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Santori 2014 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Santori 2014 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Of Napa Carneros?
The Best Kept Secret
dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
Of Napa Carneros?
The Best Kept Secret

Mission Codename The Pinotlorian

This is the way.

Our creed, our mission, the reason we’ve been doing this for 10+ years is singularly focused on finding the good stuff. We kissed a LOT of frogs last year (check out this TikTok video we made and you’ll understand how many corks we amassed…).

But this. This Pinot sent us reeling like we just licked a Sonoran Desert toad. Which is to say, nothing but good vibes and a pleasurable experience ensued.

The first thing you’ll notice is the crystalline garnet color, concentrating to a deeper ruby core in the center. Aromas of dusty cherries, red and black, greet you in abundance, with earthy and spicy undertones hanging around back. The real fun starts when you taste it - the polished, supima soft mouthfeel guided by silky fine tannins. The bright fruit. This is impressively long, and one can’t help but start drawing parallels with a Pommard from a ripe vintage. It is ready to enjoy with any roast poultry, fancied up with black or white truffles, citrus, herbs, and root vegetables.

You probably don’t know Santori. We didn’t. It’s a super small project launched by John Santori. His family had a long history of winemaking in Tuscany, so when he graduated from Berkeley in 1970, he decided to carry on the tradition. One barrel turned into three, turned into six. His wines started winning local competitions and he decided to focus more intently on leveling up the quality. To that end, he brought on Leo Martinez, winemaker for Benessere Vineyards of St. Helena.

Leo worked with some of the best winemakers out there, but he was most influenced by Heidi Barrett, which SHOWS in the is pure, gorgeously balanced, classically ethereal Pinot. 100% from the Ceja Vineyard too, a missed opportunity that it does not wear this badge of honor on its label if you ask us, which borders Etude Winery in the bucolic windswept rolling hills of the Napa side of Los Carneros.

Excavated from the winery library, with a massive 44% break, the $25 you are paying includes all the dusting we had to do off these boxes that were just sitting there ‘behind the door’ waiting.

In a land where other similarly fashioned Pinots fetch $50-75+, you’ll be among the lucky few who share in this discovery. It seriously over-delivers from the same terroir.

Not much of this one, so if you’re still reading, make haste!

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Tasting Profile Tasting Profile

dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
Santori 2014 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir 750ml Wine Label
Look

A crystalline garnet rim gradually concentrates in the deeper ruby core that is borderline opaque

Smell

Dusty cherries, red and black, dominate the redolent perfume, with earthy and spicy undertones

Taste

The mouthfeel, thanks to the bottle age, is sublime, with silky fine tannins accentuating bright fruit

Finish

Impressively long, one can’t help but start drawing parallels with a Pommard from a ripe vintage

Pairing

Enjoy with roast poultry, fancied up with black or white truffles, citrus, herbs, and root vegetables

What the Winery Says 2014 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Santori
Santori
Winemaker
Leonardo Martinez
Varietal
100% Pinot Noir
Vintage
2014
Appellation
Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Vineyard
Ceja Vineyard
Clones
50% Dijon, 50% Pommard
Alcohol
13.8%
Total acidity
6.1 g/L
pH
3.4
Brix at harvest
24.3˚
Harvest date
September 17, 2014
Aging
18 months
Barrels
25% new French oak
Production
8 barrels

About the Winery Santori

Santori Winemaker Leonardo Martinez
Santori Winemaker Leonardo Martinez
Santori 2014 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Jan 11, 2021 at 11:59 pm
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Santori 2014 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Jan 11, 2021 at 11:59 pm
Register to get notified when this wine is back in stock:
Sign Up For Free