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: 2005 W.H. Smith "Maritime Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2005 W.H. Smith "Maritime Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

SKU #1025515 98 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark *Editors' Choice* The first thoughts on this wine are how young it is, and how much potential it shows. The immaturity lies in the primary fruit, acidic character, like a big gulp of fruity cola. But the wine’s awesome future is in its vast complexity and balance, and the way it dominates the palate and lasts and lasts. A blend of several vineyards, it’s high in acidity, with massive cherry, pomegranate, rhubarb preserve, licorice, earthy mushroom and cedar flavors. So balanced and dry, so elegant and powerful, so silky and complex, it is quite simply a very great Pinot Noir, and an early indication that the vintage on the far Sonoma Coast may be the greatest ever. Tasted twice. Inner quote mark (5/2007)

91 points Wine & Spirits

Outer quote mark Dark, robust berry scents and deep pinot flavors form the core of this wine, fat and rich as a Russian River Valley pinot noir with more sun and brine. It's still young and a bit unformed, the charry oak, autumnal flavors and vibrant fruit needing time to meld. Cellar it for several years, then serve with acorn-fed boar or wild duck. Inner quote mark (4/2007)

90 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Aromas of ripe plum, blackberry, cedar and spice turn elegant and supple on the palate, with smooth tannins and good length. Turns delicate, with excellent balance. Inner quote mark (4/2007)

K&L Notes

The 2005 Maritime Ridge Pinot Noir was sourced from vineyards located just miles from the Pacific Ocean. You may know W.H. Smith's Bill and Joan Smith by their earlier efforts--they restored the historic La Jota Winery on Howell Mountain, in the Napa Valley and made Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines there until 1999. "Maritime Vineyard" is actually a proprietary blend that includes fruit from various Sonoma Coast vineyards from the Freestone area to the Petaluma Gap. The 2005 Maritime shows a complex yet well proportioned balance of velvet tannins, voluptuous fruit, and a long finish. Roasted lamb or duck and classic French dishes like Coq au Vin or Beef Bourgogne may pair best with this wine.

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2005 W.H. Smith "Maritime Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Price: $49.99

Quantity:

WE: 98

W&S: 91

WS: 90

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Pinot Noir

- One of France's most legendary grapes and the grape that earned Burgundy its reputation. The parent of varietals like Pinot Gris/Grigio and Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir is blue to violet to indigo in color with relatively thin skins, and it is said to have been cultivated in France for more than 2,000 years. At its best, Pinot Noir creates elegant wines that are filled with primary red fruit aromas and flavors while young, revealing with an array of secondary characteristics like earth, smoke, violet, truffle and game with age. The varietal is also known, perhaps better than any, for its ability to translate terroir, or a sense of place. While the best Pinot Noir still comes from Burgundy, it is being produced with increasing success in cooler climates around the world. In France, it is part of the trifecta of grapes that can go into Champagne, and it is also grown in Alsace, Irancy, Jura, Savoie, Lorraine and Sancerre. Outside of France it is produced under the names Pinot Nero and Blauburgunder in Italy's mountainous regions, as Spätburgunder in Germany and as Blauburgunder in Austria. In the US, Pinot Noir has found suitable growing conditions in the cooler parts of California, including Carneros, the Russian River Valley, the Anderson Valley, the Sonoma Coast, Monterey County, the Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Barbara County, as well as in Oregon's Willamette Valley. In recent years, New Zealand has demonstrated its ability to interpret this hard-to-grow varietal, with successful bottlings coming from careful and attentive growers in Central Otago, Martinborough and Canterbury. Chile is also an up-and-coming region for Pinot Noir, creating fresh, fruit-forward, early-drinking and affordable Pinots from the coastal Casablanca Valley and the Limari Valley.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Sonoma County

- Second in fame only to Napa, this "other" valley offers just about every climate and topography imaginable. From its cool and fog-enshrouded coastal regions on the far west, to the sprawling Alexander Valley on the boarder of Napa and the many little dips and peaks in between, Sonoma has been a vital wine-grape-growing region since the mid 1800s. Important sub-AVAs include Chalk Hill (known for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc), Dry Creek Valley (where zin is king) Knights Valley (largely cabernet land), Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast (both celebrated pinot and chardonnay zones).