Hangtime Pinot Noir 2014
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If you're a Pinot Noir or Chardonnay fan, look no further than Hangtime Cellars. Winemaking team Rob Mondavi and Tony Coltrin travel the globe to source the finest fruit from the established and emerging wine regions where these two varieties thrive.
Although "hang time" may evoke an image of folks on their day off, sipping wine and relaxing in the sun, the name actually refers to the amount of time the grapes spend hanging on the grapevines. The longer grapes spend on the vine, the more time they have to develop the concentrated fruit character that results in wines of distinctive, delicious varietal expression. Appellations have to be warm enough to fully ripen grapes, yet cool enough to prolong this ripening while maintaining the kind of natural acidity that balances rich fruit flavor. These are the spots that Hangtime's winemakers seek for the highest quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They source fruit from cool spots all over the world, from California to Burgundy to New Zealand.
While there are stylistic similarities — all the wines are well-balanced with aromas of well-ripened fruit — each wine maintains its own distinct nuances, reflecting the unique characteristics of the region it comes from. And you'll know exactly how long the grapes stayed on the vine, because every label is stamped with a number that indicates the hangtime for that vintage.
Internationally recognized for gorgeous, pure fruit combined with great elegance, California Pinot noir thrives among the state’s cooler, coastal zones. Characterized by eclectic flavors and aromas of strawberry, black cherry, plum and potpourri with notes of forest floor, mushroom or black tea, the best California Pinot noir boast a supple texture and good acidity, giving them the ability to improve with age.
Credited with the beginning of Pinot noir’s glory in California, two growers, Joe Rochioli and Joseph Swan in the late 1960s independently planted Pinot noir vineyards in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. Today Sonoma County remains the leading producer of Pinot noir in the state, and Pinot noir is the leading red grape in the county, achieving its highest potential, in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.
Other coastal appellations where Pinot noir flourishes include Carneros, Anderson Valley and most of the Central Coast.