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Adventures on the Pinot Trail: World of Pinot Noir

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Adventures on the Pinot Trail: World of Pinot Noir If you drink no Noir, you Pinot Noir Volume 9, Issue 39 March 31, 2014 Adventures on the Pinot Trail: AdventuresWorld of Pinot on Noir the - The Pinot Seminars Trail: World of Pinot Noir - The Seminars On February 27, 2014, I hit the Pinot Trail to attend four major events in California. Like the song, “Sugartime,” Wayfarerfrom Pinot the 1950sNoir was sung the by themost McGuire exciting Sisters, find itat was this “Sugar year’s (Pino Worldt) in theof Pinotmorning, Noir. Sugar This (Pinot) new label in the from evening, Jayson and Sugar (Pinot) at suppertime. Be my little sugar, And love me (Pinot) all the time.” The trail first led me to Santa Celia PahlmeyerBarbara for features the 14th estateAnnual grownWorld ofWayfarer Pinot Noir, Vineyard then to SanSonoma Francisco Coast for Pinot three Noirmore and memorable Chardonnay. events: The a Wayfarer Vineyardspecial is 30 retrospective acres of Goldridge tasting of thesoil wines hidden of Ted among Lemon the titled redwoods “30 Years twoof Winemaking, coastal ridges 20 years from of theLittorai,” Pacific at Ocean. Jardiniere restaurant on March 2, Affairs of the Vine Pinot Noir Summit at The Golden Gate Club on March 9, Formerlyand a thefamily In Pursuitowned of organic Balance farm seminars known and as tasting ‘Wayfarer,’ at Bluxome and just Street down Winery the mountain on March road10. from Marcassin Vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, Helen Turley declared it destined to be “the La Tache of California.” Considerable I will give a full report on each stop along the Pinot Trail in this issue and those to follow, highlighting some of effortfrom Marcassinwasthe specialneeded Vineyardwines to transform I tasted. in the Some theFort property haveRoss-Seaview accused in the me remote AVA, of being Helen Sonoma a Pi notTurley pimpCoast declared and wilderness rightfully it destined so. into One a toworld-classof bemy “thereaders La vineyard. Tache told me when I asked him what he had been drinking, “As far as what I am drinking, it’s Pinot you bastard, and Viticulturistof California.” David Considerable Abreu divided effort the wassite neededinto 30 one-acreto transform blocks, the propertyeach dedicated in the remote to a single Sonoma clone Coast determined to wildernessit’s your into damn a world-class fault. Now Ivineyard. empty my Viticulturistbank account David at wineries Abreu nobody divided has the ever site heard into of, 30 on one-acre wines nobody blocks, has each dedicatedbe the everbest todrank match a single except for clonethe you, block: youdetermined pr**k. 16 clones You to have be in all.theruined bestThe me....and Wayfarermatch Ifor love fruit the it.” was block: blended 16 clones into Pahlmeyer’sin all. The Wayfarer Sonoma fruitCoast wineswas blended beginningThe World into inof Pahlmeyer’s 2005.Pinot Noir I visited successfully Sonoma the vineyard relocated Coast in wines2004 this year withbeginning from then its Pahlmeyer long-standing in 2005. winemakerI visited home inthe Shell Erin vineyard GreenBeach to(seein the2004 The with PinotFile, then PahlmeyerBacara winemaker Resort & Spa Erin in GreenSanta Barbara. (see The The PinotFile switch was, Volume an easy 3, choice Issue because 24). The of winesthe many are participating vinified now by talentedVolumewineries 3, winemaker Issue in 24).the Sta. BibianaThe Rita wines Hills,González are Santa vinified MariaRave nowValley who by wasand talented thetrained city ofwinemaker in Santa viticulture Barbara. Bibiana and This winemakingGonzález was an impressiveRave in thewho vineyards was trained of in viticultureFrance.upgrade Iand have winemakingin been venue impressed that inwas the thoroughly vineyards with her welcomed talentof France. and by drive allI have attendees since been our despiteimpressed first themeeting onslaught with herat the talentof rain World andthroughout ofdrive Pinot since the Noir our when first I interviewedweekend. her Gone for Grape were the Radio. crowded The tents scheduled at The Cliffs inaugural Resort in releases Shell Beach, will bereplaced in the by fall a magnificentof 2014. My advice is to meeting at the World of Pinot Noir when I interviewed her for Grape Radio. The scheduled inaugural releases will be get on ballroomthe mailing that listnot onlynow provided while you plenty can of at space www.wayfarervineyard.com to comfortably visit and chat. with the many producers, but lent in the fallan ofair 2014.of hi-collared My advice ambiance is to that get wason themore mailing fitting forlist thenow re galwhile majesty you can of Pinot at www.wayfarervineyard.com. Noir. For me, this was the BEST World of Pinot Noir experience ever! 2012 Wayfarer Estate Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 5-7% whole cluster. 2012 Wayfarer Estate Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 5-7% whole cluster. 2012 Wayfarer Golden Mean Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 25% whole cluster. 2012 Wayfarer Golden Mean Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 25% whole cluster. 2012 Wayfarer The Traveler SonomaSonoma CoastCoast PinotPinot NoirNoir 32%32% whole whole cluster. cluster. A A DRC DRC suitcase suitcase selection. selection. The wines are still a bit tight and thus won’t be released until fall. That said, these were the best Pinot Noirs I tastedThe wines at the are World still a bitof tightPinot and Noir. thus I waswon’t so be enraptured released until that fall. I failed That tosaid, write these any were tasting the notes best Pinot except Noirs “a fiestaI tasted in at the Worldmouth: of WOW!” Pinot Noir. I was so enraptured that I failed to write any tasting notes except “a fiesta in the mouth: WOW!” Very Good (86-89) 2012 Alma Rosa Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir $35, screwcap. Very approachable, ideal dinner wine. 2011 Babcock Winery Appellation’s Edge Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir $60 (sold out). Sourced from Radian Vineyard Blocks 32 (Pommard) and 33 (Dijon 115). Grown at the extreme western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. 2011 Baxter Winery Valenti Vineyard Mendocino Ridge Pinot Noir 12.5% alc., $45. Fermented with 30% whole cluster using native yeast. Aged in all neutral French oak barrels for 20 months and then aged 12 months in bottle. 2012 Bruliam Wines Gap’s Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Dijon clones 777 and 115. 100% de-stemmed. Aged 10 months in 40% new French oak barrels. 2012 Cebada Vineyard Estate Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir $42. Part of Forbidden Fruit Orchards, a boutique farm and winery located between Buellton and Lompoc, just west of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Clones 2A, 115, Calera and Pommard 4. Aged in about one-third new and two-thirds neutral French oak barrels. 2012 Charles Heintz Vineyards Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 200 cases, $48. 19.
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