Grapelive Wine of the Week
By Kerry Winslow
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2009 Peay Vinyards Pinot Noir “Scallop Shelf” Estate, Sonoma Coast.
Across the board, the 2009 Peay wines are some of the finest of the year, and Andy, Nick and Vanessa can be very proud of these amazing wines, and it is very hard to pick a favorite, but I think this new “Scallop Shelf” Pinot is the best of the best. While it is no surprise, considering the vintage and the track record of this wonderful winery, and with Vanessa Wong’s remarkable talents, after her time at Chateau Lafite and Domaine Jean Gros and other top estates, she is making some of the most terroir driven wines in California. This 2009 Peay “Scallop Shelf” Pinot is perfectly balance, delicately detailed and has glorious length and texture, this is a very very sexy wine. With a mix of clones, mostly Pommard, this wine shows silky texture and complexity with rose petals, violets, and earthy spices coming through on the nose and palate with racy red fruits, cherry, raspberry and wild strawberries filling the mouth and lingering for ages on the finish. In the background there are layers of truffle, apple skin, pepper and subtle oak framing with hints of smoke and vanilla. For those that love fine Burgundy, this wine will take you there and beyond, it has elements that remind you of Vosne-Romanee and Chambolle-Musigny, but it really is a pure expression of the wild Sonoma Coast, beautiful and extreme.
($56 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive
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