92 Points - Wine Spectator
2010 Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Confluence Vineyard
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The vineyard offers a unique range of soils, from benchland to gravel strata, as well as varying exposures including hillside slopes and protected pockets. This natural diversity allows us to choose clones ideally suited to each specific vineyard block, ultimately yielding grapes possessing a variety of expressive flavors and characteristics. The opulent Pinot Noir produced from this valley floor vineyard displays voluptuous red fruit components and plush, supple tannins.
Wine Spectator
92
Wine Enthusiast
92
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 65% New, 35% Second French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
Featuring both hillside and valley floor plantings, Confluence Vineyard is one of the most diverse properties in our Estate portfolio—and the warmest. As a result, even in the cooler 2010 vintage Confluence delivered a wine notable for its depth and richness. The nose begins with fresh cracked cinnamon stick aromas, as well as a hint of iodine. On the palate, the tannins are opulent and firm, adding to this wine’s generous structure, with well-integrated oak that contributes subtle nuances of vanilla bean and caramel. Good acidity adds length to the finish, which concludes with notes of saddle leather and blueberry muffin.
Production
The season began with a wet winter and spring. Despite rain and cool temperatures we had a window of good weather during bloom, and saw little-or-no shatter. Overall, we set a normal crop load of approximately 2.0-2.5 tons per acre. We chose not to do any substantial leaf stripping. As a result, we saw almost no sun damage during a heat event in late August. This ideal hot weather allowed the vines to focus on ripening. Harvest began on September 15, and we picked our Estate vineyards block by block over five weeks. While the Brix were a little lower than normal, we always pick in a spectrum of Brix for added complexity, and all our fruit was in the preferred range. Overall, the 2010 vintage produced great color, fantastic aromatics and balanced acids, all with the fleshy structure and texture that are hallmarks of great Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.
Other Notes
Released: March 2013
Wine Specs
Wine Specs
Vintage
2010
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Anderson Valley
Vineyard Designation
Confluence Vineyard
Harvest Date
September 14 – October 8, 2010
Sugar
25.0° Brix
Acid
0.53 g/100 ml titratable acidity
pH
3.89
Aging
16 Months in Barrel
Alcohol %
14.5
Wine Spectator
92
Wine Enthusiast
92