David Bruce 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
The David Bruce Winery was founded in the remote Santa Cruz Mountains in the early 1960’s and was one of the first of a new generation of wineries that would lead a modern resurgence of premium winemaking in the region. A young dermatologist, David Bruce, discovered wine while a medical student. After completing his medical residency, David Bruce purchased 40 acres of land above the fog-line in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He cleared the land (by himself) and planted the vineyard (also by himself). During the 1960’s there were only a few working wineries in the region. In the first 25 years of the winery’s existence, David Bruce divided his time between his full time dermatology practice in Los Gatos and running his winery, until his retirement from his medical practice in 1985.
David Bruce’s need to make wine always included a need to understand how fine wine is created. His combination of passion and scientific curiosity has led to pioneering efforts, now legendary, that have contributed to both the industry’s evolution and quality of David Bruce wines. David Bruce Winery was one of the 12 California wineries to participate in the now famous 1976 Paris Tasting “Judgment of Paris” (click on for Wikipedia link) in which California Cabernets and Chardonnays outscored French Bordeaux and Burgundies in a blind tasting in France.
Opening up a bottle of David Bruce 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, I notice a bright ruby red color and smell fruit aromas of ripe cherries and blackberries and subtle spices, mostly vanilla and cinnamon. The fruit continues to come forth on the palate along with smooth and graceful tannins finishing off with some toasty notes and flavorful acidity. A good value Pinot as retail is around $30.
Cheers!