2008 Peay Vineyards Estate Pinot noir, Sonoma Coast
Tasting Notes
The 2008 Estate Pinot is the more intense and full-bodied of our two spring wines with appealing notes of black tea and cedar wrapped around a deep cherry core. The mouth feel is broad and dry with fruity mushroom, graphite, hickory and cherry skin aromas coalescing on the palate. The length is superb with medium tannins and medium plus acidity; a very good expression of our estate pinot in the 2008 vintage. Decant for 30+ minutes before enjoying with food and age for 2-3 years for bottle bouquet to develop.
2007 Scallop Shelf Estate Pinot noir, Sonoma Coast
Tasting Notes
The 2007 Scallop Shelf delivers on the promise of the vintage and our vineyard site. The vines are now 10 years old and have begun to shake off some of their baby fat to reveal more complex, non-fruit based aromas. The nose balances scents of orange pekoe tea, copper and peppery matsutake mushroom with classic pinot notes of cherry and ham. It is an elegant nose with medium concentration and a bright red hue that you can see through.
The mouth also has medium intensity and weight with added flavors of rose hips and black tea. The fruit is more akin to dried blood oranges and plums (not prunes, think pluots!) with clean acidity, a focused mid-palate and moderate tannins. As is customary with the Scallop Shelf, the finish is long. This is a complex wine with finesse. It offers immediate pleasure and may also be aged for 10+ years if you desire aged Pinot characteristics. If you allow a long decant, darker flavors of licorice will come to the fore though a 30-minute decant will allow the aromas to coalesce.
2007 Estate Pinot noir, Sonoma Coast
Tasting Notes
If you ever wished for a little more fruit and richness without sacrificing the acidity or structure of a Peay Pinot noir, then the 2007 Estate may be just the cuvée for you. It is a blend of mostly Dijon 828 and a suitcase selection we call "Boots" as well as a little 115 and a Pommard selection. With this third cuvée we demonstrate how clone 828 and the Boots selection put a slightly different twist on a Peay Pinot noir while still staying true to the vineyard's character.
The Estate Pinot has an intense cherry nose with brown spices, iron, dried needle, and brass highlights. The mouth is round, smooth and full-bodied. The tannins are soft, though present, and support aromas of bright cherry, chocolate, sandalwood and forest floor. There is a touch of anise seed on a very long - minutes long - cherry finish. Though the Estate Pinot noir is richer than Pomarium, the acidity is quite good and the elegance of Pinot noir made from our vineyard is evident. 486 cases produced.
2007 Pomarium Estate Pinot noir, Sonoma Coast
Tasting Notes
The name Pomarium (po-mare-ee-um, apple orchard in Latin) harkens to the early 20th century when our hill was planted to Bartlett pears and Gravenstein apples for dried fruit production to feed San Francisco. The 2007 Pomarium is a blend of 5 clones: 667, 777, 115, Calera and 828. It was fermented in small, open-top fermenters, moved by gravity, aged for 11 months in 35% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The nose explodes with a bright beam of huckleberry, ham, charcuterie, and spice aromas lightly supported by mushroom and brass notes. The nose is intense and forward but feminine, elegant and light on its feet. This is what people mean when they say Pinot noir is all about the nose. The Pomarium is simply gorgeous. The mouth shows some darker fruit flavors, with hints of iodine, peppery matsutake mushroom and dried pine needle flavors carrying across the mid-palate. The tannins are soft and light and the acidity is refreshing. The finish lingers and promises much for those with the patience to age the wine a few more years. 900 cases produced.
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