Poseidon Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Poseidon Vineyard, located at the confluence of Carneros Creek and the Napa River, was originally planted in 1973 by the Molnar Family to the Burgundian varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- The maritime environment of the Carneros grape-growing season delivers cool, foggy mornings followed by warm days that slowly nurture ripening.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: Though painstaking, they harvest the three blocks of the hillside (top, skirt, bottom) separately, picking across the three Dijon clones: 115, 667, and 777. The fermentation temperatures are kept low to retain the fruit’s liveliness. As soon as the fermentations were complete, the wines were pressed gently into 100% Kádár Tokaj oak (9 Months in 25% New, Medium Toast Plus barrels), adding a signature spiciness to the blend that complements the fruit character. Racked only once before bottling, the result is a very pure, fruit-filled expression of Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes: Aromas of cherry and cola with hints of fruit, leather and undertones of plum. The wine is silky in texture. Focused black cherry flavors dance on the palate, and an elegant dash of vanilla sweetens the wine for a long, inviting finish. When young, this wine is best appreciated when decanted prior to serving.
PRESS
2016 – 92 (Editor’s Choice) Wine Enthusiast
2019 – 90 James Suckling
2020 – 93 Wine Enthusiast
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
In 1973, Poseidon Vineyard was planted on what had been grazing land since the time of the missionaries. They were among the first to farm the southern extreme of Napa Carneros, which at the time was considered too cool to ripen wine grapes. Poseidon Vineyard is the heritage wine project of Obsidian Ridge, where the idea was to seek out and farm the extremes of the North Coast.
Poseidon Vineyard lies at the confluence of Carneros Creek and the Napa River. At high tide the river tastes of salt, a reminder of the sea’s proximity. Pacific wind brings fog and cooler temperatures to balance the intensity of the California sun, while clay and gravel soil provide ideal drainage for the vines. They exclusively use barrels made from tight-grained Tokaj oak by Kádár Hungary, the cooperage they have owned for three decades. This is one of a handful of places in the world where Quercus Petraea, an oak species highly prized for its enticing aromas and subtle oak influence, is grown.
Through four decades of growing, three decades of coopering, and two decades of winemaking, Obsidian Ridge have created their own unique expressions of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.