May 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Carr Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir, Clos Pepe Vineyards, Sta. Rita Hills.
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Deep purple garnet colored, this Pinot Noir offers medium intensity aromas of plum, cola and brown spice as well as light vanilla aromas and hints of heather. On the palate, medium intensity cola and underbrush mingle with light strawberry, rose hips and mineral. Softer acids and a veil of supple tannins make for a velvety smooth mouthfeel in this lighter-bodied wine. A medium length finish is more straightforward with strawberry flavors and mineral notes. |
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Cumulative Score: 90 breakdown 14 % Alcohol $40.00 Retail (from winery); 98 cases produced |
Complex, with dark, alluring qualities, this 2005 Clos Pepe Vineyards Pinot Noir from Ryan Carr offers rich and well integrated aromas and sophisticated, somewhat demure flavors. Its opulence and softer acids lend itself to earlier drinking as a social wine for the immediate gratification of a sinful indulgence over the next 3 to 4 years. This wine may also pair well with lighter red meat dishes as well as pastas. |
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More Carr Vineyards and Winery reviews. More on the Sta. Rita Hills AVA |
100% Clos Pepe clone 115 Pinot Noir, 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.
Rolling gently over the foot of the La Purisima Hills on the north side of Highway 246, the 28-acre Clos Pepe vineyard is planted to 24 acres of Pinot Noir 4 acres of Chardonnay on well-draining sandy soils. Winegrower, Wes Hagen points out that despite being located in the northern portion of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (and, thus, farther from the ocaen) the vineyard enjoys cooler temperatures than in the southern portion of the Sta. Rita Hills – between the Santa Rosa and the Santa Rita Hills – which is closer to the ocean. Wes, who oversaw the planting and development of the former horse ranch into a vineyard beginning in 1996, adheres to the spirit (but not necessarily the letter) of biodynamic and organic farming methods.
Pinot Noir, the noble Burgundian grape, is often described as "difficult" to grow but the wine is beautiful and complex when circumstances are favorable. It is one of the oldest grape varieties to be vinified. The tiny (~60 square miles) Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France has been the benchmark for Pinot Noir for centuries. Nonetheless, it is planted worldwide. It is often described as delicate and light bodied and having a soft texture. The aromas and flavors are the most distinct and identifiable and most complex of all varieties. Common fruit aromas are: cherry, raspberry, ripe tomato and strawberry. It can express floral notes or rose or violet. Spice is a big element of Pinot Noir: cardamom, caraway, cinnamon, cola, clove, nutmeg, pepper, rosemary and sassafras. Most California Pinot Noirs made today (with some exceptions) rarely have the make up to last past a decade but with age they can show tobacco and smoke characteristics. (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 |
4 points |
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Palate |
4 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
4 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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