Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir (375ML half-bottle) 2007
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Keller's pinot noir grows in the Petaluma Wind Gap on soils that originated as the ancient seabed of the San Pablo Bay. The 2007 season brought those elements together in a delicate, persistent wine with ethereal red fruit. The ripe raspberry and fraise des bois flavors carry structural tension right in the fruit, as well as tannins ripened to a satin feel. A scent of rose adds to the fragrance of the fruit and to the finesse of the wine overall. The flavors last, clear, lively and delicious, particularly with a salad of duck confit.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made in a light-bodied, lower alcohol style, this Pinot feels silky and gentle in the mouth. It really delivers when it comes to flavor. Displays big, impressive notes of raspberries, cherries, Dr. Pepper cola, red licorice, beef jerkey and smoky sandalwood that are complex and satisfying, and that finish entirely dry. Drink now and over the next four years.
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The winemaking philosophy at Keller Estate is simple: they respect the terrior that is characteristic of this vineyard estate and they minimize the handling and manipulation of the grapes to preserve the quality. They have pursued a blueprint of clonal diversity based on the altitude, orientation and soil composition of each vineyard block that is best for each individual clone. This clonal diversity provides the textures, flavors and aromas with which to build complexity into the wines. Winemaker Michael McNeill spends considerable time in the vineyard, assessing crop levels, canopy management and irrigation timing. However, his most important decision comes from tasting the ripening fruit over and over again – the optimal time to harvest.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.