94 Points - International Wine Report
93 Points - PinotFile
91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A complete and simply stunning wine by the talented Erich Bradley.
Enjoy now through 2029.
Winemaking
In 2017, they picked the Calera block earlier due to extremely small berries, while the Vosne-Romanée blocks received longer hang time. All three Reuling Pinot noir clones were fermented separately before being blended just prior to bottling to showcase the complexity of the vineyard. The resulting wine is layered and expressive with darker color and increased depth.
Vineyard
Reuling Vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, just off Highway 116 between Graton and Forestville. Planted in 2000 under the direction of Mark Aubert and Peter Michael Winery, this vineyard is comprised of 12.2 acres of Pinot noir planted to three unique clones - Calera and two distinct “suitcase” clones from the Vosne-Romanée region of Burgundy. There are also 2.2 acres of Chardonnay on the property. The vineyard is perched on a small hillside with gentle slopes at an elevation of 250 feet. It benefits from the cool marine influences converging from the coast, yet is exposed to the sun and afternoon heat, allowing the grapes to reach optimal maturity. Its Goldridge soils are extremely sandy, which naturally stresses the vines, resulting in low yields and concentrated flavors.
Vintage
The 2017 vintage endured tragic wildfires that were driven by 80 mph winds on October 8-9. The fires devastated Napa and Sonoma counties, destroyed more than 8,000 structures, took 44 lives and disrupted winery operations for several days. Fortunately, all of their Pinot noir grapes were picked prior to the fires and there was no impact to the 2017 Pinot noir wines. Balanced vines and temperature fluctuations resulted in layers of flavors and complexity in the wines. The overall high quality of the vintage is a blessing after such challenging events.
Analysis
Appellation: Sonoma Coast
Vineyards: Reuling Vineyard
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: Open-top fermentation, Native yeast
Aging: 50% New French Oak
pH: 3.68
TA: 5.8 g/L
Bottled unfined and unfiltered August 2018
Cases Produced: 425
Alcohol: 14.4%
All Wines
94 Points, Vinous
Racy, exuberant and flat-out delicious. Seared black cherries, red and purple flowers, sage and vanilla make for a very compelling nose on this bottling of a single clone. The palate is fresh with snappy raspberry flavors and then broadens toward baking-spice flavors, proving quite lush and delicious. This is an especially alluring style.
93 Points, Vinous
A great example of where Cabernet's structure and depth are balanced by Syrah's jammy fruit-forward flavors. Savory aromas of dark berries, cassis, baking spices and vanilla that intermingle with earthy notes of dried tobacco, cigar box and saddle leather. Notes of dark fruit flavors carry on to the palate, with dark chocolate, vanilla and a hint of black currant.
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Aromas bright orchard fruit, lemon confit and white flowers. The palate is crisp, fresh, ripe and savory all at once... a nice interplay of honeyed citrus fruits in the mouth, with a light to medium weight, juicy acidity presenting flavors of Asian pear, nectarine and Rainier cherry with a smooth textured finish of new French oak.
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