2004 EDNA VALLEY PINOT NOIR

Introduction

In an earlier post, I mentioned how fond I have become of Pinot Noir. Also, I had been wanting to try an Edna Valley wine as I had noticed its presence in San Luis Obispo while visiting relatives. Thus, on a recent trip to Monterrey for the wedding of our niece and god child, I was thrilled when my brother-in-law (and father of the bride) provided several bottles of this wine. He lives about three miles from the winery and had been a member for a year. By the way, on this trip, I also visited the Bernardus winery and tasting room in Carmel Valley as well as the Bargetto tasting room in Monterrey (the winery is in Santa Cruz). I will write about those experiences shortly.

Wine Impressions

The bottles provided were actually splits (375 milliliters). Thus, they were perfect for enjoying a glass in the hotel room. My brother-in-law also lent me a corkscrew, which I still have (don’t worry E.Q., it will be in the mail soon!). We also packed a couple of bottles to take home. I enjoyed this wine very much. My first glass was not that good. However, I suspected that the hotel glass I used was not well-rinsed as the wine had a slightly soapy taste. However, subsequent glasses were fantastic. The wine has a light and pleasant aroma. The taste is complex and slightly fruity and lingers in the mouth, which is exactly how I prefer red wines. The wine costs $20 per 750 ml bottle (for the 2005 vintage, the 2004 appears to be no longer available) and is sold nationally. I highly recommend this wine.

The Company

According to its web site , Edna Valley Vineyards began in the early 1970’s when the Niven family planted Paragon, the company’s estate vineyard. In 1980, the Chalone Wine Group joined the Nivens in a partnership to form Edna Valley Vineyards. Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines purchased Chalone Wine Group in 2005.

The vineyard consists of about 1000 planted acres. The largest varietal by far is Chardonay, which is about 63% of the plantings. Next is Pinot Noir at 18%. Syrah accounts for 9% and Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris account for 5% and 3% respectively.

The Diageo group owns several major vineyards and brand name alchohol producers, including Smirnoff’s, Guiness, Bailey’s Irish Crème and Captain Morgans.

The Region: Edna Valley

The vineyard is located in the Edna Valley and in the city and county of San Luis Obispo. The Edna Valley is oriented east-west so it has no mountains to its west to block the ocean winds and fog. The mild climate combines with the volcanic and marine sediments in the soil to produce an excellent wine-growing area. The area was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1982 because of its unique characteristics. This area is identified as a region II according to the Winkler-Amerine system, the most important climate region in California for growing premium winemaking grapes.