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Gros Ventre Cellars
| Owner(s) | Chris Pettinger, Sarah Pittenger |
| Web site | www.grosventrecellars.com |
| Link to this site |
A producer of small lot Pinot Noir from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The inaugural releases came from the 2009 vintage (Baranoff Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and First Born Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir).
Chris and Sarah Pittenger launched the idea of this winery on the banks of Gros Ventre River in Jackson Hole where they met in 2003. They were to call Sarah's pregnant belly "Gros Ventre (French for "big belly") and soon thereafter name their wine brand for their son John Henry and the beautiful place they met.
Chris Pittenger spent time as a sommelier and developing his winemaking skills at wineries that include Biale, Torbreck, Williams Selyem, and Marcassin. The six vintages spent at these wineries gave him the knowledge to work with Pinot Noir.
The wines are available through the winery's online store.
Articles About Gros Ventre Cellars
Reviewed Wines
2009 Gros Ventre Baranoff Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.4% alc., 50 cases, $44. From a 3-acre vineyard in the heart of
Sebastopol. This wine is a blend of the 7 Pinot Noir clones on the site:
Calera, Swan, 113, 115, 459, 667 and 777. The clones were co-fermented
and aged together on their lees. Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark
reddish-purple color in the glass. Aromas of dark red berries and black
cherries with a hint of baking spices, oak and lavender. Even with decanting
the wine is a bit closed, but opens some in the glass over time. Crisp and
vivid core of Bing cherry and strawberry fruit with a swirl of cola and oak.
Medium weighted with nice balance and finesse, and offering a lengthy finish.
Drank beautifully two days later from a previously opened and re-corked
bottle. No hurry on this one. Very good.
Reviewed July 1, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., 151 cases, $44. A combination of Pommard 5 (one-third)
and 2A (two-thirds) clones from this steeply sloped vineyard
overlooking the Anderson Valley. Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately
dark garnet color in the glass. Brooding black fruits with a hint of
sweet oak on the nose which opens slowly in the glass. Delicious core
of perfectly ripe and well-bred black and purple Pinot fruits. A little savory,
spicy and earthy. Ideal weight, balance and flavor intensity with a generous
finish marked by brisk acidity. A complete wine that shows breeding. Decant
if you open a bottle now, but patience will bring further rewards.
Reviewed July 1, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., 151 cases, $44. Pommard 5
and Wädenswil. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentations. Aged 10 months in 50% new French oak barrels.
Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Well oaked with noticeable spice and savory accents. Generous purple fruit flavors
with bright acidity on the elegant finish. Needs more time to integrate the oak. Very good (-).
Reviewed June 24, 2012
ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre First Born Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.4% alc., 101
cases, $50. A flagship cuveé representing the best lots of a vintage. This
bottling is dominated by fruit sourced from an unnamed vineyard along the true
Sonoma Coast.
·
Dark and densely colored in the glass. The nose leaps out
from the glass with of scents of spiced black cherries, raspberries, plums and
faint herbal oak. Rich and intense, saturating the palate with plush sweet fruits
that find every nook and cranny in the mouth. Lively natural acidity maintains
the wine’s vitality and supple tannins make for smooth, seductive drinking. This
wine is a little too busty for me but it will find many fans. Decanting is
obligatory. Very good.
Reviewed July 1, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre Baranoff Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.4% alc., 50 cases, $44. From a 3-acre vineyard in the heart of Sebastopol. This wine is a blend of the 7 Pinot Noir clones on the site: Calera, Swan, 113, 115, 459, 667 and 777. The clones were co-fermented and aged together on their lees. Unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Aromas of dark red berries and black cherries with a hint of baking spices, oak and lavender. Even with decanting the wine is a bit closed, but opens some in the glass over time. Crisp and vivid core of Bing cherry and strawberry fruit with a swirl of cola and oak. Medium weighted with nice balance and finesse, and offering a lengthy finish. Drank beautifully two days later from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. No hurry on this one. Very good. Reviewed July 1, 2011 ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., 151 cases, $44. A combination of Pommard 5 (one-third) and 2A (two-thirds) clones from this steeply sloped vineyard overlooking the Anderson Valley. Unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Brooding black fruits with a hint of sweet oak on the nose which opens slowly in the glass. Delicious core of perfectly ripe and well-bred black and purple Pinot fruits. A little savory, spicy and earthy. Ideal weight, balance and flavor intensity with a generous finish marked by brisk acidity. A complete wine that shows breeding. Decant if you open a bottle now, but patience will bring further rewards. Reviewed July 1, 2011 ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., 151 cases, $44. Pommard 5 and Wädenswil. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentations. Aged 10 months in 50% new French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. · Well oaked with noticeable spice and savory accents. Generous purple fruit flavors with bright acidity on the elegant finish. Needs more time to integrate the oak. Very good (-). Reviewed June 24, 2012 ARTICLE »
2009 Gros Ventre First Born Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.4% alc., 101 cases, $50. A flagship cuveé representing the best lots of a vintage. This bottling is dominated by fruit sourced from an unnamed vineyard along the true Sonoma Coast. · Dark and densely colored in the glass. The nose leaps out from the glass with of scents of spiced black cherries, raspberries, plums and faint herbal oak. Rich and intense, saturating the palate with plush sweet fruits that find every nook and cranny in the mouth. Lively natural acidity maintains the wine’s vitality and supple tannins make for smooth, seductive drinking. This wine is a little too busty for me but it will find many fans. Decanting is obligatory. Very good. Reviewed July 1, 2011 ARTICLE »
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