January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2004 Ventana Vineyards Pinot Noir, Monterey, Arroyo Seco.
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A deep, smoky garnet color with a purple-hued edge starts this wine. The nose begins with savory spices and gamey, earthy notes. Subtle vanilla notes are present. Cherry opens up soon and persists through the bottle. On the palate, lighter cherry notes are framed by bay and oregano. A characteristic mineral base and a slightly stemmy edge. Supple tannins and appropriate acids make for a sleek mouthfeel with slightly bold alcohol. A modest finish is focused around mineral notes and dried herbs. |
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RWB Score: 88 breakdown 13.5% Alcohol $34.00 Retail (from winery); Total production unknown. |
This maturing and composed 2004 Pinot Noir is old world-styled and very food friendly. Its herb-dominated profile and that distinct stamp of Ventana terroir should pair well with traditional European dishes through 2010. |
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More Ventana reviews. More on Arroyo Seco AVA |
Estate grown and bottled, this wine is aged for 18 months in French (Burgundian) oak.
For those that have not seen “Sideways”, Pinot Noir, the noble Burgundian grape, is often described as "difficult" to grow but the wine it gives is beautiful and complex when circumstances are favorable. It is genetically unstable and its spontaneous mutations have given 1000 clones worldwide. Additionally, Pinot Noir is very susceptible to vagaries of climate, pests, fungal and viral infections. The tiny (~60 square miles) Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France has been the benchmark for Pinot Noir for centuries. It is believed that the east-facing slopes of Burgundy make for optimal sun exposure without excessive heat and the chalky, well draining soils retain heat – all of which assist in ripening. In California, it does well in Carneros and the Russian River Valley regions of the Sonoma AVA in the north. In the Central Coast, Monterey County (the Pinnacles and the Santa Lucia Highlands) and the Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills produce outstanding Pinot Noir. It is often described as delicate and light bodied and having a soft texture. The aromas and flavors are the most distinct and identifiable of all varieties. Common fruit aromas are: cherry, raspberry, ripe tomato and strawberry. It can express floral notes of rose or violet. Spice is a big element of Pinot Noir: cardamom, caraway, cinnamon, cola, clove, nutmeg, pepper, rosemary and sassafras. Some also describe a peppermint quality. It can also show aromas and flavors of beet, black olive, green tomato, green tea, oregano and rhubarb. Other elements encountered in Pinot Noir are earth (moist earth), barnyard, mushroom and truffle. In addition leather, meat (raw or grilled) can also be noted. Pinot Noirs rarely have the make up to last past a decade but with a little age they can show oak characteristics as well as tobacco and smoke.
The hot 2004 growing season was one of the shortest in the history of the state. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than usual, at the start of August. Statewide reports of light to normal yields of excellent quality fruit with superb extraction raised anticipation of the wines to come. However, red wines from this vintage are proving variable by our experience. While this "crop of crops" was lauded as producing highly extracted fruit, some wines have been rather unbalanced while others were stunning an memorable. This seems to depend more on the combination of AVA and vineyard management, rather than winemaking techniques. Each offering from this vintage should be judged individually and not by virtue of vintage alone since the shortened growing season affected different varietals in different AVAs and even vineyards.
Ventana ("window" in Spanish) was founded by Doug Meador in the early 1970s. A former Navy pilot from a family of Washington apple farmers, he became fascinated with cold-climate viticulture while supervising the planting of 2,500 acres of grapes in the Arroyo Seco area of Monterey County. He purchased and planted the current 400 acre property. He became a pioneer and champion of Monterey wine. In September 2006, The Meadors sold the Ventana brand, vineyards, winery and tasting room to a group of local winemakers and grape growers who make up Ventana Vintners, LLC. Doug is still involved with and present at Ventana (which continues his legacy) but is concentrating on his namesake label: Meador as well as other projects.
Ventana Vineyard’s lead winemaker is Reggie Hammond (he retains that position after the recent transfer of ownership). He was brought in by Doug Meador to manage the vineyards, winery operations and to develop Ventana's red wine portfolio while continuing the line up of white wines at the standard of quality Dough had established. He applies a "keep it simple and don't screw it up" approach to achieve the Ventana winemaking philosophy. Ventana aims to craft "European sensibility and an abundance of California fruit" at a good value. This means affordable wines with distinct varietal characteristics. The frame of mind is to be "wine-growers" not grape growers.
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
2 points |
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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 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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