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Belle Glos
| Owner(s) | Chuck Wagner, Joseph Wagner |
| Web site | www.belleglos.com |
| Link to this site |
This label is one of four brands produced by the Wagner family (the Caymus umbrella includes Mer Soleil and Conundrum). The wines have improved every year since the first releases in 2001. Chuck Wagner’s son, Joseph, handles the viticulture and winemaking for this label. The name (pronounced BELL GLOS) honors Joseph Wagner's grandmother, Loma Belle Glos. Three vineyard-designates include Taylor Lane Vineyard (Sonoma Coast), Las Alturas Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands) and Clark and Telephone Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley). A fourth Pinot Noir, Belle Glos Meiomi is a value-priced wine from declassified juice ($26).
The wines are distributed to fine wine retailers. The bottles are amongst the most charming in the business, offering a long neck dipped in generous wax. The Belle Glos Pinot Noirs in early vintages (2002-2005) were big-styled wines with generous extraction, alcohol and oak, and plenty of tannins when young. The last couple of years have shown more restraint. The Gambit series of Pinot Noirs debuted in 2008 and are limited-production wines with no added sulfur. They are even more voluptuous than the regular bottlings.
The wines have good retail distribution.
Articles About Belle Glos
Reviewed Wines
2008 Meiomi by Belle Glos Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., $24. 65%
Sonoma County, 20% County,15% Santa Barbara County.
Pronounced “May-OH-mee,” which is “coast” in the language
of California’s Wappo tribe.
·
Intensely fruity and penetrating
nose with effusive scents of ripe dark berries accented with
notes of sandalwood, oak and cigar box. A rich, but smooth
and caressing wine in the mouth, with a multilayered core of berries
and a complimentary underpinning of toasty oak. The soft tannins make for
easy drinkability and this wine is far more approachable than any of the three
vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from Belle Glos. This Pinot really shows off
California coastal fruit, is one of the best values in California Pinot Noir on the
market today, and is the best California appellation Pinot Noir bar none.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., $50. Aged in French oak for 9 months.
·
Deeply colored. Lovely
perfume of red and black fruits with a touch of oak spice. Earthy, briny and meaty
dark fruits complimented by oak and cloaked in supple tannins. Very smoothly
textured making it easy to drink. A very distinctive wine that is reflective of the
Martini selection and this terroir. I am usually not a big fan of Martini selection
Pinot Noirs, but this wine really delivers the goods.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Belle Glos Los Alturas Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.8% alc.,
$50. Aged 9 months in French oak.
·
Don’t even think about drinking this wine now unless
you decant it first. Brooding aromas that take some swirling to free up. Dark fruits with
hints of oak and cardamon spice. Tight in the mouth with oodles of plum and blackberry
liquor essence with notes of creosol and savory herbs. Healthy tannins but soft and
smooth on the palate. Gets better and better over time in the glass. Not for the timid.
Very good.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., $50.
Aged 9 months in French oak. Deep, dark reddish-purple color in the glass.
·
Intensely
fruity nose that improves with time in the glass revealing a perfume of crushed plums,
boysenberries, oak spice and underbrush. A whiff of alcohol peaks out as the wine
warms. Rustic and sinewy with flavors of black cherries, blackberries, cola, cassis, herbs
and oak. The tannins are restrained and there is a good lift of acidity on the finish which
shows some persistence. Good.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2007 Belle Glos Meiomi Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., $25.
The name is pronounced May-OH-mee” and means “coast” in the
language of the native Wappo tribe. A blend of several vineyards with
different sub-climates in the true Sonoma Coast.
·
Very expressive nose
right out of the bottle smelling of black raspberries, blackberries, dark
chocolate, and fermenting Pinot Noir, with a whiff of alcohol. Vivid and fruity with
tones of spice and herbs. Likable for its smooth texture and easy drinkability.
Tasted on two occasions by the glass at a restaurant recently and at home from a
bottle with consistent findings. Very good and very well priced.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., $40.
·
Dark purple color. Well-spiced black cherry and berry
scent reminiscent of jam on toast. Rich middle palate of sweet cherries,
berries and plums which is plush, even syrupy, but not jammy. A fruit driven
wine with moderate dry grainy tannins that will find many fans.
Take this handsome wax-dipped bottle (a tab is attached to the wax for
easy opening) to a restaurant and you will get some attention. The best wine I
have tasted from this producer to date. Widely distributed (under the Caymus
family umbrella).
Reviewed October 29, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Belle Glos Oeil De Perdrix Pinot Noir Blanc Yorkville Highlands Mendocino County
12.0% alc. $25. This wine was exposed briefly to
French oak during and after fermentation. A portion of the sales of this
wine go to research for breast cancer.
·
Medium pink-orange in color.
Aromas of strawberry soda and new-mown grass. Delicious strawberry
flavors with a complimentary note of toast. Rich for a rosé with an appealing
persistence on the finish. Can match up with substantial food.
Reviewed May 26, 2008
ARTICLE »
2005 Belle Glos Los Alturas Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Monterey County Pinot Noir
1234 cases, $50. This label is under the
Caymus umbrella and the wines have gotten better every year since the
first releases in 2001. Chuck Wagner’s son, Joseph, handles the
viticulture and winemaking for this label. The wines are distributed to fine wine retailers. No website.
