2007 Joseph Phelps Pinot Noir Freestone Vineyards Pastorale Vineyard

Good full red. Musky raspberry, minerals and milk chocolate on the nose, with spicy/herbal evidence of stems. Deep and sweet but a bit youthfully tight, conveying an impression of power and minerality. There's a distinctly wild aspect to the red berry flavors. Tannins are firm but in harmony with the wine's fruit. This serious pinot needs time. My sample remained fresh and gained in texture with 48 hours in the recorked bottle.

The 2007 Pinot Noir Pastorale Vineyard (Freestone) exhibits sweet sassafras/cola, plum, black cherry, spice, and earth characteristics. Consume it over the next 7-8 years. The Freestone Vineyard, a 100-acre, cool climate site planted on the Sonoma Coast by Joseph Phelps, is finally coming into production, offering consumers a bevy of different Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. There are three Chardonnay offerings, all of which emphasize the minerality and citrusy characteristics of this varietal with little intrusive oak, despite the fact that they are barrel-fermented and aged primarily in new French oak. The Cabernet Sauvignon program consists of three wines, the Cabernet Sauvignon, their famous proprietary red wine called Insignia, and their single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the western hillsides of Oakville, called Backus. The regular Cabernet is a solidly made, reliable effort usually comprised of about 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot, and occasionally Malbec. The single vineyard offering comes from Oakville’s Backus Vineyard. There are typically 1,500-2,500 cases produced from this biodynamically farmed vineyard. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831