2006 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir

This is the prize in the Saintsbury lineup and consistently the most outstanding Pinot Noir. The vineyard is planted to Pommard and Dijon 115, 667, and 777 clones on four different rootstocks with many soil types and exposures. Yields range from 2.25 to 3.5 tons/acre. It is the only vineyard over which Saintsbury has complete control. The wine typically shows plenty of earthiness and more black than red-fruit character and its finishing persistence is most characteristic. The wine has a label quite distinct from the other Saintsbury wines. The 2006 vintage has not been released, but Jerome Chery gave me a taste at the Pinot Days event in San Francisco in late June, 2008. · Terrific mouth filling presence with red and black fruits that cascade over the palate in waves leaving a lasting impression. Precocious and pleasing at this early stage. Reviewed August 4, 2008

Winery: Saintsbury
From article: Saintsbury 2006