Our 2005 Reserve Pinot is a deep, opulent ruby hue that is nearly opaque. This generous wine is truly the most substantial, intensely concentrated Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir to date. Vivid, complex aromas of dense dark bramble berry and violets are perfumed by hints of black tea and a touch of exotic spices. The firmly structured tannins elegantly support the tiers of ripe black plums, black cherry and cola and will allow this wine to age gracefully. The velvety, complex finish lingers on the palate.
“Quixotic weather small crop = small clusters tiny berries = fabulous wine!”
LIMITED PRODUCTION: 513 CASES PRODUCED.
92 Points - Wine Spectator
Spicy cola, raspberry, cranberry and savory herb and dried cherry fruit give this an intriguing range of complex flavors. Balanced, elegant and structured. Drink now through 2012.
90 Points - Connoisseurs' Guide
If cast in the same, slightly restrained model as its sibling, [2005 Fort Ross Pinot Noir] the Fort Ross Reserve [has] more richness and depth. It firms up at the finish … after its supple beginnings, but its precise, well-defined fruit sustains nicely and encourages three or four years of further patience. Very limited availability. Medium Red. Balanced, good depth, medium tannin. Beef and lamb. Drinkable now. Further bottle aging can improve this wine.
★★★★½ EXCELLENT - Restaurant Wine, Ronn Wiegand MW/MS
Burgundy-like, in the best sense: supple, complex in character, and long and persistent on the finish; very fine quality. It tastes of plum, orange peel, baked cherry, clove, and spicy oak. February 2009.
2005 Pinot Noir Reserve Fort Ross Vineyard Tech Sheet
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Our 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir is a deep, opulent ruby hue that is nearly opaque. This generous wine is truly the most substantial, intensely concentrated Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir to date. Vivid, complex aromas of dense dark bramble berry and violets are perfumed by hints of black tea and a touch of exotic spices. The firmly structured tannins elegantly support the tiers of ripe black plums, black cherry and cola and will allow this wine to age gracefully. The velvety, complex finish lingers on the palate.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes for this Pinot Noir were handpicked in the cool early morning hours in 5 gallon buckets. After hand sorting, the fruit was cold soaked for several days and fermented in a combination of 5 and 10 ton fermenters. The caps were punched down 1, 2 or 3 times per day, depending on the stage of the fermentation. The wines were then barreled in a combination of 40% new and 60% used French oak. Throughout the 11 months of barrel aging, the selections and different vineyard blocks were kept separate to maintain their distinct flavor profiles and structural components as blending elements. For our Reserve wine we selected the most distinctive barrels of Pinot Noir, focusing on our shyly yielding old field selections, and began the lengthy blending process by assessing if each additional barrel would elevate the ultimate Reserve Pinot Noir. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration and the final blend reflects the intense concentration and complexity found in these distinctive barrels and displays a seamless balance.
Other Notes
The challenging 2005 Vintage on the Sonoma Coast produced a very small yield but made wines of outstanding intensity. During an unusually warm February the buds swelled and produced leaves only to be subjected to harsh cold and rain. As we had not yet gone through bloom during this wintry weather, the early indications were for a bountiful crop within the norms of our very low vigor area. In June, just as the vines were in bloom and the berry set looked promising, there was un-seasonal rain that stopped many of the berries from developing, dramatically decreasing the crop. Like all the vineyards in the immediate area, our ultimate yield was about half a ton an acre but the wine produced was of exceptional quality, concentrated in flavor and color, thanks to the small clusters and diminutive berries that made it through the extended harvest, beginning in Mid-September and ending in October. This vintage can be summed up as: "Quixotic weather small crop = small clusters tiny berries = Fabulous wine!"
