2010 Fort Ross Vineyard Sea Slopes Pinot Noir

This past weekend I had a fantastic wine from the new California AVA, Fort Ross-Seaview. After writing a blog on this new AVA (February 4, 2013), my husband and I have been trying to sample as many Pinot Noirs from this AVA as possible. This weekend we sampled a 2010 Fort Ross Vineyard Sea Slopes Pinot Noir. It did not disappoint. 

Fort Ross Vineyard and Winery

 

The Winery

Fort Ross Vineyard and Winery was founded by South African transplants Linda and Lester Schwartz. After living and working in San Francisco, they discovered a beautiful location on the Sonoma Coast in 1988 to start a winery. The planting began in 1991. Theirs is the closest winery to the Pacific Ocean, less than one mile. It sits seven miles north of the Russian River Valley, and 2 miles southeast of the old, Russian settlement of Fort Ross. The vineyards are all planted above the fog at 1,200 to 1,700 feet above sea level allowing the grapes to receive plenty of sun, but high temperatures are moderated by the cooling Pacific breeze. In addition to Pinot, they also produce Chardonnay, Pinotage, and a Rosé Pinot Noir. The 2010 Sea Slopes Pinot received 95 points in the April 2013 edition of Wine Enthusiast. At a price of just $36 a bottle, my husband and I were anxious to try this wine.

 

The Tasting

Color:  Beautiful, bright ruby red.

Nose:  Wow, can you smell the terrior! What a wonderful big nose with tea, and forest notes as well as dark berry and plum.

2010 Fort Ross Sea Slopes Pinot Noir
 

Taste:  A wonderfully well balanced, complex wine. It was smooth and elegant - definitely a California Pinot, but with more finesse than some of the “big” California Pinots. Also, it has a nice bit of spice with the red fruit. After sampling alone, it was paired with beef tri tips prepared on the grill and sautéed zucchini and squash seasoned with rosemary and thyme. It was a great pairing. I didn’t think the finish on this wine could get any better, but it definitely did! And what a surprise with the vegetables, the herbs just popped with earthiness of the wine. I almost felt like I was dining in the woods along the Pacific Coast!

 

Conclusion

I’m definitely glad we went in a case of this wine! We ordered directly from the winery and received a nice case discount which helps to offset the cost of shipping. I think you would have a difficult time finding another Pinot as wonderful as this for just $36 a bottle. In fact, you will have a hard time topping this beauty at any price!

 

Cheers,

Beth

 

Wine Word of the Week

Glycerol: One of the minor by-products of fermentation, glycerol, or glycerine, has no color, no aroma, and a light, faintly sweet taste.  Its thick, syrupy quality is thought to contribute to a wine's texture and viscosity.