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What We Say 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
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Mission Codename: The Third Dimension
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Operative favorite, Adobe Road Winery. Secure the latest vintage of their distinctive Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Adobe Road Winery
Wine Subject: 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Winemaker: Michael Scorsone
Backgrounder: The Sonoma Coast AVA, established in 1987, is the area directly adjacent to the Pacific coastline of Sonoma County. The ocean’s influence causing a cooler, higher rainfall and foggy climate most influences the vineyards of this region, many of which have exceptional views of the mighty Pacific. These factors cause grapes to mature and ripen more slowly which is ideal for Pinot Noir. The region is approximately 750 square miles with about 7,000 acres under vine.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dark ruby, with deep garnet hues through the darker heart of the wine. Color is perfectly concentrated and even, right out the the edge of the glass, where a fine ring of soft pink circles the glass. After swirling, the wine settles quickly, leaving behind tall columns of ultra-thin, wine-stained tears.
Smell – Candied cherry and spiced cherry take center stage. These gorgeous scents seem to be surrounded by layers of additional aromas. These include blackberry, nutty sweetwoods, subtle eucalyptus, dark forest floor, dried meat and black rose petals.
Feel – Softly grippy, right up front, then more round across the mid-palate. After a moment, a soft mineral dryness spreads its way around the palate. This slow-moving dryness makes its way to the lips and cheeks, where it is replaced by a crushed velvet coating.
Taste – Bold and dense, with spicy blackberry, darkest cherry, tart cranberry and young strawberry out in front. As the wine spends some time exposed to the air, it softens and additional flavors of bramble, tomato stem and the black rose from the nose emerge. Underneath these, the wine reveals soft flavors of white pepper, dark plum and flint.
Finish – A long finish, with dark black and bright red fruit notes that gradually give way to white pepper and flinty minerals. The cranberry note persists throughout.
Conclusion – This is a bold, delicious and aromatic wine that our tasting panel found to be very intriguing. The nose is very unique, offering layers of unique aromas that seem to surround the core cherry notes. On the palate, the feel is dynamic and very interesting. Flavors are also unique, delivering a spicy tartness that drives black and red fruit flavors around the palate. The finish is very long, and also very dynamic, distinctly moving from one flavor to the next – while spice and cranberry hang in throughout. This wine offers up an intriguing three-dimensional experience, with flavors and aromas that seem to swirl around each other, beyond the normal borders of sensation. If that is too esoteric, I apologize; Put more simply, this is an enthusiastic and delicious wine that pushes the boundaries of Sonoma Cost Pinot Noir by offering up uniqueness and intrigue. Pair this flavor-filled Pinot with a pulled-pork sandwich or a spicy pasta dish.
Mission Report:
Busy with bottling and roaming the vineyards, Michael Scorsone was unable to sit down with us for our customary Winemaker Interview. Be sure to read our complete interview the next time we showcase an Adobe Road wine.
Wine Spies Region Check:
The location of the Sonoma Coast region can be seen in this satellite photo.
Wine Spies Winery Check:
The approximate location of the Adobe Road tasting room, in the heart of the town of Sonoma, California, can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Adobe Road
About This Wine:
An exciting balance of fresh, crushed, ripe blackberry fruit with a slight hint of white pepper or medley of peppercorns greet your palate. Layers of black cherry and vanilla dominate the glass in a long finish. Try with grilled plank salmon, herb encrusted ahi tuna steaks or grilled lamb.
About The Winery:
Adobe Road is a small, family-owned winery located in Petaluma. We specialize in flavorful, distinctive wines. Each of our vintages is handcrafted with fine attention to detail, for a unique taste and experience. Our wines are created in small lots, allowing precise quality control to ensure that every bottle is just the way our wine artisans intended. Traditionally, Adobe Road has produced rich red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, but 2006 brings a lighter Sauvignon Blanc to our tasting room.
Adobe Road Winery is owned by renowned sports car racer and entrepreneur Kevin Buckler and his wife, Debra. Adobe Road Winery produces award winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Petite Sirah exclusively from Sonoma County sources. The tasting room is located in Petaluma, California. In 1995 Kevin founded The Racer’s Group (TRG) and grew it into an internationally prominent manufacturer and distributor of performance Porsche parts, while simultaneously building a career as a successful endurance sportscar racer and team owner. Kevin’s accomplishments as a driver include class wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (2002) and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans (2002), an overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (2003), and the title of Porsche World Cup Champion in 2002. As a team owner, Kevin has directed the growth of The Racer’s Group into an internationally-acclaimed racing team.
With friends, the Bucklers started making “garage wine”, which, after prodding from enthusiastic friends started commercially bottling under the Adobe Road label in 1999. Through Kevin’s good connections, he has acquired grapes from some very prestigious vineyards, which he handcrafts into extremely limited-production wines. The awards have followed, with the Adobe Road 2001 Zinfandel winning a Silver medal in the prestigious Orange County Fair Wine Competition. In March of 2005, Adobe Road brought home the gold, with the 2002 Pinot Noir winning a Gold Medal – Best of Class; the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon placing Silver and the 2002 Zinfandel receiving Bronze at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. With the goal of producing exceptional wines by hand-crafting small lots of red varietals exclusively from Sonoma County, the Bucklers have dedicated themselves to seeing their vision through to reality, and the results are paying off.
Technical Analysis:
Appellation: Sonoma Coast
Winemaking: “Open Top” fermented with 25% whole cluster and natural yeast.
Barrel Aging: French Oak
Release: August 2010
Bottled: May 2009
Production: 700 cases
Analysis: Alcohol 14.1%
