WOW - 2001 Sanford Pinot Noir (from Sideways)

[BrentKulman]

With a tip of the hat to forum host Brad Ballinger for the idea, the next WOW will be the Sanford 2001 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills.

For those of you who have seen "Sideways," Sanford was the winery that was described as making the best Pinot Noir in California. The Santa Rita Hills Pinot (made from fruit from their three estate vineyards) is the most economically priced and widely available of the three Pinots offered by Sanford. If any of you are ambitious and have access to the other Pinots (Sanford & Benedict or La Rinconada), feel free to post your comments on this thread.

It will be interesting to see whether the wines can handle the hype created by one of the most ingenious examples of product placement advertising I have ever witnessed.

[Brad Ballinger]

Great choice. And for the following one, we should find out if Merlot is really worth debasing.

Sanford has enjoyed a reputation for a good long time (although not specifically the Santa Rita Hills bottling), and probably didn't need the product placement in the movie. The wines have been consistently produced and priced well. And while Pinot Noir wines sometimes have small production runs, Sanford's production and distribution is large enough that locating the wine shouldn't be too difficult (unless retailers have sold out because of movie hype). In that case, Brent has offered a great suggestion to post a note about any Santa Rita Hills AVA Pinot Noir.

[Rebel Rose]

Oh, shoot! I just visited five wine shops in Olympia, Washington and actually found one place that had 2001 Sanford Pinot Noir. But it was the Santa Rita Hills for $45.00, and I thought, surely not. It can't be this one! (Forgot to check eGullet before I left.) And I passed on it. Nevertheless, I will be home in California later this month and I get the wine directly from the winery.

$45. Wow.

I bought the L'Ecole No. 45 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Merlot.

[waves2ya]

$45.  Wow.

←

$26 here in N. NJ; last one the vendor had (Total Wine).

Paired with Veal chops in creme fracihe, leeks and risotto.

This 14%'r needed some breathing room; but after was spectacular with the veal. Delicate floral tones, light in a California way (my wife's take), the wine was very well balanced and seem worth all the hub-bub. Stood up just fine to the cheese dish (better with the Gouda than the Reblochon) but remained delicate and complete to the last drop.

Would have again (if I could find it!)...

[Zeemanb]

(Newbie Alert!)

I've been reading the wine board for a little while now, and when I saw the WOW postings I thought it would be a great way to branch out and drink wines that I would normally never know existed. I really only started drinking wine a few years ago, a bottle or two per month, and stuck with Ridge Zins for a long time (under the theory of "find something you like and stick with it"). Due in part to a good friend at my favorite restaurant, I've spent the last 2 years focusing primarily on Italian wines. Again, just a bottle or two per month between the restaurant and home. As my consumption has risen in the past 6 months, and my salary has remained the same, I've had to acknowledge that other wines exist outside the big reds of Piedmont. Recommendations from friends, buyers at my local shops, wines that have stuck out in various tastings, pairings that have come with chef's menus, etc., have all played a big part in my experimentation. I've only recently gotten to a point where I come out of the wine store Italy-less more often than not, drinking lots of blends, Syrah, a couple of Cabs, and virtually no Pinot Noir whatsoever. I think this bottle was maybe my third tasting of Pinot.

So anyway, this Sanford Pinot Noir is well stocked in my four main shops, for anywhere from $26.99- $29.99. Based on waves2ya's comments above, I let it sit in the decanter for a good 45 minutes before drinking it. It ended up being a great bottle to enjoy with my girlfriend while watching the movie "Garden State" late on Saturday night. A big change of pace for me wine-wise. Very smooth to drink, not huge on the nose or palate, very "refined" for lack of a better term, darker in character. I don't know what good wine is, but I know what I like, and I did like this. I'm not good at picking out specifics as I drink, only committing to memory general things like whether it was "big", too much alcohol flavor, etc. However, one thing that stuck out to me as I drank it was a grassy/vegetal character. Not a bad thing at all, very light and different than what I'm used to. And I thought I got some anise from the nose at one point, but didn't notice it again. I imagine it would be great with food, but I'm glad I drank it by itself, especially since I have virtually no experience with Pinot Noir and it was out of my "everyday" price range. I would drink it again for sure, and I look forward to comparing it to the two other Pinots I have in my cabinet right now…one from Siduri and another from the Magnificent Wine Company.

