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WINE PICKS : PINOT NOIR
By Thom Elkjer
wine editor
TIP: Pinot Noir is a light to medium bodied wine. The color ranges from a light red ot a mediumdark red color.
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57°F / 14 °C
Ideal serving temperature
for Pinot Noir. |
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AUGUST BRIGGS NAPA VALLEY
Dijon Clones 2002 ($35): a big, full Pinot with lots of black cherry fruit and spicy, vanilla aromas and flavors, some toasty oak and tannin, good structure and balance.
The grapes for this Pinot come from the Green Island Road Vineyard, planted close to the San Pablo Bay in the cool and breezy border between the southern end of the Napa Valley and the eastern reaches of the Carneros region. Winemaker August “Joe” Briggs strives for balance and the right amount of extract from his Pinot Noir. |
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CASTLE ROCK
Napa Valley 2002 ($11): medium bodied, and full flavored, this Pinot has lots of blackberry, cinnamon and spice aromas and flavors, with a generous dose of vanilla and oak, as well as a velvety texture in the mouth.
This is one of the most affordable and best tasting Pinots you’ll find in the market today. Castle Rock owner Greg Popovich and consulting winemaker August Briggs are committed to making the highest quality wines at affordable prices. This Pinot definitely fits into that mission statement. |
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EL MOLINO
Napa Valley 2001 ($51): medium-deep ruby color; spicy
with berry and cherry notes on the nose; full and rich on the palate with
lots of stewed cherry and spicy notes; great depth of flavor, a good dose
of oak to add complexity, great structure and balance with a long finish.
This is consistently probably the best Pinot Noir produced in the Napa Valley each year. El Molino Winery was founded in 1871 and closed due to Prohibition in 1921. After a sixty-year hiatus, El Molino was restored in 1981 and vintner Reginald Oliver has been making small quantities of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from his estate vineyard in Rutherford since 1986.
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GOOSECROSS
Napa Valley 2003 ($34): bright ruby color; floral, raspberry and cherry aromas with those fruit flavors carrying over to the palate along with some cinnamon and vanilla notes, toasty, sweet oak and a lingering finish.
Pinot Noir is a new wine for Goosecross Cellars, the Yountville winery known primarily for its estate Chardonnay and Aeros red wines. Winemaker Geoff Gorsuch’s commitment to quality starts in the vineyard with sustainable farming practices and carries through to the winery resulting in wines that reflect their terroir as well as varietal character. |
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HENDRY
Napa Valley 2002 ($27): medium-deep ruby color; sweet red cherry and strawberry and a hint of dried fruit on the nose; bright cherry flavors, some spicy oak notes with dried fruit notes, silky texture and a touch of bitterness towards the lingering finish.
Hendry’s estate Pinot Noir vineyards are located along Redwood Creek, west of the town of Napa. The vineyard was planted between 1993 and 1995. Hendry’s Pinots are consistently high quality and good values, reflecting the attention to detail and careful vineyard management the Hendry family has built its reputation on. |
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KULETO
Napa Valley 2002 ($40): medium-deep ruby purple color; spicy savory spices, clove, orange peel, cherry and sweet oak on nose; rich, full, lots of savory spices and a bit of clove, sweet oak, caramel; good structure, well balanced and a long finish.
Restaurateur Pat Kuleto defied conventional wisdom when he planted his estate Pinot Noir vineyard between 1,000 and 1,200 feet in elevation in the Sage Canyon hills east of Rutherford in the Napa Valley. This Pinot certainly proves that he has found a distinctive site for Pinot Noir in the Napa Valley. |
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LEWIS CELLARS
Napa Valley 2002 ($47): deep and dark in color; lots of spice, cola, tea and blackberry fruit aromas; these flavors carry over to the mouth with sweet oak, moderate tannins and a long finish.
The Lewis Family has found another micro-site in the Napa Valley for this Pinot Noir — a three-acre vineyard just below the summit of Oakville Grade. Lewis Cellars is a small family winery established in 1992 by Debbie and Randy Lewis, producing small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah. |
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ROBERT MONDAVI
Napa Valley 2002 ($19): medium ruby color; cherry, dried fruit and floral aromas; cola, spice and cherry flavors on the palate with some sweet oak and tannin; lingering finish.
The Robert Mondavi Winery has several Pinot Noirs in their line ranging from broad California appellation Pinots to Reserve and vineyard-designated wines. This Napa Valley bottling is one of the most widely available and is a good representation of the winery’s Pinot Noir philosophy. |
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Casual and good, MUSTARD'S GRILL in Yountville, has been defining fine
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