2016 ViMaria Pinot Noir
The ViMaria Pinot Noir pays homage to our family legacy and the two people that started it all. In 1927, our grandparents Vittorio & Maria Sangiacomo purchased a 52-acre fruit tree ranch in the Sonoma Valley. Every year our winemaker selects a few special barrels from the estate vineyards, and carefully blends this exceptional wine. Salute!
ACCOLADES
94+ Points – Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir ViMaria offers a stunning perfume of lavender, red roses and fresh raspberries with hints of cranberries, rhubarb, black pepper, mossy bark and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features loads of tightly wound red berry and floral layers, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. — Lisa Perrotti-Brown
93 Points – PinotFile
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Invigorating aromas of black cherry, cardamom spice, fertile earth and a hint of toast and graham are revealed slowly in the glass. Rather bold in a mid weight plus style, but stealthy, with an abundance of boysenberry, blackberry and black grape flavors. There is a bit of umami in this wine. Sleek tannins lead to a satiny texture and the oak blends seamlessly over time in the glass. More enchanting when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. — Rusty Gaffney, MD
TASTING NOTES
Expressive and appealing, this full-bodied wine is rich, round and densely textured. It captures a signature style of fruit, floral, earth and spice. The bright aromatics are bursting with dark berries and plum, hints of violet and wildflowers are listed with toasty brioche. Flavors of warm baked blueberry pie are layered with juicy plums and blackberry. Woven threads of sassafras, cocoa and clove dance on the mid-palate with silky tannins.
Wine Details
| Vineyard Source | 50% Amaral, 25% Roberts Road and 25% Fedrick |
| Clone | 667, 777, 115, Pommard, Swan |
| Harvest Date | Amaral and Fedrick on 9/3/2016 and Roberts Road on 9/19/2016 |
| Fermentation | 5 day cold soak followed by daily punch-downs by hand. |
| Barrel Aging | 50% new oak, medium toast. 16 months in Dargaud & Jaegle Selection and Cavin Aphrodite barrels. |
| Alcohol | 14.5% |
| pH | 3.70 |
| Total Acid | 5.72 g/L |
| Winemaker | James MacPhail |
| Cases Produced | 81 |
| Release Date | September 2018 |
| Retail Price | $70.00 |
Our wines are available by allocation to members of our mailing list.
The 2016 VINTAGE
The 2016 growing season was welcomed with abundant and consistent winter rainfalls to replenish the earth and provide ample supply of water. Bud break arrived slightly early followed by April showers. As warmer days arrived, the vines thrived in steady and mild summer temperatures. Our vineyards bask in the generous daytime sunlight and a predominantly maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay which brings cool temperate fog until mid-day and afternoon breeze. These moderate growing conditions promote long and even ripening with natural acidity balance and full, complex flavor maturity. Our farming approach is low-impact, and in harmony with Mother Nature. Harvest begins in the early morning hours during the coolest part of the day; with yields below average for this vintage.
