Wrath Swan 828 Pinot Noir 2019
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Robert
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Sourced from only estate grown grapes, vine yields are closely managed and average about 3.5 to 4 tons to the acre. Grapes are hand picked and hand sorted. Clones are kept in separate lots during fermentation and barrel aging. 20% of the lots were fermented using whole clusters. Once fermented to dryness, lots are aged in an assortment of French oak barrels from various tonnelleries (for added complexity). Wines are barrel aged for around 11 months before bottling. The bottled wine rested again for another 12months before release.
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Wine Enthusiast
Nori-wrapped cranberry and crystallized red-currant aromas meet with eucalyptus leaf on the dynamic nose of this bottling. Rustic dried meat flavors are enhanced by rose-petal and cranberry flavors on the palate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pinot Noir Swan/828 was vinified with 20% whole clusters and matured for 10 months in 25% new French oak. It has pretty aromas of cranberries, red cherries, citrus peel, tea leaves and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate boasts a silky texture, tangy acidity, loads of bright red fruit and a long, spicy finish.
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Robert
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Michael worked closely with viticulturist Steve McIntyre and winemaker, Sabrine Rodems, to create a program focused on producing small lots of wine that depict the influence of land, weather and winemaking. To preserve the local ecosystem., Wrath developed a sustainable farming program that is certified by the CCVT. In addition to protecting the local environment, the winery team believes it enables them to produce wines that are more authentic and specific to the local terroir.
The name for the winery was inspired by both the ‘wrath’ of nature and the ‘wrath’ of the creative process that winemakers must have when crafting wine.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.