Belle Glos 2019 Pinot Noir, Las Alturas Vyd., Santa Lucia Highlands, Magnum 1.5L

Magnum 1.5Liter
#11 on Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2021!!
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 Santa Lucia Highlands, famous for bold, distinctive Pinot Noir. Their Las Alturas Vineyard is a mere 15 acres and the sandy loam soils provide good drainage and yields are kept under two tons per acre. In this high altitude coastal enclave the carefully selected clones ripen slowly, developing rich, intensive flavors.

Winter was cold and wet, beginning with a series of cold winter storms in mid-January that finally tapered off in late March. This delayed the onset of bud break and early grapevine growth. The weather turned warm and sunny in April, which caused rapid grapevine growth that lasted into early May. Cold, wet weather returned in mid-May before transitioning into a mild, warm summer.

In 2019 hot weather in August led to a completed veraison by the end of the month, and the marine layer allowed the grapes to ripen evenly and retain their natural acidity. After destemming but not crushing, the berries were cold-soaked for up to two weeks to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction. During fermentation in a combination of closed and open-top stainless steel fermenters, they used both punch-downs and pump-overs to extract color and tannins, and also to control temperatures and maximize flavors. The wine aged in 100% French oak (60% new) for up to nine months.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 96 points saying "Firm lines of graphite and loamy earth streak through the opulent aromas of black plum and dried violet on the nose of this intensely dark and brooding Pinot Noir. The palate is a whirlwind of exuberant elegance, as leathery tannins wrap around more graphite minerality, dried violet and lavender, stewed plum and a touch of bittersweet cocoa on the finish."