Sketchbook Pinot Noir 2020
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At the cool northern extreme of California's coastal wine region, Mendocino County is known for its elegantly balanced Pinot Noir grapes. Full-flavored with
rich notes of Bing cherry, red licorice and cassis, that linger in a rounded, juicy finish.
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Complex oak spices and rich, plummy flavors mingle beautifully in this full-bodied, moderately tannic wine. Cinnamon, clove and nutmeg aromas fill the seams between black plum, black cherry and forest floor notes.
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Wilfred
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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 large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.