We tasted tonight (8/30/17) Some Non-Burgundy Burgundies:
0. WindGap Chard SonomaCoast (12 brls/276 cs; 13.7%; #3212) 2010: Med.gold color; rather quiet/low-key appley/
Chard/slight lemony/melony light earthy bit simple nose; rather tart/tangy/grapefruity/lemony light appley/
green apple/Chard slight earthy rather lean/eviscerated flavor; med.short very tart/lemony light green apple/
Chard/melony slight earthy finish w/ a rather pencilly/oak/tobaccoy that wells up in the backtaste; a quiet/
low-key rather lean/eviscerated expression of Chard.
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1. WindGap Chard WoodruffVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (#264; 3 brls/75 cs; 13 1/4%) PaxMahleWines/Forestville 2010:
Med.gold color; light/subtle riper/melong/Chard/lightly spicy attractive nose; somewhat tart green apple/
melony/Chard rather quiet/subtle flavor; med.short appley/melony/Chard fairly tart finish; a bit bigger/
richer but a simple/quiet/subtle expression of Chard. $40.00
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2. WindGap Chard BrosseauVnyd/Chalone (#1151; 14.1%; 4 brls/100 cs; www.WindGapWines.com) 2010: Med.gold color;
strong ripe/melony/Chard/spicy some pencilly/oak/nutmeg some complex lovely nose; lightly tart quite spicy
ripe/melony/Chard/bit green apple light pencilly/oak flavor; very long/lingering quite spicy ripe/melony/
Chard slight earthy some pencilly/oak finish; quite a lovely bit Burgundian Chard. $40.00
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3. Boheme Chard TaylorRidgeVnyd/SonomaCoast (10'th Anniv; Hrvstd: Sept.23-24; Y=3.1 tons/acre; 214 cs; EG;
14.1%; www.BohemeWines.com) KurtBeitler/Forestville 2014: Med.gold color; strong ripe/melony/Chard/spicy
some pencilly/oak bit complex lovely nose; lightly tart quite spicy ripe/melony/Chard/bit green apple light
pencilly/oak lovely flavor; very long/lingering very spicy/nutmeg ripe/melony/Chard/bit lemony slight
earthy finish; quite a lovely somewhat Burgundian Chard; my favorite of the Chards. $38.25
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4. Boheme Chard EnglishHillVnyd/SonomaCoast (10'th Anniv; Hrvstd: Sept.22; WenteSlctn; Y=1.74 tons/acre; 192 cs;
EG; 14.3%) 2014: Med.dark gold color; more subtle/restrained ripe/melony/Chard light pencilly/oak bit spicy
more ripe nose; bit softer ripe/melony/Chard light pencilly/oak flavor; very long ripe/melony/Chard light
pencilly/oak finish; a bit bigger/richer not as spicy or interesting. $38.25
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5. Castelli PinotNoir Estate/GreenVlly of RRV/SonomaCnty (DryFarmed; 14.2%) 2011: Med.color; rather earthy/
dusty/bit herbal/thyme light black cherry/PN very light toasty/oak rather interesting nose; rather tart/bit
lean some black cherry/PN bit herbal/thyme very light toasty/oak bit earthy/dusty flavor w/ light bitey
tannins; very long light PN/black cherry bit herbal/thyme/vegetal light toasty/oak finish w/ light bitey
tannins; rather interesting PN that reminds some of a Val d'Aosta PN. $30.00
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6. Castelli PinotNoir TwoDogVnyd/RRV/SonomaCnty (DryFarmed; 14.4%) 2010: Med.dark color; much stronger/riper
black cherry/PN/black cherry cola light earthy very perfumed/fragrant lovely nose; bit earthy/dusty light
toasty/oak strong black cherry/PN/black cherry cola/spicy flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long strong
black cherry/cola/PN/very spicy light toasty/oak slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; more
classic RRV PN w/ a bit of Burgundian overtones; quite attractive PN at a great price. $24.00
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7. Cave des Onze Communes PinotNoir Dd'OC: Vallee d'Aoste (13%; L24-01-2015; VitisImprts;
www.caveonzecommunes.it) 2014: Med.light color; rather earthy/dusty some herbal/rosemary bit cherry/PN/
spicy fairly classiv alpine PN bit complex nose; quite tart/lean/austere rather earthy/dusty bit herbal/
rosemary/thyme slight cherry/PN flavor w/ light hard tannins; med.long very tart/lean/austere light
cherry/PN rather earthy/dusty/loamy finish w/ light hard tannins; a rather classic alpine PN bit rustic.
$23.00 (WE)
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8. Boheme PinotNoir StullerVnyd/SonomaCoast (10'th Anniv; Hrvstd: Sept.10-14; Y=1.53 tons/acre; EG; 13.9%;
263 cs) 2014: Med.color; some toasty/smokey/pencilly/oak deep black cherry/black cherry cola/PN quite
fragrant/attractive nose; lightly tart/tangy some toasty/smokey/oak strong black cherry/PN/cola bit earthy/
dusty flavor w/ light slightly bitey tannins; very long/lingering strong black cherry/cola/PN/some spicy fairly
toasty/smokey/oak bit earthy/dusty finish w/ light tannins; a bit more earthy/rustic than the other two Pinots.
