Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Grey Stack Cellars - Bennett Valley California


Just recently I tasted a great California pinot noir, 2010 Grey Stack Four Brothers Pinot Noir.  Grey Stack Cellars is located in the Bennett Valley AVA which lies in Sonoma County.  It was my curiosity about Bennett Valley that first drew me to this wine.  The Bennett Valley AVA is one of the newest and smallest designated AVA's in California and is blessed with mineral-rich volcanic soils and a cool climate, perfect for pinot noir! 
My tendencies for pinot noir are usually either Oregon or Burgundy, so I was anxious to see how this one was going to compare.  It was certainly a bit richer and heavier than a typical pinot from Burgundy or Oregon but what stood out for me was its great structure and a wonderfully complex palate.  This wine was in no way "flabby" or what people including me call a fruit-bomb.  This was really well made wine,  Beside being really good now, I strongly believe this wine will continue to evolve and improve over the next few years and be even better than it already is.  I was immediately inclined to purchase a bottle and throw it in the cellar to see how it will show in a year or two.
For a wine crafted exclusively from estate grown fruit it is very reasonable priced at $40.99/bottle.  100 cases made.

The wine from Grey Stack that we have carried for a while is the 2011 Grey Stack Cellars Sauvignon Blanc "Rosemary's Block"($29.99/bottle).  This is a superb and lush sauvignon blanc that has great tropical fruit flavors and aromas.  900 cases made.

Stop in and pick up some of these very small production wines.  Grey Stack is a perfect example of high quality artisinally made wines.   I'm happy to chat with anyone interested in further depth about this really exciting region and truly dynamic winery.

-Greg

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