·
A Pinot with very expressive
aromatics featuring cherries, vanilla, and sweet oak. Nice depth and richness
of flavor with fine tannins and a clean finish. The best Pinot I have had
from this producer. Very sexy label and bottle with red wax draped
around the neck (and a nice wax tab for easily removing the wax at the top
to access the cork).
Reviewed January 22, 2007
ARTICLE »
2004 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.0% alc.,
$45. From a vineyard located in the Occidental Ridges planted to Dijon clones.
Aged 9 months in French oak.
·
Deep purple color in the glass. Welcoming scents
of black cherries, black olive, toasted oak and a hint of spice. Plenty of dark
cherry and berry fruit, accents of tobacco, oak and nutmeg, on a polished, rich
platform with minimal tannins. A tasty ripe style of Pinot Noir that seduces with a
plush mouth feel. Very good (+).
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2008 Meiomi by Belle Glos Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., $24. 65% Sonoma County, 20% County,15% Santa Barbara County. Pronounced “May-OH-mee,” which is “coast” in the language of California’s Wappo tribe. · Intensely fruity and penetrating nose with effusive scents of ripe dark berries accented with notes of sandalwood, oak and cigar box. A rich, but smooth and caressing wine in the mouth, with a multilayered core of berries and a complimentary underpinning of toasty oak. The soft tannins make for easy drinkability and this wine is far more approachable than any of the three vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from Belle Glos. This Pinot really shows off California coastal fruit, is one of the best values in California Pinot Noir on the market today, and is the best California appellation Pinot Noir bar none. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., $50. Aged in French oak for 9 months. · Deeply colored. Lovely perfume of red and black fruits with a touch of oak spice. Earthy, briny and meaty dark fruits complimented by oak and cloaked in supple tannins. Very smoothly textured making it easy to drink. A very distinctive wine that is reflective of the Martini selection and this terroir. I am usually not a big fan of Martini selection Pinot Noirs, but this wine really delivers the goods. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Belle Glos Los Alturas Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.8% alc., $50. Aged 9 months in French oak. · Don’t even think about drinking this wine now unless you decant it first. Brooding aromas that take some swirling to free up. Dark fruits with hints of oak and cardamon spice. Tight in the mouth with oodles of plum and blackberry liquor essence with notes of creosol and savory herbs. Healthy tannins but soft and smooth on the palate. Gets better and better over time in the glass. Not for the timid. Very good. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., $50. Aged 9 months in French oak. Deep, dark reddish-purple color in the glass. · Intensely fruity nose that improves with time in the glass revealing a perfume of crushed plums, boysenberries, oak spice and underbrush. A whiff of alcohol peaks out as the wine warms. Rustic and sinewy with flavors of black cherries, blackberries, cola, cassis, herbs and oak. The tannins are restrained and there is a good lift of acidity on the finish which shows some persistence. Good. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2007 Belle Glos Meiomi Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., $25. The name is pronounced May-OH-mee” and means “coast” in the language of the native Wappo tribe. A blend of several vineyards with different sub-climates in the true Sonoma Coast. · Very expressive nose right out of the bottle smelling of black raspberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, and fermenting Pinot Noir, with a whiff of alcohol. Vivid and fruity with tones of spice and herbs. Likable for its smooth texture and easy drinkability. Tasted on two occasions by the glass at a restaurant recently and at home from a bottle with consistent findings. Very good and very well priced. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., $40. · Dark purple color. Well-spiced black cherry and berry scent reminiscent of jam on toast. Rich middle palate of sweet cherries, berries and plums which is plush, even syrupy, but not jammy. A fruit driven wine with moderate dry grainy tannins that will find many fans. Take this handsome wax-dipped bottle (a tab is attached to the wax for easy opening) to a restaurant and you will get some attention. The best wine I have tasted from this producer to date. Widely distributed (under the Caymus family umbrella). Reviewed October 29, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Belle Glos Oeil De Perdrix Pinot Noir Blanc Yorkville Highlands Mendocino County
12.0% alc. $25. This wine was exposed briefly to French oak during and after fermentation. A portion of the sales of this wine go to research for breast cancer. · Medium pink-orange in color. Aromas of strawberry soda and new-mown grass. Delicious strawberry flavors with a complimentary note of toast. Rich for a rosé with an appealing persistence on the finish. Can match up with substantial food. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2005 Belle Glos Los Alturas Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Monterey County Pinot Noir
1234 cases, $50. This label is under the Caymus umbrella and the wines have gotten better every year since the first releases in 2001. Chuck Wagner’s son, Joseph, handles the viticulture and winemaking for this label. The wines are distributed to fine wine retailers. No website. · A Pinot with very expressive aromatics featuring cherries, vanilla, and sweet oak. Nice depth and richness of flavor with fine tannins and a clean finish. The best Pinot I have had from this producer. Very sexy label and bottle with red wax draped around the neck (and a nice wax tab for easily removing the wax at the top to access the cork). Reviewed January 22, 2007 ARTICLE »
2004 Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., $45. From a vineyard located in the Occidental Ridges planted to Dijon clones. Aged 9 months in French oak. · Deep purple color in the glass. Welcoming scents of black cherries, black olive, toasted oak and a hint of spice. Plenty of dark cherry and berry fruit, accents of tobacco, oak and nutmeg, on a polished, rich platform with minimal tannins. A tasty ripe style of Pinot Noir that seduces with a plush mouth feel. Very good (+). Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
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