Attributes:

Chateau Saint Jean

Sonoma County, United States

Pinot Noir

750 ML

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: 85

soft

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 87

blackberry, plum, wild berry

juicy, ripe

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 88

light

complex, rich

cherries, cola, mocha, rhubarb, vanilla

creamy, smooth

2002: WineAdvocate Rating: 86

tart

medium-bodied

elegant

cherry, cranberry, earthy

silky

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 87

light

elegant

cherry, cola, herbal, oak

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 86

rich

currant, earthy, herb, wild berry

2000: WineAdvocate Rating: 85

light, medium-bodied

dense

2000: CGCW Rating: 84

soft

cherries, earth, smoke, spicy

Food Matches:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

Like its neighbor Napa, Sonoma is a small area filled with independent wineries and characterized by microclimates that vary according to the topography. The coolest parts of Sonoma are the fog-filled south, where the grape varieties are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Northwards up the valley the climate warms and provides a good base for Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. In general Sonoma wines are less dramatically flavorful than those of Napa. Cabernet Sauvignon is relatively soft, with blackcurrant fruit, minty and eucalyptus perfume, and some soft buttery oak. Zinfandel ranges from soft and gulpable to massive bramble and pepper styles. Chardonnay is rich and juicy, especially from the Russian River, and Sauvignon Blanc can be zingy and grassy. Most Sonoma wines have a freshness and a soft edge which makes them very suitable for drinking on their own, however they partner well with strongly flavored fish and meat dishes. The old-style Zinfandels are delicious with spicy cuisine.

Attributes:

Glazebrook

Marlborough, Australia/New Zealand

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

2004: Tanzer Rating: 88

fresh

lemon, orange, pepper, smoky

2003: WineEnthusiast Rating: 86

tang

solid

2003: Tastings Rating: 90

tangy

mineral, pepper, smoke

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 89

lively

distinctive

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 88

racy

lime

2002: WineNews Rating: 92

clean, crisp, fresh

herbs, melon, pepper, stone fruits

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 88

nicely polished

2000: Tanzer Rating: 85

tart

butterscotch, grass, mint, smoke

Food Matches:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

When the first growers planted grapes in Marlborough in the 1970s (there is evidence of plantings as early as 1870s), it is unlikely they would have foreseen the extent of the growth and fame that the region’s wine industry would achieve, based upon a single varietal called Sauvignon Blanc. The distinctive pungency and zest fruit flavours of the first Marlborough wines, in particular Sauvignon Blanc, captured the imagination of the country's winemakers as well as international wine commentators and consumers and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. Worldwide interest in Marlborough wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, has continued to fuel that regional wine boom.

Attributes:

Kendall-Jackson Vineyards & Winery

California, United States

Pinot Noir

750 ML

2005: CGCW Rating: 84

muddled

cherries

ripe

2005: WineEnthusiast Rating: 84

light

thin, watery

2004: CGCW Rating: 84

clean

cherries

2004: WineEnthusiast Rating: 83

crisp

classic

cherry, cola, spicy

thin

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: 87

classic, tasty

cherries, new oak, smoke

2003: WineEnthusiast Rating: 84

crisp

cherries, leather

round

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 83

raspberry, spice, vanilla

silky

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 81

fresh, tangy

Food Matches:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.