May 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Carr Vineyards and Winery Pinot Gris, Turner Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills.
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This wine is light golden-colored with an amber hue. The nose offers medium intensity aromas of ripe apples. Light tropical fruit nectar aromas with notes of cantaloupe and spices suggestive of Thai spiced tea are embellished by a subtle nuttiness. The palate is lively with intense tart green apple and light mineral and lemon rind notes. The mouthfeel is creamy and rich. The combination of bolder alcohol and mineral characteristics make for a medium bodied wine. The zingy acidity builds to a peak in the finish which delivers generous amounts of tangy citrus (leaning towards grapefruit) and mineral notes. |
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Cumulative Score: 88 breakdown 14 % Alcohol $18.00 Retail (from winery); 360 cases produced |
This is a very lively and interesting Pinto Gris with very good acidity, a broad spectrum of aromas and flavors of fruit and spice lightly embellished with an intriguing nuttiness. This is a very food friendly wine and should pair well with robust seafood, shellfish, crab cakes, as well as tomato-based sauces for another 3 to 4 years. |
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More Carr Vineyards and Winery reviews. More on the Sta. Rita Hills AVA |
100% Pinot Noir, clones: 113, 115, 777 and Pommard. Aged 12 months in French oak barrels.
A great business strategy and a fortuitous set of events positioned Ryan Carr, a new kid on the block, on the receiving end of the supply of some of the best fruit in the county – without having made any wine under his own label before OR owing any vineyards. He came to the Santa Ynez Valley from Arizona in 1998 to develop a ranch his family purchased. Through associations with Craig McMillan and Andy Kahn, went from making 10 cases of wine in his garage in 1999 to making wine for Carr Vineyards and Winery from grapes he himself grows – without the financial demands of owning land and developing a premiere vineyard. Ryan now manages over 100 acres of vineyard at 6 different properties in Santa Barbara County through his vineyard development and management company (Carr Vineyards). For his own label, Ryan focuses on cool-climate Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA but also makes Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc and Syrah from vineyards he manages producing 2,000 cases annually. With a new location in downtown Santa Barbara, Ryan is settling his sights on 4,500 cases.
The 29-acre Turner Vineyard sits at the foot of the La Purisima Hills, on the North side of Highway 246, just behind Babcock Vineyard and winery. This northern section of the Sta. Rita Hills is a coveted area of the AVA with neighbors such as Babcock, Foley, Melville and Clos Pepe. The vineyard was planted and developed by Ryan Carr in 2000 to 15 acres of Pinot Noir, 3 acres of Pinot Gris and 3 acres of Syrah with the first harves coming in 2004. The south facing vineyard sits on varied terrain, including rolling hills (the slopes of which face north and south), valley floor and flat mesa. Predominantly sandy soils of the vineyard have areas of sand mixed with loam and shale. This vineyard enjoys the cool microclimate of the Sta. Rita Hills.
Know by a number of different names, Pinot gris is a “white” mutant of Pinot noir. It has come to greatest renown in northern Italy, where it is called Pinot grigio. It is typified by high acidity which gives it structure and food compatibility. Across the map, Pinot gris ranges from neutral and indistinct to very aromatic. Ripeness and climate have a huge impact as can the use of oak and other vinification methods. These give a range of crisp, light and acidic to rich, curvy and full bodied. In addition to lighter floral aromas, Pinot gris expresses apple, honey, lemon, melons, pear. Cooperage tends to impart almond, butter, cream, smoke and vanilla. (read more)
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The vintage is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage because of a very long and generally cool growing season without heat spikes. This long season resulted in extended hang times in even temperatures which gave the fruit good extraction but generally lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage.
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5 points |
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Nose |
3 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
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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