TASTE
Fresh cherry and strawberry aromas jump from the glass with hints of camphor, vanilla and mocha. The texture is silky and elegant with intoxicating cherry and sandalwood flavours. Lingering coffee and spice continue on the palate along with a soft mouthfeel for early drinkability.
PRODUCER
The Sebastiani family own one of the longest-established wineries in California. It was founded in 1904, and survived both Prohibition and the Great Depression to remain at the forefront of the Sonoma county winemaking. A century’s history seems not to have dented the company’s dynamism: it is one of the top hundred on-trade brands in the US and is growing sales substantially ahead of the market. The winemaker, Mark Lyon, has been with Sebastiani since 1979, so brings an intimate knowledge of the region and how to best express it in the bottle, with clarity of fruit, generosity of structure and sensitive use of oak.
VINEYARD
This wine uses Pinot Noir grapes from Sebastiani estate vineyards in Carneros and selected sites in Russian River Valley and Sonoma Valley. The Sonoma Coast appellation is the coolest in the county, and is perfectly suited for Pinot Noir, due to the lingering morning fog and cool ocean breezes.
WINERY
The fruit was destemmed but not crushed, and cold-soaked for three days. During the fermentation, the wine was pumped over up to three times a day. The wine was then gently pressed, racked off gross lees and re-racked with fine lees into French and Hungarian oak barrels. It went through malolactic fermentation in barrels, and remained on lees for six months’ ageing.