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Wine Recommendation
Sinor-LaVallee Wines
2004 Pinot Noir, Talley-Rincon Vineyard(Arroyo Grande Valley)
A hot new brand in the South Central Coast, this beautifully crafted wine is made by winemaker Mike Sinor and his wife and partner Cheri LaVallee. After spending the previous five vintages as winemaker at Domaine Alfred in Edna Valley, Sinor’s Pinot Noir exemplifies the best of Arroyo Grande Valley.
Infused with aromas and flavors of bright raspberry, strawberry, tangy red cherry and ripe black cherry, highlighted with intriguing notes of minerals, spice and cola. Well balanced and silky textured, the fruity finish lingers long and fresh, making another sip impossible to resist, and another, and another.
The low vigor soils at Talley’s Rincon Vineyard, this particular lot planted with Clone 2A, keeps yields down to 1.8 to 2.5 per acre. And that’s what this winemaker seeks out to make what he describes as wines of “quality, intimacy and authenticity.” I still can’t believe he priced this amazing Pinot at $35 retail – it’s easily worth three times that much.
Reviewed August 13, 2006 by Kathy Marcks-Hardesty.
The Wine
Winery: Sinor-LaVallee Wines |
The Reviewer
Kathy Marcks-Hardesty
Kathy Marcks Hardesty is the former Tasting Coordinator for Wine Spectator magazine. She prefers wines that exhibit classic varietal characteristics, regional identity, and the depth and balance to make a good meal great. She’s just as enthusiastic about sharing news of those rare, value-priced wines of good quality. Despite her past association with wine critics, she doesn’t assign numbers to wines, save in her memory (old habits die hard). She prefers writing descriptive reviews that whet the palate and leaves the final score to her readers. |