PINOTREPORT for People Passionate About Western Pinot Noir
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PINOTREPORT for people passionate about western pinot noir ISSUE NO. 76 www.pinotreport.com RELEASE DATE: 1/15/12 INSIDE 2010s starting to arrive… IN THE MARKET HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL! We’ve enjoyed a run of Great Pinots to buy, drink amazing sunny weather here in Sonoma for December and now or add to your cellar. now the beginning of January—just spectacular weather. No MAKE ROOM in your measurable rain since November. I am usually the one loving cellar for these: the rain about now, but how can you not love sunny and 65 • Sojourn Sonoma Coast .4 in January? • Longoria Fe Ciega........6 We are starting to see the 2010 Pinots hitting the market (there are some SMART BUYS to drink significant wines in this issue) so it’s a good time to talk briefly about what you can right now: expect from the wines from that vintage. • Pali Riviera...................4 I have tasted a significant number of 2010 California Pinots both in barrel and • Fat Monk Central Coast.6 now in bottle as they come to me for review. The best of the 2010s I’ve seen display very nice depth and structure like their predecessors in 2009. They are CONTACT INFO for wines in this issue ............... 10 more opulent and forward in both aromas and flavor profile. This seems to fit with the pattern I’ve seen over the past decade: even numbered years (’04, ‘06, ’08, ’10) are more forward, fruitier, opulent and earlier drinking while the odd numbered years (’05, PinotReport on Twitter: ’07, ‘09) are more angular with better structure and longer ageability. Search: @PinotReport PinotReport on Facebook: Quantity will be an issue for some producers (the same will hold with 2011) as the Search: PinotReport vintage resulted in greatly reduced yields due sometimes extreme fruit selection. Most winemakers I have spoken with are frustrated with the smaller quanities of wine and yet have been pleasantly surprised with the quality. I have not tasted any 2010 Oregon Pinots yet but I can tell you that the best will be some of the best wines produced yet in Oregon. The vintage there was very long and slow to develop. September brought rain and then October hit and the sun came out. Long hang time, beautiful ripening. This issue features some terrific new releases from a wide range of producers including Black Kite, Carr Vineyard, Couloir, Denison Cellars, Fat Monk, Freestone, Fulcrum, Ghost Hill, Longoria, Nuggucciet, Pali Wine Co., Ryan Cellars, Sequana, Sojourn Cellars and Sonria. WINNER Please also see details on my latest PinotReport Wine Cruise on pages 2 and 3. James Beard Award For Newsletter Writing On Food, As always, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy this latest issue. Beverage, Restaurants and Nutrition -- Gregory S. Walter, editor and publisher PinotReport / Issue #76 1 Email: [email protected] “Passion for Pinot” Cruise Join Greg Walter, Writer & Editor of PinotReport th Featuring the 10 Anniversary of his Pinot Passion Awards Uniworld River Cruise – Burgundy & Provence, France August 19 – 29, 2012 Participation is limited - Book before it is Sold Out!! - $150 Savings When Booked by Jan. 30, 2012 Discovering Pinot Noir on the Rhone River Uniworld is one of the leading European River Cruise Companies and their River Royale will host only 132 fortunate guests on this “Passion for Pinot” wine experience. Greg Walter, writer and editor of the PinotReport newsletter, will be your host as he th reveals the winners of his 10 Annual Pinot Passion Awards onboard. You will be among the first to hear the winners and you will enjoy great wines from those same wineries onboard! • Additional $150 Savings (Book by • FREE Shore Excursions 1/30/12) • FREE Beverages, Including Soda, • $50 Ship Board Credit Wine, and Beer During Dinner • Exclusive Wine Experience • Signature Lecture: “Vincent van Gogh’s • Over 50 Pinot Noirs Troubled Destiny” • 7 Dinners with Featured Pinots • All Transfers • 6 Wine Tasting Events • Two Optional Wine Shore Excursions • Announcing Pinot Passion Awards • Cruise Fares from $3,697 • River Royale was named one of the world's "Top Small Cruise Ships" 3 Night Passion of Burgundy Post-Tour - $2,999pp Book Burgundy + Cruise – Save $400pp off! Passion of Burgundy August 15-19, 2012 Your trip includes: Join Greg Walter on this ultimate Burgundy • 3 Nights Hotel Accommodations in Beaune, wine tour. Spend five days before your cruise France exploring the roads less traveled in this • Visit 6 Burgundy Wineries with Tastings exceptional wine region. This is a guided tour • 3 Dinners with Wine of Burgundy by one of the leading Pinot Noir • 3 Wine Lunches experts in the United States. This will be an • Beaune City Tour intimate group emphasizing wine education. • Private Motor Coach PinotReport / Issue #76 2 Email: [email protected] “Passion for Pinot” Cruise Greg Walter Writer and Editor, PinotReport I’d like to invite you to join me for a truly memorable experience— my PinotReport Wine Cruise celebrating the 10th Anniversary Pinot Passion Awards. We'll be taking a seven-day river cruise on the Rhone River and an additional four-day visit to the beautiful Burgundy wine region—the home of Pinot Noir. All along the way, you will be treated to some of the most incredible Pinot Noirs California and Oregon have to offer—which are the winners of my Pinot Passion Awards and you will be the first to learn about--and taste--those winners! I will be your guide as we explore some beautiful wine country off the ship and as we explore the Pinot Passion Award winning wines through a series of wine tastings, seminars and dinners over our week together. I’m thrilled to be working with the professionals at Expedia CruiseShipCenters. It will be a week to remember! Wine Experience Itinerary Burgundy Post-Tour and River Wine Cruise Special Cruise Fares Day Port of Call Arrive Depart Passion of Burgundy Post‐Trip is $2,999pp Depart Arles, France Sun Aug 19 Welcome Aboard Party & Group Dinner “Passion for Pinot” River Cruise Category 3 ‐ $3,697pp Wine Tasting & Group Dinner Mon Aug 20 Arles, France “Passion for Pinot” River Cruise Category 2 ‐ $4,192pp “Passion for Pinot” River Cruise Category 1 ‐ $4,692pp Group Dinner - Avignon, France Tues Aug 21 Wine Tasting & Group Dinner $400pp Savings for Booking Both Cruise and Post‐Trip Wed Aug 22 Viviers, Avignon Wine Tasting & Group Dinner Thur Aug 23 Tournon, Tain l’Hermitage, France Call the Expedia Wine Cruise Experts Wine Tasting & Group Dinner Fri Aug 24 Lyon, France 800-258-8880 Wine Tasting & Group Dinner [email protected] Sat Aug 25 Chalon sur Saone (Beaune), France Fares shown are per guest quoted in U.S. dollars based on double occupancy and Sun Aug 26 Disembark AM available on new bookings only. Fares, offers, itineraries and programs are capacity controlled, subject to availability, and may be modified or withdrawn at any time Depart River Royale, Two wineries, Wine Lunch and Wine Sun Aug 26 without notice. Minimum of 36 guests required or the wine cruise may be cancelled Dinner and a minimum of 20 guests required for the Burgundy pre-cruise trip or it may be Beaune City Tour, Wine Lunch, Two Wineries, Wine cancelled. Wineries, wine educators, and specific wines for the wine cruise may Mon Aug 27 Dinner change before the time of sailing. Other restrictions may apply. For full terms and conditions contact Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, North Bay. Non-refundable deposit Tues Aug 28 Two Wineries, Wine Lunch, Farewell Wine Dinner of $200 for Cruise and a refundable (until final payment) deposit of $250 for the Cruise Wine Experience and $600 for the Burgundy pre-tour required at time of booking. Second deposit of $1,000 required by 2/1/12 and final payment required by Wed Aug 29 High Speed Train to Paris Airport 5/1/12. CST#2101270-50 PinotReport / Issue #76 3 Email: [email protected] IN THE MARKET: Recent Pinot Noir Reviews This Issue’s Tasting Notes Black Kite Cellars Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Kite's Rest 2009 All wines were tasted blind and scored before knowing anything other than that the general region they were from. My Medium-deep ruby color; complex cherry and berry aromas notes and comments follow. with cinnamon and toasty notes; deep, rich, cherry flavors with some earthy and cinnamon notes, silky texture with toasty oak notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Complex and Black Kite Cellars big Pinot with a lot of deep flavors; really needs two hours in the glass to show its stuff. Black Kite Cellars is truly a family venture—three generations of the Green family are involved in the winery's day to day 1,000 cases made $42 Score: 93 operations. Donald and Maureen Green moved to Sonoma County in 1987. Donald had founded three Black Kite Cellars telecommunications companies in the North Bay and was an Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Stony Terrace Block 2009 avid ornithologist; Maureen a dedicated animal lover. They wanted to be a part of the agricultural lifestyle of the area. Deep ruby color; dense, deep dark cherry and plum aromas with toasty cinnamon notes; rich and full concentrated cherry They purchased the 40-acre parcel in the Anderson Valley that would become the Black Kite Vineyard in 1995. The land is in flavors with lots of earthy, spicy notes; some tannin and toasty the "Deep End" area of the valley along the Navarro River oak; good structure and balance; long finish. Deep, dark, dense near the town of Philo and had a long-exhausted Pinot; once it opens up it's a perfect pairing for beef shortribs Gewurztraminer vineyard in the lower blocks down by the or a grilled steak.