
The wine is more expressive of raspberry and cranberry than blackberry and plum – no less varietally honest, but a less typical signature for Carneros. The wine was made with the same approach as previous vintages, which involves one-third new Kádár barrels from Hungary, and their clove and spice notes are familiar as ever. In its youth this wine will show red fruits (aforementioned) braced by a woody effect that makes me wonder if it was produced using at least some whole cluster fermentation to impart flavor from the stems to balance and complement its fruit.
The wine also has a highly desired mineral layer in its flavor profile (think Burgundy). It has the structure to age for many years, though is very enjoyable now. 1,118 cases produced.
The Vineyard
Striving for balance and deliciousness, this wine was aged in Hungarian oak (not surprising, since the winery's founder, Nicholas Molnar, escaped to Napa Valley from Communist Hungary in the 1960’s, where he’d first learned about wine). I think this wine over-delivers for the price. It will appeal to those with a palate for more nuanced, layered wines that go well with food - the proverbial Burgundian palate, to choose a hackneyed descriptor.
This wine is light and elegant, and creates a fond memory out of any evening on which it is separated from its cork.
Cheers,
Tasting Notes
Much lighter in body and color than our pinots from the Central Coast. And the '06 vintage is even lighter than this vineyard normally yields. But who can resist the enticing rose petal aromas and tart pomegranate/ cranberry/ cherry flavors without any off-puttingly bitter tannins (Spell Checker just informed me that’s not a proper word but I’m using it anyway).
The Molnar Family planted Poseidon’s Vineyard in the early 1970s. Their talented winemaker - Michael Terrien (previously of Hanzell and Acacia – two stellar pinot producers) – has crafted their wines for a long time, and is a partner on the Molnar wines as well as the partnership's luxury-class label, “Kasmer & Blaise” (which sounds to me like the title of a song from a Pink Martini album!)
Dave the Wine Merchant
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