2006 CalStar Cellars Pinot Noir
Londer Estate Vineyard, Anderson Valley

CalStar is one of the many small, family owned producers making wine from fruit sourced from vineyards throughout Northern California.  These small producers are often the force driving innovation, especially with Pinot Noir, and always a source of new, exciting wines.  Owner/winemaker Rick Davis has experience working with many of the big names in California Pinot, and decided to set out on his own, with the goal of creating food friendly wines with some capability for aging.  The 2006 Londer Vineyard Pinot certainly fits that bill.

The CalStar Londer Vineyard 2006 Pinot is light garnet in the glass, with a ruby core.  Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and mulling spice greet the nose.  The palate is darker, with ripe Bing cherry, licorice, earth, pepper and spice.  Good acidity carries these fruit flavors onto a long, smooth finish.  One of the most distinctive features of this wine is its velvety texture, so “typical” of pinot noir, yet so hard to find.  It keeps you coming back for sip after sip, letting each one linger on your tongue.

Sourced from the Londer Estate vineyard in Mendocino (an Estate which produces lovely wine themselves, CalStar’s 2006 Londer shows the potential for this cool, foggy region to produce Pinot Noir that is balanced and elegant, yet packed with flavor.  This wine really expresses the earthy and spicy notes that Mendocino is known for, making it the perfect match for lamb, mushroom risotto, or any other flavorful, earthy dish.  A steal at 30% off!

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Clonal Composition: Pommard, 2A, 115 and Swan
Harvest Date: Sept. 15 to Oct. 10, 2006
Brix: 26.5
Oak Regime: 40% New, 60% French, 40% Hungarian
Date Bottled: July 19, 2007
Alcohol: 14.2
pH: 3.65
TA: 5.63 g/L
RS: Less than 0.1%
Release Date: April 1, 2008
Production: 110 cases

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