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Mission Codename: The Dymano

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Peters Family Winery’s to retrieve the newest vintage of Doug Peters’ delicious Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Peters Family Winery

Wine Subject: 2007 Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Douglas Peters

Backgrounder: We have had the pleasure to show three successive vintages of today’s wine. While we loved those wines, we think that the 2007 delivers more character and more complexity, making it a more interesting vintage.

The Sonoma Coast AVA is the 750 square mile area with the Pacific ocean on its western boundary, the San Pablo Bay to the south and Mendocino County to the north, headed inland to the other designated AVAs in Sonoma County. The region is heavily influenced by the cooler ocean climate, increased rainfall and fog that lingers long on the coastal mountains. The specific climate suits the demanding Burgundian varietal of Pinot Noir very well.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark ruby hues with a clear but slightly darker core. At the rim of the glass, a ring of pink encircles the wine. When swirled, the wine clings high up on the glass, holding back slender, wine-stained tears that eventually emerge – and then run slowly down the glass.

Smell – Lush and complex, with warm notes of earthen cherry, raspberry bramble, young strawberry, dark spice, kola nut and soft gunpowder. Under-notes of dried violets and subtle cigar box add additional depth.

Feel – Soft and smooth, with velvet at the tip of the tongue, the wine then shows some soft grip as texture and complexity is revealed at the mid-palate. The wine takes on a ample medium body, with fine tannins and a bright acid profile that combine to carry the fruit forward into the finish.

Taste – Bold flavors of red cherry, cranberry, raspberry and bramble pass across the front palate. Once the wine hits the mid-palate, notes of dried earth, cigar box, soft tobacco leaf, black tea and leather appear. These are followed by a soft spice and hints of oak and cedar.

Finish – This wine finishes clean and medium-long, with earthy fruit flavors giving way to soft spice, soft oak, pepper and black tea leaf.

Conclusion – The 2007 Peters Family Winery Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir is another great wine, in a succession of great Pinot Noir from Douglas Peters. We always enjoy our visits with the dynamic Doug, and we always learn something new about wine and winemaking. Today’s 2007 is a brighter and more velvety wine than previous vintages, making the wine a delightful solo-sipper or a sincere food companion. Enjoy it now, but cellar a few bottles for the next few years. We are doing exactly that, and we can’t wait to see how the wine continues to improve. Decant or give this wine a hearty swirl,and be rewarded with bolder, more juicy fruit on the nose and palate.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Douglas Peters

WINE EDUCATION: Stanford University, BA

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Domaine Carneros, Trefethen Vineyards

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Make great wine!…by respecting and nurturing the natural processes at work in the vineyard and the winery.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: “Vino ipsa loquitor”

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 2003

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Welcome back, Douglas. It is wonderful to continue to get to know you and your great wines. And, we are thrilled to be showing your Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

DOUG PETERS: You are welcome! I am happy to share this special pinot noir with your operatives.

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

DOUG: Not a specific experience, but an accumulation of experiences tasting and sharing wines from around the world, which made me aware how wines, particularly great ones, can truly be a celebration of life and nature.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

DOUG: I always admired Baron Mouton Rothschild, Robert Mondavi, and many others who came after…

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.

DOUG: I love this Pinot Noir’s wonderful expression of classic pinot noir varietal character, and the terroir of the single vineyard site. The wine is a blend of the two clonal selections, Swan and Calera, planted in Sonoma Stage Vineyard. The grapes from each clone were separately hand-picked, fermented, and barrel aged for over two years before assemblage of the final blend. Due to the distinct differences between the clones, the grapes from each clone produce pinot noirs with distinctly different flavor and aroma profiles. As a result the final blend containing wines from both vineyard clones is very complex, yet beautifully balanced. It is lovely now in its youth, and I think it will evolve into an even more special wine in the cellar for many years to come.

RED: In your opinion, what makes the Sonoma Coast growing region so special?

DOUG: The Sonoma Coast appellation is ideally suited for pinot noir and chardonnay production, because of its proximity to the coast, and the beneficial effects of marine cooling, combined with ample sunny weather to achieve full ripeness. However, the Sonoma Coast appellation is very large, with numerous micro-climates, so it is important to note that the grapes for the PFW Pinot Noir are grown in the Petaluma Gap sub-appellation of the Sonoma Coast appellation. Located at the eastern edge of the Sonoma Coast appellation bordering Napa, the Petaluma Gap shares some of the best attributes of the neighboring Russian River and Carneros appellations as well as characteristics of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation..

RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?

DOUG: With an empty glass!…and an open mind.

RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

DOUG: Cheers!

RED: Well said… Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The approximate location of the Peters Family Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.