95 Points - Wine Enthusiast
2012 Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir The Narrows Vineyard
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Situated on a narrow ridgetop at the northernmost tip of the Anderson Valley, The Narrows Vineyard is a historic mountain ranch planted with mature Pinot Noir vines. A mere 10 miles from the rugged Mendocino Coast, our low-yielding hillside vineyard is affected by strong marine influences that produce summer fog and cooler daytime temperatures. These extreme conditions provide the perfect setting for growing grapes of great intensity, resulting in a complex Pinot Noir of depth that embodies the vineyard’s wild beauty and natural intensity.
Wine Spectator
90
Wine Enthusiast
95
Wine Review Online
95
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 55% New, 45% Second Vintage French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
Situated in the deep end of the valley, The Narrows Vineyard exists at the extreme edge of cool-climate viticulture, where it produces a wild and lovely wine unlike any other in our portfolio. Earthy and primal on the entry with peaty forest floor, mushroom, and juniper notes, this is a wine as complex as it is rustic. Appealing blue fruit flavors reveal themselves on the mid-palate, along with hints pennyroyal and vanilla that carry through to a thoughtful finish.
Production
After a cold, dry winter, we did extensive pruning to delay budbreak until the optimal time. Early spring rains and warm weather produced ideal conditions from bloom through fruit set. Though we set a larger-than-normal crop, the clusters were dense and compact with abundant small berries, which is perfect for high-quality wine. Warm summer days, cool nights and clockwork fog allowed for slow, even ripening and the retention of acidity. We harvested block-by-block over an almost languid two-month period. Like the Anderson Valley itself, the resulting wines are pure and complex, balancing a natural richness with a rustic elegance.
Other Notes
Released: January 2015
Wine Specs
Wine Specs
Vintage
2012
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Anderson Valley
Vineyard Designation
The Narrows Vineyard
Harvest Date
October 15 – 17, 2012
Sugar
24.5° Brix
Acid
0.52 g/100 ml titratable acidity
pH
4.00
Aging
16 Months in Barrel
Bottling Date
February 2014
Alcohol %
14.5
Wine Spectator
90
Wine Enthusiast
95
Wine Review Online
95