The Caskaway

My burgeoning love affair with pinot noir continues to grow with me trying some absolutely lovely wines including this great example of a New World pinot noir from Cakebread Cellars packed full of lingering red fruit flavours. As we age the way we taste changes as our tastebuds start to slowly die off we rely more on the memory of flavours. I’m not sure why this means I’m moving away from my favourite in your face wines and learning to appreciate more subtle varieties.

New World Pinot Noir Wines

Pinot noir is perhaps the most difficult grape to produce wine from, and the grape that is most influenced by the ‘terroir’ or the location of the vineyard and the skills of the winemaker. Classic Pinots are famously produced in cooler climates like the most famous of all Pinots from the Burgundy region, in France. New World regions like Central Otago in New Zealand and Oregon in the United States tend to be a little warmer so the grapes ripen a little quicker and tend to be more fruity than their French counterparts.

Fresh and fruity New World Pinot Noirs are wonderful with fatty fish like salmon and duck, roast or barbecued lamb or chicken cooked with a hint of smoke and charring. The acidity helps cut through the richness of the food. It pairs with figs and roast beetroot and would be a great match with either served in a goat’s cheese salad. The fruit and acidity would also balance sweet sticky and slightly spicy Asian food like Char Sui Pork and Crispy Duck Pancakes.

A little Cakebread Cellars History

Cakebread Cellars is a family-run winery based in Rutherford, that has been producing wines for over 50 years, starting with a tiny one hundred and fifty-seven cases of chardonnay in 1973. Over the years the winery expanded buying more vineyards, expanding into growing Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and building hospitality facilities, tasting rooms, labs and a visitors centre,

Their vineyards in Anderson Valley, Mendocino County are in one of the coolest wine-growing regions and perfectly suited for the Pinot Noir grape. Two Creeks Vineyards is as the name suggests produced from two vineyards sitting near the Pacific coast, where coastal fogs reduce the Californian temperatures. Formally apple orchards the vineyards produce wines with perfectly balanced ripe fruit and acidity.

Tasting Two Creeks Vineyards Pinot Noir

In 2018 the grapes were harvested in the cooler evening temperatures to maximise the natural acidity and hand-sorted before fermenting with wild yeast in small batch tanks from each vineyard. The wines were transferred to French oak barrels before being blended and aged for ten months. The first thing to hit you is the smell of ripe black cherry and hints of violet and rose petals.

This is followed by tons of fresh strawberry and raspberry flavours on the palate which lasts well into the finish. There is a little hint of oak and vanilla is perfectly balanced with silky smooth tannins and just a lick of minerality. I think Cakebread Cellars Two Creeks Vineyards Pinot Noir is practically made for roast lamb with plenty of rosemary and garlic. I found it a really enjoyable wine.

Grape variety                                 Pinot Noir

Country of origin                           USA

Region                                             Mendocino County / Anderson Valley

Vintage                                            2018

Alcohol                                            14.2%

Notes

Cakebread Cellars are committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly winemaking. These include precise irrigation management, reduced use of synthetic fertilisers and herbicides, and managing the use of machinery like tractors in the vineyards. They use falcons for natural bird control, limit tree removal and establish wildlife corridors.