The Emeritus Team has embarked on a new direction for Pinot Noir. Winemaker Nicolas Cantacuzene has produced two elegant Pinot Noir wines, whose defining characteristic, he believes, is charm. Nicolas explains that a great Pinot’s appeal is emotional and visceral; seducing with nuance rather than complexity or intensity. Noble wines begin in the vineyard and the Team utilizes clonal selection, meticulous viticultural practices and dry farming to help the grapes achieve full ripeness without excessive sugars and extracted flavors.
Both of the Emeritus wines are exquisite.
-James Laube, The Wine Spectator
Then, to capture the wine’s full essence—that captivating sultry elegance—the winemaker must listen to the grape and respond with a gentle touch. Consequently, Emeritus wines are evolved with softened edges and supple tannins, yet retain their youthful vibrancy. The aromatics are clean and airy with the olfactory brightness of ripe fruit or the fragrance of freshly cut flowers, and work harmoniously to create a wine that infuses a sense of well-being.
The steep coastal hillsides of William Wesley Vineyard are influenced by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, with daytime breezes that ride above the coastal ridges and fog-shrouded valleys below. Very cool nights permit the grapes to retain their acids and give way to long, bright, sunny days that allow the grapes to ripen slowly in near-perfect balance, intensifying their flavors, and reflecting the vineyard’s maritime terroir in this powerful cuvée.
2009 Vintage Notes: The William Wesley Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir continues to reflect its mountain roots. The 2009 growing season was cooler than normal, resulting in lower yields, grapes with thicker skins and wines with firm tannins and concentration.
The 2009 vintage is an intense wine that required an additional 4 months of barrel aging but has developed gracefully in the bottle and shed its primary fruit aromas to deliver more spiciness and raspberry notes. The wine is medium bodied, and remains restrained.
Patience will be rewarded with this wine; over time it will open up and develop the silky texture characteristic of classic Pinot Noir. The William Wesley is a powerful wine that is still a teenager, and will evolve in the bottle and in the glass.
- Nicolas Cantacuzene, Wine Maker
Brice Jones on William Wesley:
The home ranch of Emeritus Vineyards lies along Sonoma County’s Gold Ridge-a ten-mile-long, low ridge running from Sebastopol to Forestville, in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Rolling hills slope to the southwest giving the vines optimum sun exposure, allowing the grapes to ripen with vibrant flavors, sensuous velvety texture, and seductive aromas. This Gold Ridge is America’s Cote d’Or, home to many of the emerging top-flight Pinot Noirs produced in California.
2010 Vintage Notes: In 2010, the Hallberg Ranch was graced with a very long ripening season. A cool summer and fall promoted excellent and balanced development of flavors with naturally high acids. As harvest progressed, temperatures warmed and the wines gained in intensity and tannin content.
The 2010 vintage produced wines with great clarity and focus, and appear to be friendlier, extroverted wines with acidity as their backbone. This joyful Pinot Noir has warm and inviting aromas with a luscious palate mixed with red and black fruit. Enjoy this beautiful 2010 Hallberg Ranch now, or over the next few years.
- Nicolas Cantacuzene, Wine Maker
Brice Jones on Hallberg Ranch:
