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2005 Hartford Court Pinot Noir
Arrendell Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Tasting Notes
The 2005 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir is a deep, garnet-colored wine with complex aromas of red raspberries, grilled sage and baking spices. Concentrated red raspberry and Queen Anne cherry flavors complement silky tannins, layers of complexity and an incredibly long finish.
Acclaim
93 Points - "The 2005 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard, which is made from the oldest vines (32-year-old heritage Martini clone Pinot Noir), exhibits a Grenache-like kirsch liqueur and raspberry fruitiness. Elegant, with medium to full-bodied flavors, great fruit on the attack and mid-palate, and a savory, medium to full-bodied finish, this wine should drink nicely for 5-6 years."
Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, December 2007
92 Points - Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May 2007
Historic Acclaim
2004 Vintage - 90 points 'Outstanding', International Wine Cellar
2003 Vintage - 91 Points 'Outstanding', The Wine Advocate
2002 Vintage - 96 Points 'Extraordinary', The Wine Advocate
2001 Vintage - 91+ Points 'Outstanding', The Wine Advocate
2000 Vintage - 92 Points 'Outstanding', The Wine Enthusiast
1999 Vintage - 92 Points 'Outstanding' The Wine Advocate
1999 Vintage - 96 Points 'Outstanding' Bon Appetit Magazine
Vineyard Character
Arrendell Vineyard sits in, arguably, the coldest spot in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley AVA. Each year this Pinot Noir vineyard, with its thirty-year-old vines, struggles to ripen fewer than two tons per acre of the Martini (heirloom) Pinot Noir clone by Halloween. Pinot Noir is usually one of the earliest ripening varietals in Sonoma County. Yet the Arrendell Pinot Noir is often picked after much of the county’s Cabernet Sauvignon, the latest ripening red varietal, is harvested.
The cold mesoclimate that results from cool air settling in this low-lying vineyard preserves natural acidity in the grapes and helps convey the pure expression of the unique, ultra complex terroir in this wine. Balance, natural acidity and density of distinct flavors that result from these adverse conditions also increases the potential for extended aging of Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noirs.
Wine Details
Oak: 100% French oak; 70% new
Time in oak: 15 months
Alcohol: 14.6%
TA: 6.7 g/L
pH: 3.44
Yeast: Native and cultured
Cases produced: 320
No fining or filtration
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