vineyard, and the
other is the 2004 vintage from the Careaga Canyon Vineyard. To celebrate these two new Pinot Noirs, we
are including both of them in your shipment, see below. Also, as promised, we are also releasing our
first vintage of Tempranillo. All of
these releases will take place March 31, 2006, in time for the Santa Barbara
County Vintners Association Festival and our barbecue in the winery the
following weekend. This will give us
six regular red wines, as we already have Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet
Sauvignon. There are also three Reserve
red wines, which as wine club members, you can taste whenever they are open,
usually on weekends. As you know our
focus is really on red wines, and we have suffered for a while now with a
dearth of choices. I suppose this is
due in part to our success, in that we have sold out of some of our traditional
choices. We are taking steps to
increase our production and may add another new variety to our portfolio, but
the lead time for a new vintage is almost two years so we may have another
shortage before we get the problem fixed for good. We appreciate your understanding and hope you will continue to
enjoy the wines that remain available. For
the present, however, there are now lots of choices, so please enjoy them all
while you can. Looking to the future,
by summer we should have a new vintage of our great Botrytis Sauvignon Blanc
dessert wine. Hope to see you soon. Art
This Month’s Wines
For many wine afficianados, Pinot Noir is the greatest wine in the world. Of course, those of us with a broader view recognize that there are many great varieties, but no matter your point of view, Pinot Noir is a special variety. This month we are sending you our two new releases of this variety. The 2001 Old Adobe Vineyard Pinot Noir is very similar to the 2000 vintage with a distinct earthy quality, but offers some more fruit than the previous vintage. The 2004 Careaga Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir also follows in the footsteps of its predecessors. It offers the big cherry flavors combined with the sweetness from lots of new oak, that you have become accustomed to. This is a bit of a unique selection, but gives you a first look at these new releases and a chance to compare and contrast them. Enjoy!
2004 ~ Careaga Canyon Vineyard ~ Santa Barbara
County
PINOT NOIR
The
cool regions of Santa Barbara County are as good as any in the world for
growing Pinot Noir grapes. The
challenge to the grower and the winemaker is to live up to this potential. We think this is another edition that passes
the test and hope that you will agree.
The bright cherry and black currant aromas on the nose follow through
completely on the palate where they are joined by the sweet vanilla richness
from the new oak barrels. The wine is
not as high in alcohol as the previous vintage, but the balance from the bright
acidity produces a really clean finish.
I love Pinot Noir with lamb, but find it a very versatile red wine that
can accommodate everything from garlic pasta sauces to Thanksgiving turkey to
filet mignon. About 250 cases made.
2001 ~ Old Adobe Vineyard ~ Santa Maria Valley ~
Santa Barbara County
PINOT NOIR
Pinot Noir styles vary greatly in California, as
they do in the Burgundy region of France.
Some exhibit great quantities of bright fruit, while, in others, the
fruit is married with complex flavors and aromas from the vineyard and the
cellar. This wine tends toward the
latter in style. The fruit flavors are
not dominant and are joined by earthy qualities. Some mention mushrooms when thinking about pairing food with this
wine. It has the characteristics that
the French might refer to as terroir.
Enjoy this wine as an alternative to the big, fruity Pinot Noirs we also
produce. About 250 cases made.