Pinot Noir

This is a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  It is 50% from 2013, and 50% from 2014 and 2015.  It was disgorged on 12/2017.  Silvery gold in color.  The nose is interesting with toast, pear, slight dried floral notes but also this interesting chocolate quality.  It took some time to open on the palate and continued to improve all evening.  Notes of pears with good acidity.  A slightly oily texture.  A bit clipped initially on the finish, that worked itself out with air.  This needs some time to develop.  It certainly should improve with a couple of years of good cellaring.  Then, it

Golden in color, slightly copper.  On the nose this has a bit of toast, slight ginger, and a bit of straw/yeast.  On the palate, there is some citrus.  Some strawberries.  Just a touch of residual sugar.  This seems to be showing some age and probably should be consumed in the next couple of years.  It will work well with medium or lighter foods, especially sea foods.  

Great label with lots of info.  The base wine for this NV wine is 2013.  it is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay.  This bottle was disgorged on 04/2018.  It is also a really good wine.  Medium gold in color.  The nose has apples, honey, and slight ginger and minerals.  On the palate, this has a nice backbone of acidity.  Tart apple fruit.  Lots of depth and complexity.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should for at least the next five to seven years.  It will work with just about any food.  

This is an interesting blend.  It is 67% Flora, 19% Chardonnay, and 14% Pinot Noir.  Flora is a crossing of Semillon and Gewürztraminer that was created in 1938 by Harold P. Olmo at the California Agricultural Experiment Station.  Light golden in color.  The nose has seltzer, slight marzipan and peach.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Apples and apricots.  Turns sweeter on the finish.  This is enjoyable on it own but would work with a not too sweet peach/apricot dessert.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This wine (or at least this bottle) seems to be a bit better than a prior bottle which is saying a lot.  It mostly the difficult 2011 vintage but includes almost two hundred different wines going back to the 1995 vintage.   Forty-two percent of the cuvée is made up of Reserve wines.  The final blend is 47 % Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier.

Peter Rosback will occasionally pull a barrel that is at a higher level and bottle it as a Reserve.  Such is the case with this bottle.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is great with sour cherries, black cherries, baking spices and slight cedar.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Lush, yet with plenty of vibrancy.  Juicy sour cherry fruit over some earthiness with a bit of char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This should continue to improve for five to seven years and be good for a decade or two after that.  It will work well with fowl or heartier sea food dishes.  

This is a blend of grapes from Steiner Ranch, Devoto Vineyard, Walker Vine Hill and Perli Vineyard.  It is middle of the road on a California Pinot Noir scale.  Ruby in color with some purple swirls.  On the nose, this has nice cherries with some raspberries along with some nutmeg.  Medium to full bodied.  Nice texture.  The raspberries are more prevalent on the nose and even some boysenberries.  A bit of tea leaves underneath.  Good finish.  An interesting Pinot with some level of complexity.  It probably won't get better but should last another ten to fifteen years at it mature and trades

Pop and pour, this is still youthful and needs a bit of air.  Deep ruby with some ruby swirls.  The nose has cherries, strawberries, spice and a slight char to it.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Nice cherry fruit with just a hint of candied cherries over a mineral/earthiness.  Light tannins.  This is young and will continue to mature.  It drinks grat on its own now but another few years and it might still improve.  Either way, it has at least ten to fifteen more years at the top.  This will work well with roasted fowl, pasta or casseroles.  

Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has rhubarb and slight cranberries with a touch of asparagus.  On the palate, this has cranberries.  Not much depth.  Biting acidity.  A thankfully short finish.  Not sure where this goes from here.  I tried a few different bottles but poured out all my glasses and switched to beer.  

This comes in 1.5L bottles.  It is a Sparkling Brut Rose.  Very pale pink in color.  A light mousse with smaller bubbles.  The nose has a cherry red pop quality to it although much lighter along with a bit of fresh baked bread.  On the palate, this has decent acidity.  Light cherries with some Fuji apples.  Moderate acidity.  Medium finish.  This drinks easy and will work better with food. A nice touch for hors d'oeuvres especially if salty.  Drink now.