Tasting Notes

Release Date: Fall 1991

1988 was an extremely small vintage. Our seven-acre Pinot Noir vineyard, the oldest of our estate vineyards, yielded a scant three tons. Most quality-minded winegrowers talk of that amount of grapes from one acre. Old vines give quality far above volume.

The longer I make the Pinot Noir from this high mountain vineyard the more I realize that this grape is a perfect vehicle for expressing what Matt Kramer calls the "somewhere-ness" of a wine. That "somewhere-ness" is a delicate yet forceful aroma of raspberry, mint, and earth that can be found year after year from our Pinot Noir. Graceful and persistent flavors, with weight yet lightness, give an overall impression that this wine comes from a special place, which it does.

Production

167

Tech Notes

Sorry, technical notes not available for this vintage.

Reviews

The Underground Wine Journal - November 1991

The 1988 Pinot Noir, released in October, is not fined or filtered. The wine is medium-dark in color, with an amber edge. There are deeply spicy, rich concentrated aromas of black cherry fruit on the palate, along with faintly smoky, spicy black cherry, vanilla-tinged fruit. This is structured wine with soft tannins and a long finish—a beauty. 18 Outstanding

Rating Scale for The Underground Wine Journal:

18-20 Outstanding

15-17 Very good

12-14 Good

Under 12 Below Average

California Grapevine - August/September 1991

Medium ruby color; attractive, relatively intense, complex, slightly smoky, ripe berry fruit aroma with hints of sage and bacon; medium-full body; fairly rich in the mouth with supple, ripe cherry fruit flavors; well balanced; slightly lingering aftertaste. Superior quality. Very enjoyable to drink now though deserves another year or two of bottle aging. We would have liked just a bit more richness and length on the finish. Very highly recommended. 17 ( 90 of 100)