From the Balistreri Estate Vineyard, where our Winemaker's love affair with his craft began in his teenage years, comes this rich & complex Pinot Noir. Presenting dark, ripe fruit on the nose with subtle herbal notes, your first sip of this wine will convey its complexity. An overtone of smokiness accompanies the strong dark cherry and blackberry flavors to coat your palate, followed by hints of tea and spice. The tannin structure and exquisite acid balance of this wine gives it fantastic aging potential, so enjoy it right away or age for up to 10 years.
This wine is a part of our Library Collection, which is comprised of a select group of our most age-worthy & rare wines. There are just three vintages (2014, 2015, 2016) of our Legacy Estate Merlot remaining in any significant quantity.
From the Santa Rosa Plains neighborhood, a relatively warm region by Russian River Valley standards, comes this elegant and subtle Pinot Noir. The Bella Luna Vineyard is small (just one acre) and its vines are tightly spaced to encourage root propagation and generate rich, luscious fruit. The warmth induces earlier ripening, resulting in strong aromas of ripe, red fruit with a distinctive tartness. A slow-acting yeast is employed to extend fermentation and extract the essential characteristics of the grape. The outcome is a complex and layered wine with delicate flavors of chocolate and hints of spice that complement its bright acidity and well-rounded fruit.
A sumptuous combination of rich dark fruit aged in new oak barrels give this wine a unique quality. Complex aromas include apple, fig, blueberry, raspberry, rhubarb and cigar. Flavors of chocolate raspberry torte, tobacco are accompanied by savory notes to round it out. A successor to the multiple award-wining 2016 vintage, this is sure to be a must-have for Pinot Noir fans
This wine is a part of our Library Collection, which is comprised of a select group of our most age-worthy & rare wines. There are just three vintages (2014, 2015, 2016) of this wine remaining in any significant quantity.
This wine is a part of our Library Collection wines, which are a select group of our most age-worthy & rare wines. This Pinot Noir is from the second oldest remaining vintage produced from our Legacy Estate Pinot Noir Vineyard, which was planted in the late 90's and inherited by us in 2008. It was removed in 2017, so 2016 was the final vintage from this vineyard. The 2016 vintage showed a return to normal yields in Sonoma compared to 2015, and was generally a good year.
This is the first time that winemaker Gio Balistreri has made a single vineyard wine of clone 828, yet this wine is anything but simple. Exquisite aromas of spicy red plum, ripe cherry, big barrel spice, and notes of pine forest flood the nose. Bold flavors of big cherries, curry, and all spice coat your tongue with a beautiful texture.