I do remember wondering if there was a point at which TOO much air could be detrimental to the experience. The time it spent in the decanter was probably a good thing because I did get a little bit of alcohol at first, but when I finished my last glass well after the movie was over I thought it tasted a little flatter. It was probably just the dulling of my palate that late at night (and maybe the fact this was the 2nd bottle of the evening....), but I couldn't help wondering.

Anyway, this was lots of fun. I'm glad to have this forum to rely on for my "homework"!!

Jerry

[Rebel Rose]

Jerry:

Welcome to the wine forum, and thank you for your detailed notes! I hope you'll share your perceptions of your favorite Italians. Also, I've never heard of the Magnificent Wine Company, but I love the name. Please let us know when you uncork that bottle!

[Zeemanb]

Thanks for the welcome! The Magnificent Wine Company is part of K Vintners in Washington. I only know about it because a chef in Kansas City used their "House Wine" in a pairing and I loved it. I've never tried any of their other wines, but I love the fact that they are all pretty easy to spot.... usually by the big black "K" on a white background. The bottle of Pinot was the only one I've seen so far in KC, and with the price point conveniently between their $10 house wine and their higher end Syrah's I went ahead and picked it up. Hoping to get into it during dinner with friends this Sunday night, and will report back.

Jerry

[Rebel Rose]

We'll be starting a new Wine of the Week soon, but I'd like to assure everyone that the WOW threads stay open, and if you have a chance to try this wine in the near future, please don't hesitate to compare your perceptions with those posted here.

I spoke with Mel in the Sanford tasting room today, and he says there is still plenty of the 2001 Pinot to be had. The winery produced 19,000 cases. Mel reports that tasting room traffic has increased since the movie came out to the point that they have had to increase their staff on weekends. If you can't find the wine in your local store, just ask Mel to send you a bottle of the 2001 "flowers on the label" Pinot.

[LDLee]

I fear posting this.

I was disappointed in this wine. I thought it was a little brash (ugh, I hate that term), and it never opened up during the meal. I tasted some berries, but overall it was flat. My wife, who has the more discerning palette, said it best, "Not the best Pinot I have ever had."

[LEdlund]

I had the Sanford Pinot Noir a couple of times in the past few weeks. I was able to get it from my local wine purveyor for $25 per bottle.

We opened it and let it breathe for at least 30 minutes before each tasting but, as others have noted, it could have used a longer breath time, or maybe even decanting to help it open up. The first hit comes on strong with alcohol, blackberry and peat. The alcohol seemed to fade with time…… or maybe I just stopped noticing it. I definitely tasted raisin or some other concentrated sweet fruit.

I have a question: when people talk about mouth feel (when it comes to wine) what does that mean and how do I identify it?

[LDLee]

I have a question: when people talk about mouth feel (when it comes to wine) what does that mean and how do I identify it?

Basically, it is describing the texture of the wine in your mouth. Think about the difference in the texture of a cabernet (thick, juicy, jammy) versus a pinot grigio (smooth, crisp, light).

Dr. Leigh Francis has developed a mouth feel wheel which you can use as a reference when describing the mouth feel of red wine. Very similar to the Noble Wine Tasting wheel.

[BrentKulman]

Well, it has taken me a while, but I finally got around to tasting this wine. Here are my notes:

Appearance: Medium magenta body, with lots of nice legs running down the side of the glass

Smell: Blackberries, cherries, a little herbacious and quite a bit of alcohol on the nose

Taste: Rather light bodied, with very light cherry fruit, soft tannins and a bit of acid; a moderate amount of oakiness

Overall evaluation: Quite pleasant and would like to taste it again in a couple of years when some of its raw tendencies dissipate; would pair nicely with lighter meats

[LEdlund]

Dr. Leigh Francis has developed a mouth feel wheel which you can use as a reference when describing the mouth feel of red wine.  Very similar to the Noble Wine Tasting wheel.

Thanks! That's exactly what I needed.