PinotReport is a true one-stop source for news, reviews, analysis, cuisine and lifestyle content focused on the finest Pinot Noirs produced in California, Oregon and other western wine regions. And if you love Pinot like I do, this is the newsletter for you!

Gregory S. Walter
Editor and Publisher

2005 WINNER
James Beard Award For Newsletter Writing On Food, Beverage, Restaurants and Nutrition

PINOTREPORT
PO Box 2051
Sonoma, CA 95476
Tel: 707.935.0326
Fax: 707.996.6735
Email: gswalter@pinotreport.com
 

TODAY'S PINOT

“Silky and complex...”

Papapietro-Perry Winery
Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Pommard Clones 2007
Medium ruby color; deep lush red cherry aromas with spice and earthy notes; rich, lush red cherry flavors with spicy and sweet oak notes; very silky texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Rich. lush and delicious to drink right now, this is a Pinot that also has time ahead of it.
430 cases made     $70     Score: 97

PINOT NEWS

Tim Perr and Scott Knight, partners in an insurance and actuary consulting firm, founded Pali Wine Co. in 2005 with a group of their friends and colleagues. The winery name came from a popular nickname for Pacific Palisades, where their firm is based. Pali Wine Co. got off to a fast start, hiring Brian Loring as their consulting winemaker and making a string of terrific 2005 Pinots from vineyards up and down the West Coast. Pali’s focus has always been on finding the best vineyard sites and representing those vineyards through vineyard-designated bottlings. In 2008, Pali hired Kenneth Juhasz (Auteur, The Donum Estate) to take over the winemaking reins and finished construction of a new winery facility in Lompoc, California, in the Santa Rita Hills wine region. Pali just announced the release of their Cuvee program—appellation-specific Pinot Noirs sourced from vineyards in California and Oregon priced at a suggested retail price of $19 per bottle. “We are able to offer these high-quality wines at such an affordable price because of the drastic increase in Pinot Noir vineyards on the West Coast in response to the dramatic increase in popularity of Pinot Noir… unfortunately, the demand for Pinot Noir wines at $50 cannot keep up with the supply of fruit now available. This imbalance in supply and demand has created great Pinot Noir fruit buying opportunities for Pali and results in equally great wine buying opportunities for our customers,” Tim Perr said in an email release. The first three Cuvee Pinots are from the 2007 vintage and are named for neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades area: “Huntington” is made from the Santa Barbara County appellation, “Bluffs” is from the Russian River Valley and “Alphabets” is from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Production for the Cuvee Pinots ranges between 250 and 500 cases for this initial vintage. For more information, visit www.paliwineco.com.

Far Niente, the Napa Valley winery long known for its top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, as well as its dramatic winery set back from Highway 29 in Oakville, has made a big move into Russian River Pinot Noir with the launch of its EnRoute winery. EnRoute is named “for the journey that the partners have taken on their way to producing Pinot Noir.” EnRoute’s partners include the same partners as Far Niente and its sister wineries Dolce and Nickel & Nickel: Beth Nickel, Erik Nickel, Jeremy Nickel, Dirk Hampson and Larry Maguire. The partners began their journey to Pinot Noir in the vineyard. They began a relationship with Manzana Vineyard in Green Valley in 2001 and then purchased two vineyards in the Russian River Valley specifically for EnRoute. The Graton Vineyard is also in Green Valley, while the Amber Ridge Vineyard is located on Starr Road in Windsor in the northern Russian River Valley. EnRoute’s first Pinot release will be a 2007 Russian River Pinot called “Les Pommiers” named for the acres and acres of apple orchards that flourished in the area in decades past. Case production for the 2007 is approximately 1,275 cases and will carry a suggested retail price of $50. Director of Winemaking Dirk Hampson will oversee winemaking with Winemaker Andrew Delos handling day-to-day duties. The wines will be made in a winery location in Sebastopol. For more information, visit www.enroutewinery.com.

Don Blackburn, most recently winemaker for Emeritus Vineyards in Russian River Valley, died April 23 after a long battle with cancer. He was 54. Don was an amazing guy – “renaissance man” is an overused term but it really did describe Don and his truly incredible list of interests, talents and accomplishments. Part of that list was Don’s true passion and real ability to make Pinot Noir. I first learned of Don back in my days with Wine Spectator. In the late 1970s, Don was working in the vineyards of France and was filing interesting accounts of his experiences as a correspondent for the publication. His focus was always on learning the local techniques and practices and living the local color and lifestyle. Don’s journey included life experience in music, dance, philosophy, the outdoors, surfing, skydiving, writing and of course, winemaking. On his return to the United States, Don set out to apply what he had learned and worked at several wineries over the years: David Bruce, Elliston, Bernardus, Byington and finally Emeritus Vineyards.

Current Issue

PinotReport
Issue No. 57
Release Date: 5/1/09
 

PinotReport to Publish "Field Guide to Western Pinot Noir"

PinotReport's "Field Guide To Western Pinot Noir" is an all-purpose pocket-sized buying guide for Western Pinot Noir, designed to be an indispensable guide whether one is new to Pinot Noir and just looking for guidance in navigating the wine aisle at the local wine shop or a seasoned Pinot enthusiast looking for a quick, comprehensive reference source. Featured Topics: History of Pinot Noir: Where did it start and why is it so popular today? From Vine to Wine: How Pinot Noir is made; Where Pinot is Grown: profiles on the regions where Pinot grows best; Vintages: an overview discussion and vintage charts; Pinot Noir Styles: How have styles evolved over the years? Can Pinots age? Pinot Noir and Your Health; Pinot At The Table; and profiles of more than 375 producers and more than 800 Pinot Noir reviews.

Order Now! A Great Gift!
Publication is expected in 2007. PinotReport’s "Field Guide To Western Pinot Noir" is available now at a special pre-publication price of $22.00 per copy. To reserve your copy click the button below:

PinotReport's Field Guide To Western Pinot Noir - $22.00

Check Out the book on a Pinot Pioneer from the Editor & Publisher of PinotReport:

Chalone: A Journey on the Wine Frontier
Available now direct from PinotReport and Carneros Press for purchase and fast shipment for the low price of just $20.00 per copy.