SOUTHERN / AMERICAN / PACIFIC WINE & SPIRITS® Hanzell Estate Pinot Noir 2014 (Sonoma County, California) – [WE 92] [W&S 91] [BH 92] – 6046140367007

“The Pinot Noir harvest began in the Sessions Vineyard on August 25th with the Hanzell and 777 clones on the St. George rootstock and the 667, 777 and Swan clones on the 3309 rootstock. It was fascinating to see what a profound effect the rootstock had on ripening. In years past, the Sessions Vineyard has been harvested in a single day or in two consecutive days. In 2009 we needed to wait until August 31st to pick the 667, 777 and Pommard clones on 110R rootstock and the 777, Wadensvil and 115 clones on 420A rootstock. We concluded the Pinot Noir with the Ambassador’s 1953 Vineyard and de Brye Vineyard on September 2nd.

Once at the winery, we employed our traditional methods of hand-sorting, careful de-stemming and hand punch-downs. In our endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of each unique vineyard block, each clone and rootstock combination was kept separate. Each tank was tasted daily to determine how many punch-downs and when to press – all for the goal of capturing the purest expression of this special place. The quality of the now much heralded 2009 vintage was very promising from the beginning. There was excellent color and concentration immediately after pressing. However, it was not until after a full year in barrel that the true potential greatness of the vintage began to show.”

— Michael McNeill, Winemaker

92 Points & Cellar Selection – Wine Enthusiast Magazine:
“Pungent layers of earthiness, a mix of black tea, compost, clove and forest pine, are at the forefront of this structured, densely packed red. The fruit in this wine shows a lean tart slice of wild strawberry and cranberry. The body is structured and elegant, with plenty of complexity for aging. Enjoy 2020–2024.” – Virginie Boone (7/1/2018)

92 Points – Allen Meadows’ Burghound:
“A slightly more elegant if not quite as ripe nose offers up cool and airy aromas of pure red pinot fruit, spice and rose petal. I very much like the sleek and again sophisticated mouth feel of the medium weight flavors that are shaped in relatively fine tannins on the focused, intense and sneaky long finish. Lovely stuff that could also be enjoyed now or held for further development.” – (Oct 15, 2018)