Tag: pinot noir

Goldeneye 2016 Gowan Vineyard Pinot Noir

According to the winery, Goldeneye’s Gowen Creek Vineyard, located in the “heart” of the Anderson Valley, showcases mixed terroir, featuring elements from the valley’s warmer regions and its cooler, Northern “deep end.” The Southwestern exposure allows for a wide array of vineyard blocks planted with specific clones of Pinot Noir ideal to each site and soil type.

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Goldeneye 2016 The Narrow Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Narrows Vineyard is located on a narrow ridgetop at the northernmost tip of Anderson Valley, located along the Mendocino Coast in northern California. As such, vines are influenced by its proximity to the ocean, producing summer fog and cooler daytime temperatures. It’s the perfect location for a vineyard planted completely to Pinot Noir grapes…

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Kendric Vineyards 2016 Pinot Noir

I was so glad when a friend gifted me this wine. Mostly because I’ve previously reviewed this little-known winemaker and think he’s one of northern California wine country’s best kept secrets. Managing his own 8.5 acre vineyard site in Marin County, winemaker Stewart Johnson can now proudly claim the Petaluma Gap AVA on his bottles, since it became California’s newest AVA about 6 months ago. All of that put together, I was eager to “catch up” with Stew via his wine…

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Panther Creek Cellars 2015 Kalita Vineyard Pinot Noir

I came across Panther Creek when working on an article about their new Woodinville, Washington tasting room. Indeed, the Oregon-based winery with their Willamette fruit felt the need to spread the Pinot love to the cool kids in Washington who, basically, have none. Unable to visit Oregon or Washington at the moment, the Panther Creek team was kind enough to send me a few samples. Last week I featured their estate Pinot Gris — a beautiful example of how the grape variety is making major headway in the Pacific Northwest. But let’s face it, when making, tasting, or talking wine from the Willamette, it’s all about the Pinot Noir.

You can read my full article, Oregon Wine, Washington Tasting Room: Panther Creek boosts business, bringing Willamette Valley Wine to Woodinville, Wash.

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J. Cage Cellars 2016 Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir

After experiencing the van der Kamp Pinot Noir I was excited to try J. Cage’s expression of the same varietal from a different vineyard. In conversing with proprietor Roger Beery, he said, “Single vineyards should be the lead singer..not the winemaker.” True, very true. A good winemaker lets the vineyard tell the story. And it’s amazing tasting the two so close together how one can taste, not a winemaking style, but the disparate style of two different pieces of Sonoma. “Let these outstanding vineyards and winegrowers have a voice,” Beery said. And so they do.

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