Saintsbury Pinot Noir Carneros Garnet 2010

Fresh, vibrant and snappy, offering crisp dark berry fruit, with spice, mineral and cedar flavors. Full-bodied and persistent. Drink now through 2015.

Garnet long has been one of Californiarsquo;s greatest entry-level Pinot Noirs, and it still is. Maybe the best. The rsquo;09 reflects the balanced vintage. Itrsquo;s a dry, silky, light-bodied wine, with pretty raspberry and cola flavors.

For years Saintsbury has been blending their lighter styled, more perfumed lots to create “Garnet” named for the precious stone. It is created to be a bright, red fruit filled easy drinking Pinot Noir. Drink now or hold 2-5 years. Aged for 8 months in French oak - 20% of which was new.

Winery Tasting Notes - Garnet is produced from Pinot Noir grown in the Carneros district. Our aim in creating each vintage of Garnet is to produce a refreshing, early-drinking style of Pinot, one that is full of cherry/raspberry varietal fruit, enriched and developed by aging in French oak barrels. The Garnet Pinot Noir is enjoyed for the right combination of freshness and extract, grace and length. 2009 is an outstanding vintage for Pinot Noir and the 09 Garnet reflects that lush with bright, refreshing fruit and texture that mirror these flavors in a seamless, rewarding expression of young Pinot Noir. This affordable Pinot Noir is a perennial favorite during the holidays, and complements a wide variety of dishes.

Bright red. Fruit-riven aromas of cherry, raspberry and orange peel. Tangy flavors of spicy red fruits. Finishes brisk and persistent, with easy tannins and a note of strawberry.

Aromas of black cherry, black tea, forest floor; loamy, full mouthfeel.

The two Pinot Noirs include the screw cap-finished 2009 Garnet. This is a delightful, fruit-driven, lighter style of Pinot with plenty of cherries and spice as well as a hint of herbs. Simple, medium-bodied, but very satisfying, it should be drunk over the next several years.