93 POINTS - Pinot Report, 1/15/07
Medium ruby color; earthy, gamey, smoked meat aromas; rich, ripe black cherry, big, full, lots of earthy, gamy notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Earthy, gamey and smoked meat notes really add complexity to this Pinot.
Hellenthal Vineyard has existed as long as there has been a Sonoma Coast Appellation. Gard Hellenthal has put in some of the most prestigious vineyards in his neighborhood, including Hirsch and Flowers as well as his own. Located on the second ridge in from the Pacific Ocean, Gard is a pioneer of what we call the “true” Sonoma Coast.
Tasting notes:
Bright, almost translucent red. Aromas are of red berries and cream, with sweet dark floral and creamy tones wafting from the glass. The red berry theme continues in the glass with an evolution of strawberries, raspberries and hibiscus as the wine airs. The palate leans towards baking spice on the entry, with red fruits leading into black cherry on the mid-palate and finishing with sweet Mexican chocolate. Tannin-acid balance throughout has a sexy, silky quality with great potential for amorous food pairings.
Technical Data:
• Harvest: 2004 was a warm year on the Coast, with harvest about five weeks earlier than the average. Picking was concluded early in the mornings with an average fruit temperature of 50ºF. Yield represented 1.4 tons per acre.
• Fermentation: Eight days of cold-soak were followed by an additional six days of wild yeast fermentation. The must was pressed off at 1.5o Brix and sent to barrel immediately with no settling.
• Barrel aging: 40% new oak, primarily from the Bertranges and Allier forests of France using Remond and François Freres coopers. Aging in barrel was completed after 14 months.
• Bottling: 198 cases were bottled in December 2005.
o pH: 3.51
o TA: 6.32 g/L
o 14.4% alcohol
o Residual sugar: 0.1%
o Appellation: Sonoma Coast
Other products in the category Library Wines:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||