Belle Glos 2014 Las Alturas Pinot Noir
Owner/winemaker, Joe Wagner chose the name Belle Glos (pronounced “BELL GLOSS”) to honor his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner. Lorna was a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards, an inspirational figure to Joseph and an avid lover of Pinot Noir. Belle Glos produces Pinot Noirs produced from California’s noteworthy coastal wine-growing regions. While each vineyard location lies near the Pacific Ocean, the climate differences are significant, varying with the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site. Each Vineyard Designate is crafted to distill the purest essence of the locale into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir. As a fifth generation Napa Valley winemaker, Joe learned his way around a vineyard long before he was able to drink wine. By the time he was 19 he knew that he would continue his family’s winemaking legacy, working alongside his father at Caymus Vineyards. In 2001, he created Belle Glos, with a focus on vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs.
Today I am tasting their Las Alturas Pinot Noir. The Spanish term “Las Alturas” means “the heights,” which is a fitting name for this vineyard because it’s located on one of the highest grape-growing benches within the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. At this elevation, the sunny but very cool climate creates a wine with the hallmarks of this coastal region: robust, expressive and full-bodied, balanced by a firm acidity. The high winds also result in smaller berries with very thick skins, giving us more color concentration. Opening a bottle the color was a deep Ruby red, (darkest Pinot I have tasted, almost looks like a Cab) with aromas of ripe berries and dusty spice notes. The palate yields rich dark fruits, blackberries, plums and black cherries with black currents, vanilla spice and cacao. The mouth-coating finish lingered nicely with polished tannins and firm acidity, leaving with chalky mineral tones. Wow!
Cheers!