Placeholder Image

Big Basin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Lester Vineyard

California, United States 2015 (750mL)
$55.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Big Basin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Lester Vineyard

Let me start with this: I love sharing this style of wine with friends. When you have the complexity and freshness of classic Pinot Noir bolstered with perfect tension, California can nearly disguise itself amongst higher-priced Burgundy (with friendlier levels of ripeness) and top-of-the-line Willamette Valley. Bradley Brown of Big Basin Vineyards belongs to this surging coterie of producers that showcase traditional finesse with subtle power and concentration.
Bradley's 2015 “Lester Vineyard” bottling, which we’ve offered in previous vintages, retains the elegance and intense Pinot perfume I’ve come to expect, but offers an entirely new level of concentration that should serve to reel in drinkers of weightier reds (think Grand Cru Red Burgundy). To put Big Basin in my list of top California Pinot producers would not be an understatement; the quality they’re achieving is matched by only a few others and judging by their older library wines, this will hold up for years to come. Only 200 cases were produced and thanks to Bradley being a close friend, I was able to secure a small allocation to offer 3 bottles per person until we sell out.
The face of Pinot Noir is changing quickly across California, especially in cooler climates with coastal influences. High up on my list is the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, where you’ll find a range of climates, topographies, and soils. Prudy Foxx, original planter of the Lester Family Vineyard and one of California’s greatest viticulture consultants, describes the AVA as such: “Breathtaking vistas. Ocean and valley views. Lush forests. Majestic first-growth redwoods. Misty fog. Ocean breezes. Surf and sand. Mountain vineyards. This is the Santa Cruz Mountains.” 

Though Bradley is equipped with a range of Pinot Noir bottlings, his most concentrated style often hails from the Lester Family Vineyard in Corralitos, just three miles from Monterey Bay. With this oceanic influence, the vineyard is blessed with the perfect balance of fog and sunshine, and with loam soils over sedimentary bedrock, this makes for an ideal Pinot Noir climate. As mentioned, the 2015 growing season came swift and loud, yielding only half of a typical harvest with compact clusters that held immensely concentrated juice. While the Old World charm is evident, there’s a layer of richness that emerges with this vintage. After harvesting via organic methods, Bradley and his team shuttled the grapes to their winery (built in 2003) and destemmed only 30% of the clusters. This whole cluster approach has been a huge success for Big Basin wines, and although not commonplace in America, this is similar to the methods of classic Burgundian producers. The wine then rested 15 months in French oak of various ages and was bottled unfined and unfiltered at the start of 2017. 

The 2015 exhibits a dark ruby red core with hints of garnet, leading out to slight pink reflections on the rim. Just off the sight, you can expect the wine to deliver serious focus and concentration. The first smell delivers a variety of perfumed wild berries, including strawberry, huckleberry, goji berry, black raspberry, and black cherry. Following lockstep are secondary notes of orange oil, loose black tea, forest floor, wildflowers, crushed stone, dried rose petal, and exotic baking spices. For its youth, the palate has wonderful balance with an entry of ripe fruit that is accented with tart pomegranate and red cherry. With its fresh fruit and vibrancy, this is a joy to drink now, but I know Bradley’s wines well and they gracefully evolve with age; this one will keep well over the next 3-10 years. If consuming now, simply open the bottle an hour beforehand or give it a 15-20 minute (optional) decant if desired. Serve alongside this tender chicken thigh dish with pomegranates. Bon Appétit!
Placeholder Image
Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesSanta Cruz Mountains
Soil
Loam w/ Sedimentary Rock
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
French Oak
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Large Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2023
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Pomegranate Chicken Thigh

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Others We Love