Tasting Notes
Powerful modern reds with the ability to age. — Easy drinking red wines with bright fruit aromas and low tannins. The wines are often released without much aging in tank, oak barrels or bottle, and are meant to be drunk early.
Vineyard Notes
The Central Coast AVA in California covers the long stretch of coastline from San Francisco Bay south to Santa Barbara, and reaches inland from the Pacific Ocean to the borders of the Central Valley. . The cool climate in much of the Central Coast AVA is excellently suited to the Burgundy varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, despite the fact that the northernmost part of the region is a full 10 degrees closer to the equator than Burgundy (at latitude 47°N). The hotter, more inland areas of the Central Coast are also good for Zinfandel, which is planted in San Benito County and Paso Robles. Cabernet Sauvignon does well in the higher-altitude parts of the AVA, particularly in the Santa Cruz Mountains north of Monterey Bay.
Winemaking Notes
Pinot Noir Blend The dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, Pinot Noir is now adopted and adored in wine regions all over the world. The variety's elusive charm has carried it to all manner of vineyards around the world and as of 2016, it was the sixth most-planted grape variety. As a thin-skinned grape variety, Pinot Noir in very general terms has a moderate to high acidity, a low level of phenolic compounds, low to moderate levels of soft tannins and is paler in color than most other red wines. The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of red berries and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples). Many of the more complex examples show hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, suggest leather and violets, sometimes recalling Syrah.
