Winery Website: www.ventanawines.com

We’ve reviewed a few wines so far from Ventana Vineyards and have yet to be disappointed by any of them thus far. I’m a huge fan of the California Costal Pinot so it was with some slight anticipation that I drank this wine. There’s something rockin’ about the pinot from that region which keep it on the forefront of pinot sales at large.

Technical Data:

• Vineyard: Ventana Vineyards Soil Type – Calcareous composition of alluvial deposit with rock and gravel
• Barrels: French Oak
• Vintage: 2006
• Wine Type: Red Wine
• Varietal: Pinot Noir
• Appellation: Arroyo Seco
• Acid: .53 g/ 100ml
• PH: 3.85
• Fermentation: 100% Barrel Fermented
• Alcohol %: 13.5
• Price: $28

Nose: Huge cranberry, and dried cherry component on the nose – very much reminds me of home-made cranberry Sauce.

Taste: Cranberry spice with hints of toasty oak… some firepit ash, floods of dried berries, chocolate and cherries abound – the finish lingers on very well. This is a well-made Pinot that’s very food-friendly and one that I’d quite frankly recommend; especially to those folks out there who may still be struggling with the whole pinot thing – yes, some of them exist, in spite of that stupid movie, Sideways.

W.E.P. Rating: 100%