Coppola Vorte Sante Pinot Noir

Description

The wines of Votre Sante were inspired by Francis Ford Coppolas grandmother, Maria Zasa, a woman who treasured French culture and offered the time-honored toast, a votre sante, or to your health, each time she raised a glass. Votre Sante offers two wines made from the traditional French varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Because these wines thrive in cool climates like their native Burgundy, we look to vineyards tucked away in the foothills of Californias dramatic mountains and intimate river valleys, in close proximity to the chilly Pacific waters. This is the other California, Votre Santes California, where fog creeps in and tempers the regions famous sunny weather. These cool conditions bring out vibrant fruit character and balanced acidity in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, translating their French heritage into full California expression.Cool-Climate Vineyards – The other California Pinot Noir thrives in cool climates like those found in its native Burgundy. For Votre Sante, we look to vineyards tucked away in the foothills of Californias dramatic mountains and intimate river valleys, in close proximity to the chilly Pacific waters. This is the other California, where fog creeps in and tempers the regions famous sunny weather. Cool conditions throughout the Lodi Delta, Mendocino, Monterey and Sierra Foothills appellations give us Pinot Noir wines of aromatic red fruit character, balanced acidity and distinctive minerality.WINEMAKING We believe that a wine has a lot to say, says winemaker Francois Cordesse, who trained in France. Its our job to help a wine express itselfin this case, to speak to its origins in Californias coolest terroirs. After harvest and cold soaking, Pinot Noir grapes undergo partial whole-berry fermentation for aromatic complexity. We age the wine in a variety of French oak to impart nuances of vanilla and other warm oak characters. The finished wine has a smooth, elegant palate.VINTAGE The 2014 growing season was unusually warm and very dry. Fortunately, the foggy, cool-climate vineyards where we source grapes for Votre Sante were not adversely affected by the extreme conditions. While the dry weather gave us earlier than average ripening, our grapes enjoyed longer hangtimes than grapes in Californias warmer appellations. We brought in high quality, fully-ripened Pinot Noir fruit with intense varietal character.TASTING NOTES Votre Sante Pinot Noir has aromas of raspberry and boysenberry, with delicate floral notes of acacia and rose petal. Juicy black cherry and plum character, accented with tea leaves and oak, round out the palate and carry over the long, complex finish. The wine also reveals an appealing hint of minerality that hearkens back to Burgundy. Enjoy with everything from boeuf bourguignon to Niman Ranch burgers. – Francis Ford Coppola