Gold Medal - Long Beach Grand Cru Awards
Willowbrook Cellars was founded in 2001 by winemaker Joe Otos, at the staggeringly young age of 26. Since then Willowbrook has produced a small amount of Pinot Noir from an estate vineyard in the Russian River Valley, and a little more from surrounding areas. While this wine usually sells only to their mailing list and a few select restaurants and retailers, we were lucky enough to snag a small allocation of the 2007 Marin County Pinot, and we are offering it at an unbelievable price. Marin County hasn’t gotten a lot of attention for its vineyards to date, but this will surely change as more vineyards go in and the vines reach maturity. Sitting in between Sonoma County and San Francisco, and will a growing season hugely influenced by cold air and fog from the pacific ocean, this region will no doubt be home to some phenomenal cool-climate pinot noir.
We’ve talked at length about the remarkable 2007 vintage for California Pinot Noir, and wines like this show both why it was so special, and that these wines are starting to enter their prime drinking windows. The 2007 Willowbrook Marin county Pinot Noir is pale garnet in color. The nose jumps out of the glass, with cherry, berry, and vanilla aromas joined by Burgundian aromas of earth and mushroom typical for Pinot grown in a cool site. Bing cherry and raspberry flavors are joined by layers of earth and spice on the palate, with bright acidity carrying this depth of flavor through the finish. This is lovely Pinot Noir, and it showed better than several $40 and $50 Pinot's that we tasted alongside it, making it a nice deal at $34. Of course, when you can get it through WineHeist for just $20, the quality to price ratio on this Pinot is off the charts. For all fans of California Pinot with a slightly lighter hand, this is one to buy by the case and enjoy over the next several years.
Vintage: 2007
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Marin County
Sugar: 24.8 Brix
Fermentation: French Oak
Alcohol %: 14.3
95 Points
Rich and full-bodied, packed with dark fruit flavors of blackberry, ripe plum, and dark cherry. Notes of cocoa, cedar, and warm spice add complexity, while firm tannins and a touch of volcanic minerality reflect the bold characteristics of Calistoga’s terroir. Full-bodied in texture, and remarkably velvety. The tannins gracefully interweave, establishing a flawless equilibrium of acidity and pleasing fruit.
92 Points
Deep floral notes (violets), blackberry, black cherry, and cassis. Driven by the mountain's steep, cool-climate terroir, it balances rich notes of blackberry and pomegranate seamlessly intertwined with dark plum, cocoa dust, and roasted mocha, hints of roasted mocha and spice undertones add depth to its complex profile, culminating in a bold, yet elegant finish.
95 Points
This stellar Napa Valley Red Blend marries lush plum and cherry with Malbec's dark berry depth and Petit Verdot's structure and spice. Layered with notes of blackberry, violet, and cocoa, this silky wine finishes with smooth tannins and a whisper of toasted oak. Robust and mouth-filling, with spicy nuances, smooth tannins, firm structure, and a long lingering finish.
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