Seductive notes of mineral, concentrated pure strawberry, and a subtle hint of violets comprise the aroma and provide a hint of the flavors to follow. The mouth opens with a silky texture and explodes into very sweet, perfectly ripe fruit and earthy minerality that adds great complexity. Overall, this wine is very elegant and exquisitely balanced. Structured, bright, and persistent, this is a beautiful wine to pair with savory dishes.
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The 2006 Thorn Ridge Pinot Noir has an extremely high "yum factor". The nose combines black cherry trifle, rose petals, and a very subtle note of oak spice. The mouthfeel is velvety, lush and opulent, providing the perfect entrée to dark fruit flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and anise. The finish is persistent and juicy.
Vineyards and Winemaking
This wine is really a great example of hybrid vigor. The seven barrels that went into this blend came from several of our favorite vineyards scattered across Sonoma County. The wines that went into this blend were handcrafted using the same careful, exacting techniques that are utilized for our vineyard-designated wines. One of the constantly surprising aspects of the blending process is the synergy that results in putting together seemingly disparate components and discovering that the harmonious whole far surpasses the individual parts. This blend came together beautifully, each barrel contributing its own special character and resulting in a flavorful wine that we can offer at a real bargain in the world of pinot noir.
Tasting Notes
Our 2006 Sonoma County Cuvee is a delicious, satisfying wine. It’s sassy, soft, and fruit-focused with plenty of strawberry, blueberry, and cherry lifesaver, along with hints of anise and cinnamon spice. Texturally, this wine is soft and round with mouth-caressing tannins. It’s just plain fun!
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The aroma of the 2006 Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir is a compelling amalgam of perfumed rose petals, cedar, cassis, Asian spices, and moist redwood forest floor. A round, silky texture in the mouth yields to notes of cranberry, cassis, and a hint of sassafras. The finish is mouth-wateringly juicy and exceedingly persistent, buoyed by very fine-grained tannins.
Reflecting its mountainside ancestry, this wine is large-scaled, yet manages to retain elements of elegance and grace. This is a complex, layered wine with notes of sweet blueberry, dusty raspberry, star anise, and cinnamon on the nose. It manages to find that rare balance between a tight structure and a lush, round mouthfeel. In the mouth, sweet red fruit, spicy barrel notes, and hints of vanilla create an alluring flavor profile that is backed by loads of very fine-grained tannins. There are also subtle layers of orange zest, cocoa, and raspberry. We recommend decanting for immediate enjoyment. While approachable now, this Red Dog Vineyard Pinot noir should really start to show its best in four to six more years and should prove to be a compelling drink over the next decade.
Seductive notes of mineral, concentrated pure strawberry, and a subtle hint of violets comprise the aroma and provide a hint of the flavors to follow. The mouth opens with a silky texture and explodes into very sweet, perfectly ripe fruit and earthy minerality that adds great complexity. Overall, this wine is very elegant and exquisitely balanced. Structured, bright, and persistent, this is a beautiful wine to pair with savory dishes.
2006 Hawk Hill Pinot Noir is a strikingly inky, intense wine. The perfumed aroma is layered with mineral, blackberry, plum, violets, and tobacco. Incensed notes of sandlewood, bramble, and cedar shavings contribute additional complexity. This wine is big and dense, with an extraordinary life ahead of it. The flavors are foreshadowed by the aromas and mingled with even more layers of toasty oak, earthy brambles, and Bing cherry. The finish is very juicy and extraordinarily persistent. This will be a very long-lived wine that will reward those with the patience for cellaring for at least a decade to come.
