2011 Cru 32 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2011 Cru 32 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Medium-deep ruby color; deep red cherry and forest floor aromas; complex, bright cherry fruit with rich, earthy notes; sweet oak, silky texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Complex, earthy Pinot with bright cherry fruit; great for a grilled pork chop or an earthy pasta.

Right out of the bottle, it is very evident that this is not a shy wine. It shows ripe cherries, raspberry and pomegranate along with complex aromas of mushrooms and forest.  A fruit-focused palate of black-red cherry and raspberry, combined with well integrated oak flavors, is lifted by the wine’s vibrant acidity.  The wine finishes long and has an immense structure and concentration to ensure a great future in the bottle.  We recommend trying it the second day but you can buy with confidence that this will only get better for the next 6-8 years.

1313Main is a proprietary label created and produced by Al Jabarin, proprietor of the relatively new 1313Main wine bar in the heart of downtown Napa. And while I do not make it a habit to review private label wines, I have said before that life is full of exceptions and since I'm the one writing the newsletter, this is one of those times when I will make an exception. The reason? The Pinot is terrific and 1313Main is really a great place—without a doubt the best wine bar in the Napa Valley. And although 1313Main is relatively new to the Napa scene, Al Jabarin is not. He's been involved in buying and selling fine wines here since the early 1990s and has built a broad network of relationships with producers and importers to build first his online marketplace (www.calwine.com) and now 1313Main. The Cru 32 Pinot Noir is the first wine under the 1313Main label and is sourced from top vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA. It's a great start for this label. And if you are in Napa, stop in at 1313Main—it'll amaze you as it did me..  

 

The grapes were from two low yielding hillside vineyards located in cool areas of the Sonoma Coast.   It is an area renowned for wind and fog which slowly matures the fruit while maintaining its vibrancy.  First, from southeast of Petaluma is Pommard 4 clone, a clone that produces dark meaty, muscular wines. Second, from a vineyard located north of Petaluma, are 4 Dijon clones – 115, 459, 667 and 777.