Quick Sip: Clos de La Tech Domaine Lois Louise Estate 2009 Pinot Noir
Hello Friends,
Today’s Quick Sip is the 2009 Domaine Lois Louise Estate 2009 Pinot Noir from Clos de La Tech. Situated in the cool-climate, high-elevation Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, Clos de La Tech specializes in crafting small lots of high altitude, single-vineyard Pinot Noir. Their mission, simply put, is – “to make the New World's best Pinot Noir.” Founded in 1994 by T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, and his wife, Valeta, the company’s silicon chips are featured on the crest of select bottles.
Clos de La Tech wines are produced from three distinct estate vineyards. Their Domaine Lois Louise estate, named after Mr. Rodgers’ mother, is a 163 acre, steep-slope site reaching 1,700 feet, with 35 acres planted. The vines are naturally low-yielding (i.e., below one ton per acre) and so steep that a one-of-a-kind, specially designed tractor moved by cables is required for farming.
A state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery is built into the steep hillside of the Domaine Lois Louise property, so there is no need for pumps. The wines are foot-crushed, whole-cluster pressed, fermented with wild yeasts, unfiltered, matured 18 months in French oak barrels, of which 75% is new, and aged another two and a half years in bottle prior to release. Clos de La Tech’s disciplined attention to detail and focus from ground to bottle is reflected in the glass. I recommend that my many Pinot-loving readers put this producer on their wine radar. For further information and where you can find this wine, please see my tasting notes below.
Clos de La Tech Domaine Lois Louise Estate 2009 Pinot Noir (SRP $42): This Pinot Noir pours a deep ruby-purple color. It is immensely aromatic, with cascades of well-ripened black cherries, blueberries, and plum flavors framed by spice cake, mineral traces, and dried rose petals. The palate is vibrant, textured, and concentrated, with a generous mid-palate, balanced by ripe tannins, particularly on the back-end, and a firm acid structure. The finish is fruit-driven and medium-long with a pleasant freshness. A pleasure to sip on its own and even better with a satisfying meal; I enjoyed a glass with grilled lamb chops. I recommend decanting this Pinot Noir for around 30 minutes before serving; over time it opens beautifully. Approximately 488 cases of this wine were produced. Region: Santa Cruz Mountains, California. Other info: ABV 14.1%, matured 18 months in François Frères French oak barrels, cork enclosure. Click here to find this wine.
Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned ...more to come. Happy Sipping, my friends! Disclosure: This wine was provided for review. Thoughts are my own.
Today’s Quick Sip is the 2009 Domaine Lois Louise Estate 2009 Pinot Noir from Clos de La Tech. Situated in the cool-climate, high-elevation Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, Clos de La Tech specializes in crafting small lots of high altitude, single-vineyard Pinot Noir. Their mission, simply put, is – “to make the New World's best Pinot Noir.” Founded in 1994 by T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, and his wife, Valeta, the company’s silicon chips are featured on the crest of select bottles.
Clos de La Tech wines are produced from three distinct estate vineyards. Their Domaine Lois Louise estate, named after Mr. Rodgers’ mother, is a 163 acre, steep-slope site reaching 1,700 feet, with 35 acres planted. The vines are naturally low-yielding (i.e., below one ton per acre) and so steep that a one-of-a-kind, specially designed tractor moved by cables is required for farming.
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| A glimpse of the picturesque Domaine Lois Louise Estate |
A state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery is built into the steep hillside of the Domaine Lois Louise property, so there is no need for pumps. The wines are foot-crushed, whole-cluster pressed, fermented with wild yeasts, unfiltered, matured 18 months in French oak barrels, of which 75% is new, and aged another two and a half years in bottle prior to release. Clos de La Tech’s disciplined attention to detail and focus from ground to bottle is reflected in the glass. I recommend that my many Pinot-loving readers put this producer on their wine radar. For further information and where you can find this wine, please see my tasting notes below.
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| Clos de La Tech Domaine Lois Louise Estate 2009 Pinot Noir |
Clos de La Tech Domaine Lois Louise Estate 2009 Pinot Noir (SRP $42): This Pinot Noir pours a deep ruby-purple color. It is immensely aromatic, with cascades of well-ripened black cherries, blueberries, and plum flavors framed by spice cake, mineral traces, and dried rose petals. The palate is vibrant, textured, and concentrated, with a generous mid-palate, balanced by ripe tannins, particularly on the back-end, and a firm acid structure. The finish is fruit-driven and medium-long with a pleasant freshness. A pleasure to sip on its own and even better with a satisfying meal; I enjoyed a glass with grilled lamb chops. I recommend decanting this Pinot Noir for around 30 minutes before serving; over time it opens beautifully. Approximately 488 cases of this wine were produced. Region: Santa Cruz Mountains, California. Other info: ABV 14.1%, matured 18 months in François Frères French oak barrels, cork enclosure. Click here to find this wine.
Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned ...more to come. Happy Sipping, my friends! Disclosure: This wine was provided for review. Thoughts are my own.
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