July 2006 Wine Tasting Notes: 2003 Pinot Noirs.
2003 Koehler Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
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Dark garnet colored. Plum and cherry on the nose with a spicy, herbal, earthy edge. A smoky, leathery, element is present at first and evolves over the course of the bottle to declare itself as cola. The palate is flush with juicy cherry and strawberry. There is distinct spice noted. Light to medium tannins give this wine a nice feel but do not overwhelm. A lasting finish echoes the cherry and strawberry in the palate. A transient alcohol sizzle is present at the end. |
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RWB Score: 89 breakdown 14.3% Alcohol $35 Retail (from winery); 450 cases produced |
Koehler strives to make premium wines at affordable prices and this wine is just that. It is a medium bodied Pinot Noir with the characteristics described above. This wine may be amenable to decanting. The sharper aromas, if not to your liking, dissipate nicely and the fruit flavors become more expressive with decanting. |
More Koehler reviews
Detail
This wine was aged for 10 months in French Oak. This wine bears some darker, herbal tones reminiscent of the Rhone-style bend some California Pinot Noirs inherently display. Clone selection at Rio Vista Vineyard, particularly the 667 clone, may contribute to the higher toned flavors accenting this wine.
Koehler Winery evolved from a 1997 purchase of a property with vines up to 30 years old. At that time, all fruit grown was being sold to other producers. The vision of Kory and Peter Koehler, owners, was to make premium wines at affordable prices. The current line up of wines is very solid with a number of stars. Currently, this is Koehler's only Pinot Noir offering. Next year, they will release two styles sourced from Sanford and Los Alamos. With the addition of reputed wine maker, Chris Stanton, starting with the 2005 vintage, Koehler is a winery to watch.
The Koehler property is within the Santa Ynez Valley appellation, but the fruit for this pinot was sourced form the Rio Vista Vineyard. Consisting of two vineyards and facing the Santa Ynez River at the eastern border of the Santa Rita Hills appellation, the property was planted in 1999 with a majority of the 25 acres occupied by three of the most popular Pinot Noir clones (115, 667, 777). The vineyard experiences warmer temperatures than other portions of Santa Rita Hills.
Rio Vista grapes are sourced by a number of wineries in the Santa Barbara County area.
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
4 points |
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Finish |
4 points |
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Tannins |
4 points |
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Acidity |
4 points |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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