Belle Glos 2019 Pinot Noir, Clark & Telephone Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Belle Glos is a super premium Pinot Noir produced by none other than the Wagner family, famous for Caymus Vineyards. The striking red wax capsule is a statement to the exceptional character of this wine. The Wagner family purchased prime vineyard property in the several Pinot Noir hot spots including this vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. Clark & Telephone Vineyard, located near the corner of Clark Avenue and Telephone Road in the Santa Maria Valley, is cooled by wind and fog that snakes in from the Pacific Ocean along a channel of the Santa Maria River. Established in 1972, the Clark & Telephone Vineyard was planted "own root" to the Martini clone. This heirloom clone of Pinot Noir, one of the first to grace the California coastlands, has become something of a lost treasure.

2019 was another excellent vintage with ripe, high quality fruit. A cold-soak for up to two weeks to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction was followed by a slow fermentation. The wine aged in 60% new French oak barrels for nine months.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 90 points saying “This is a powerfully extracted and über-ripe bottling, loaded with black cherry, clove and nutmeg. The baked fruit flavors are bombastic on the sip, full of caramel, cherry cordial and oak, clicking the hedonistic buttons while ditching varietal character.”