January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 William James Cellars Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County.
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In the glass, this wine is smoky garnet in color. The nose starts out with lots of cherry and a gamey edge. The latter fades with aeration and gives way to mushroom and notes of grilled meats. The palate shows cherry on entry and follows with mineral notes with a slightly green, bell pepper edge. This body of this wine is in the upper light range with soft, silky tannins. The medium finish carries cherry and green pepper notes. |
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RWB Score: 88 breakdown 14.4% Alcohol $28.00 Retail (from winery); 280 cases produced |
The 2005 Santa Barbara County offering is unmistakably Pinot Noir. A bit lean and tight but with straightforward fruit flavors and interesting character with a bit of a green edge at the end. This proves to be an asset when paired with savory foods. A lot of wine for the price: very good value. Expected to soften and mature a bit over the next 3 years or so. |
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More William James Cellars reviews. More on Santa Barbara County |
100% Pinot Noir, 50% Casa Torres and 50% Garey Ranch Vineyards. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels approximately 33% new cooperage.
For those that have not seen “Sideways”, 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. Pinot Noir is, in fact, genetically unstable and its spontaneous mutations have given 46 identified clones in France alone. Worldwide estimates range from 200 to 1000 clones. Additionally, Pinot Noir is very susceptible to frost at budbreak, pests, fungal and viral infections. The berries of this cool climate-preferring variety are thin skinned and can dehydrate quickly and the wine may not retain its color for long periods or loose its aromas on bottling. Even fermentation is tricky as Pinot Noir has a tendency to very tumultuous fermentation which may cause it to violently bubble or “boil” up out of the container. The list is a litany of things that can turn a winemaker’s hair gray. 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. Nonetheless, it is planted worldwide. (Perhaps Pinot Noir is like Golf: an endless and frustrating pursuit of something great and nearly elusive). It does well in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, In British Columbia and New Zealand. 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 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. Some also describe a peppermint quality. It can also show aromas and flavors that some sources place in the herbal category: beet, black olive, green tomato, green tea, oregano and rhubarb. More earthy elements found in Pinot Noir are earth (moist earth), barnyard, mushroom and truffle. In addition leather, meat (raw or grilled) can also be seen. Pinot Noirs rarely have the make up to last past a decade but with age they can show oak characteristics as well as tobacco and smoke.
The Garey Ranch Vineyard was planted in the 1990’s as part of the Byron estate. The roughly 360 acre vineyard is named after the Garey township in the mid-western part of the Santa Maria Valley AVA – near the confluence of the Santa Maria, Sisquoc and Cuyama Rivers and northwest of the current Byron estate. The sandy-loam soils of the vineyard were deposited by shifting water ways related to the three rivers. Only 305 acres are planted to Chardonnay (95, 76, 15, 17 & Wente clones), Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir (including the popular 667, 777 clones as well as 115 and 05). About three miles to the west is the Casa Torres Vineyard. Located just south of Clark Ave and just east of Highway 101, the very small (5 acre) Casa Torres vineyard was planted to clones 4 and 23 of Pinot Noir in 2000. Situated outside the border of the Santa Maria AVA, Casa Torres Vineyard lies between the two Solomon Hills Vineyard properties, 13 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The warmth of the day here is mitigated by cool ocean breezes and foggy nights are not uncommon.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The year 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 lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage.
In 2003, winemaker Jim Porter entered the commercial wine making scene in Santa Barbara County. Jim started making home wine with “with kitchen utensils, strainers and trash cans”. Spurred by his successes in home wine competitions, and aided by his connections with various vineyards made through his agricultural irrigation business over the past eight years, Jim was able to put together a winery operation at Fess Parker’s Wine Center in Santa Maria as an alternating proprietor. William James Cellars currently offers Chardonnay, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Roussanne, and Syrah Sourced from all over the Central Coast. With an annual production of 4,000 cases, Jim is moving to an independent wine making facility to be be announced. Their tasting room is located at 113 S. College Avenue in Santa Maria at the corner of Main St. and College Ave.
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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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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
7 points |
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