Baletto Vineyards is situated along Occidental Road east of Santa Rosa and just north of Sebastopol. Their estate vineyards are thus in the southern stretch of the Russian River Valley, and the cooling influence of being closer to the Pacific distinguishes the wines from this terroir from their bigger and riper counterparts further up the valley. The grapes for this Pinot are a blend of multiple clonal selections, harvested between 24-26 brix, and fermented to 13.6% abv. The wine was aged for 10 months in French oak, 30% of which was new.
The wine is a medium-garnet color with a bright edge. The nose has aromas of ripe cherry, berry, and red plum fruits. accented by damp forest floor, rosehip tea, cola, and cloves. The wine has a light and smooth mouthfeel, with a brightness derived from the cool-climate acidity. Raspberry, cherry, dried strawberry, and pomegaranate fruits find a nice balance of tart and sweet flavors, with the baking spice, damp, earth and toasty oak notes maintaining their presence. The wine doesn't achieve much layering, but remains a delicate and bright Pinot to the end - with a decent finish of sweet fruit and gentle spice, and a pose-petal note chiming in.
We bought this wine as a futures purchase based on a barrel sample several moths before bottling, and the end product was very consistent with our notes from the barrel. At the futures price of $18, this wine is a decent value, but it doesen't have the depth or complexity to warrant much more. The gentle mouthfeel and fine acidtity make this a definite choice for the table. The spice notes melded perfectly with Morroccan-spiced and slow-cooked chicken thighs.
1 comments:
love the post. living here in the SF bay area, we are lucky enough to be just hours from napa valley....
i would love to check out the winery that you mention...
Post a Comment