$30. The price point at which California and Oregon Pinot Noir buyers can generally expect to find the most accelerated shift upward in quality—the transition point from the minor league to the big league. So it’s a small victory when you come across a $20 Pinot Noir that truly drinks above its price point and manages to jump that theoretical mark.
[Siduri has been a pioneer of high-end, single vineyard Pinot Noir, releasing as many 20 different ultra-premium Pinots in a given vintage.]
Tasting Notes:
Energetic, exaggerated Pinot Noir aromas—initial nose reminds me of a Joseph Carr, Larson Family Vineyards Point Noir also from Sonoma. Prominently herbaceous, strong strawberry rhubarb, sweet cherry red fruit, and sandalwood. Incredibly weighty in the nose—dense, water vapor-like aromas of a heavy mist or fog. A fog machine, perhaps. Very enticing.
Cocoa powder and ash join on the palate. I am reminded of the creosote buildup I used to clean off the glass of our wood-burning stove in Vermont. I recall the smell and taste it while I scraped. Most likely unhealthy, but not unpleasant, like pine resin and campfire ash—a bit acrid though. In the wine it just serves to produce a nice earthy edge and a good memory.
Hefty attack and midpalate followed by a clean, lean finish. A medley of caramelized cherries, apples and strawberries. Dank, musty, woodsy and delicious—a touch Oregonian. Quite a score.
[The '06 Sonoma is one of the few Siduri Pinots sourced from multiple vineyard sites: 33% Saphire Hill, 25% Van der Kamp, 23% Lewis, 13% Amber Ridge, and 6% Keefer Ranch.]
Enjoy!
-Rob.
ouuu love us some Pinot…. yeeeahhh Sonoma, in our hood!