93 Points - Wine Spectator
2010 Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard
Sold Out
The unique terroir of this site brings together elements from both the valley’s warmer regions and its cooler, northern “deep end.” Offering an ideal Southwestern exposure and an array of unique vineyard blocks, Gowan Creek is planted to eight different clones of Pinot Noir, each carefully tailored to a specific site and soil type. The powerful and expressive wine produced from these vines displays beautiful inky depth and robust, untamed fruit flavors.
Wine Spectator
93
Wine Enthusiast
93
Connoisseurs' Guide
90
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 65% New, 35% Second Vintage French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
Gowan Creek is the home of our winery and offers a perfect mid-valley winegrowing location that combines warmer Anderson Valley elements with coastal fog and cooling influences from the northern end of the valley. In 2010, this unique terroir produced a compelling expression of Pinot Noir with black cherry and blackberry aromas, as well as elements of leather and spice. These elements are echoed on the silky palate, where a beam of tightly wound acidity adds structure and definition. The finish is long and satisfying, concluding with subtle hints of bacon fat and saddle leather.
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
Gowan Creek Vineyard
Harvest Date
September 25 – October 13, 2010
Sugar
25.0° Brix
Acid
0.5 g/100 ml titratable acidity
pH
3.79
Aging
16 Months in Barrel
Bottling Date
January 2012
Alcohol %
14.5
Wine Spectator
93
Wine Enthusiast
93
Connoisseurs' Guide
90