Spotlight

Saintsbury Sampler – 6 for $149.95!

5 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir and 1 Single Vineyard Chardonnay
Saintsbury Winery has been around since the late 1970’s, initially making their wines from fruit purchased from contracted growers. Owners David Graves and Dick Ward planted their first estate vineyard in 1986, and by 1997 had begun to produce single-vineyard offerings, beginning with the Brown Ranch vineyard. Since then, they’ve established contracts with other vineyards to produce an entire line of vineyard-designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

One trend over the past decade or so in California is to make powerhouse Pinot Noir that mimics the intensity of Cabernet Sauvignon, bearing little resemblance to the delicate and elegant pinots from Burgundy. Saintsbury has been crafting wines from the cool-climate Carneros district of southern Napa, resulting in wines that emphasize finesse over intensity.

We’re offering a mixed six-pack of Saintsbury single-vineyard wines from the 2006 vintage, featuring one bottle each of the following wines:
-2006 “Toyon Vineyard” Pinot Noir
-2006 “Cerise Vineyard” Pinot Noir
-2006 “Brown Ranch Vineyard” Pinot Noir
-2006 “Stanly Ranch Vineyard” Pinot Noir
-2006 “Lee Vineyard” Pinot Noir
-2006 “Brown Ranch Vineyard” Chardonnay

A mixed six-pack of these wines would ordinarily sell for $285 at their normal retail price. Until the end of April, we’re offering the six-bottle case for $149.95 ($24.99/bottle), 47% off the normal retail price, and 27% off of our already reduced single-bottle price of $34.95 per bottle. If you’re a fan of well-crafted, elegant California pinot noir, here’s a chance to drink better than usual without breaking the bank. Quantities are limited and all wines are available on a first-come basis.

REVIEWS
Allen Meadow’s Burghound is an indispensible resource for information and reviews of wines from Burgundy, and his reports occasionally venture into California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of merit. Below are his reviews of the 2006 Pinot Noir offerings from Saintsbury:

2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir “Toyon Vineyard” -A subtle but nonetheless beautifully complex nose features layered red fruit and spice notes that lead to equally complex middle weight flavors that possess fine depth and relief on the energetic and persistent finish. The acid is a bit more evident on the backend but it allows the finish to remain crisp and dry. Lovely in a reserved and understated style. Score: 90
2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir “Cerise Vineyard” -  Here the nose is a step up in aromatic elegance with an ever so slightly riper array of cherry, raspberry and red pinot fruit that also carries very subtle spice notes that are reflected on the naturally sweet, intense, pure and balanced middle weight flavors that possess a dusty mouth feel and a bit better overall balance on the punchy and mouth coating finish. This is a pretty effort that should age reasonably well over the mid-term. It’s certainly worth a look. Score: 90
2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir “Brown Ranch Vineyard”- The most complex nose in the range with a sublime mix of dark red cherry, violets, blueberry and anise that merges gracefully into fresh, round and generous medium-bodied flavors that are delicious and also notably complex but lack the same fine detail of the Cerise, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish where a noticeable if discreet touch of warmth is felt. This is certainly pretty but not quite as well balanced as its Anderson Valley sibling. Score: 89
2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir “Stanly Ranch” - Here the nose is every bit as complex as the Brown Ranch with really lovely and attractively subtle spicy red and blue fruit aromas that display a touch of cranberry before merging seamlessly into detailed, pure and delicious medium-bodied flavors that possess a dusty and ever so slightly edgy finish that is presently on the youthfully austere side that comes up just a bit short relative to the Cerise. Score: 89
2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir “Lee Vineyard”- Intense ruby. An expressive and equally intense nose offers up dark red pinot fruit and subtle spice and vegetal notes that merge seamlessly into round, rich and pure flavors that possess good detail though the finish is youthfully austere at present and will need a few years to round out.  Score: 88

April 10, 2009 2:25