$44.25
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9. Boheme PinotNoir TaylorRidgeVnyd/SonomaCoast (10'th Anniv; Hrvstd: Sept.16; SwanSlctn; Y=1.69 tons/acre;
EG; 14.3%; 308 cs) 2014: Med.light color; strong black cherry/PN/spicy/black cherry cola/cherry some pencilly/
toasty/oak light earthy rather perfumed/aromatic nose; lightly tart bright/cherry/black cherry/PN light pencilly/
toasty/oak slight earthy/dusty quite perfumed flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering bright/cherry/
black cherry/cola/PN some pencilly/toasty/oak slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; a brighter
more perfumed Pinot of these three. $45.75
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10. Boheme PinotNoir EnglishHillVnyd/SonomaCoast (10'th Anniv; Hrvstd: Sept.2-6; Y=3.3 tons/acre; Dijon 115/667 +
Vosne-Romanee + Calera clones; EG; 446 cs; 14.1%) 2014: Med.color; deeper more spicy very aromatic very black
cherry/black cherry cola slight earthy strong pencilly/toasty/oak lovely perfumed nose; fairly tart very spicy
balanced/elegant strong black cherry/cola/PN some toasty/pencilly/oak bit Burgundian flavor w/ light smooth
tannins; very long/lingering quite aromatic cherry/black cherry/PN/cola slight earthy some pencilly/toasty/oak
slight Brugundian elegant/balanced/smooth bit complex finish w/ light smooth/silky tannins; an absolutely lovely
bit Burgundian elegant PN. $41.25
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11. OjaiVnyd PinotNoir LaCoteVnyd/SantaRitaHills (12.0%) OakView 2013: Light color; some toasty/oak slight
musty/fusty light black cherry cola/PN slight spicy nose; very tart/lean elegant bright cherry/PN slight
dusty flavor w/ light tannins; med.short rather tart/lean slight funky/musty (not TCA) bright cherry/PN/
earthy some toasty/charred/oak finish w/ light tannins; rather tart/lean & a bit on the funky side. $40.00
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12. OjaiVnyd PinotNoir Puerta del Mar/SBC (13.5%; Planted just West of SRH; 199 cs) 2011: Dark color; lovely
black cherry/PN/black cherry cola some toasty/oak bit earthy/dusty some complex nose; lightly tart strong
black cherry/cola/PN/fairly spicy light toasty/smokey/oak fairly rich/lush quite interesting PN flavor w/
light smooth tannins; very long/lingering strong black cherry/cola/PN/spicy light earthy strong smokey/toasty/
oak finish w/ light smooth tannins; quite a lovely balanced/svelte gentle PN. $39.25
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13. WindGap PinotNoir SonomaCoast/SonomaCnty (31 brls + 6 puncheons/1077 cs; #12690) Sebastapol 2013: Med.dark
color; rather toasty/pencilly/oak some earthy/dusty/herbal light cherry/black cherry/PN rather spicy
interesting nose; lightly tart light cherry/PN/black cherry light toasty/pencilly/oak bit earthy flavor w/
light smooth tannins; very long light pencilly/oak some cherry/PN/black cherry bit earthy/dusty finish w/
light gentle tannins; quite a pleasant/attractive PN but just that.
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More stuff fromt the alt-BloodyPulpit:
1. Castelli: EmilioCastelli is best know for his Nebbiolos, some of the best made in Calif. He is far less
well-known for his Pinots which I find also quite attractive. A quality producer across the board.
The TwoDogVnyd is a 1 acre vnyd near the OlivetLane corridor.
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2. Ojai: The Puerta del Mar vnyd is what used to be the old Presidio vnyd on the far western edge of the
StaRitaHills, just outside the AVA boundary. It is farmed biodynamically.
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3. Boheme: This is the wnry of KurtBeitler, a member of the Caymus/Wagner family. He developed the original
Caymus Pinot vnyd for BelleGlos on TaylorRidge road on the far SonomaCoast (which is unusual in that it
is trained on a pergola system as used in the AltoAdige. He fell in love w/ that area and has gone his
own way under the Boheme label. Used to be the RanchoBodega label. I first came to his wines when he
took over the farming of AlRago's QueSyrah vnyd after EhrenJordan cut the ties.
These three Pinots were very much in the Boheme style, with only subtle/nuanced differences. I slightly
preferred the English for a bit more complexity and a bit more interesting, but all were mighty fine.
Kurt takes primarily from three different vnyds. The Stuller is mostly west and a bit north up on a ridge
in extreme SonomaCoast country, existing in two separate parcels. The TaylorRidge vnyd is up on TaylorRidge
road and farmed by VincentRago, AlRago's son. The QueSyrah vnyd is a mile or so to the west, closer to
the Pacific. The EnglishHill is south and east of Freeport in a bit warmer area and looks down into the
SantaRosa vlly. Kurt planted & farms EnglishHill, as well as farms Stuller.
This year, Kurt has added a ManciniVnyd Zin to his portfolio. It is also quite a good wine, rendered in
the more elegant Boheme style.
Tom