Fotinos Brothers
Today's Wine:
2009 Los Carneros Pinot Noir
| Varietal: | Pinot Noir |
| Vineyard: | Fotinos Estate OSRI and OSRII |
| Region: | Los Carneros, Napa |
| Availability: | Very Limited |
| Avg. Price: | $70.00 |
| Wine Spies: |
$44.99
(35% off)
|
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
Mission Codename: The 94th Point
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Send Agent Red to Los Carneros, the part of the Napa Valley that is best-suited to growing Pinot Noir.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Tom Fotinos
Final Assessment
This is a spectacular Pinot Noir! So superb, in fact, that every member of our tasting panel will be ordering some for himself or herself, today - if there is any left after our Operatives get their first dibs!
Today’s 2009 Fotinos Brothers Los Carneros Pinot Noir is a deeply delicious wine. At first sniff, this wine transports you straight to the misty Carneros region where this wine was born. Lift the wine to your lips and your first sip wakes the palate with vivacious yet sophisticated flavors.
This 94 Point delight is a very special wine, in a very elegant bottle. We expect it to sell quickly. Hopefully, there will be some of this very highly recommended wine left over for our hard-working tasting panel…
Tasting Profile
Deep and dark ruby with a dense and perfectly clear heart. At the edges, the wine throws off glints of pink.
Deep and dark with black cherry, blackberry, wild strawberry, red currant, briar patch and subtle smoked meats.
Dark and rich with layers of berry and stonefruit. Leather and soft spice meld with sweet tobacco, dark baker’s chocolate, bramble and subtle forest floor.
Plush and softly drying with integrated tannins and long-sustained blackberry preserve, dried cherry, hard dried leather, dried fall leaves and a hint of black pepper.
This wine has enough versatility to be served with a wide array of selections. We’re recommending Armadillo Eggs! Find the recipe, here: http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2011/02/armadillo-eggs-recipe-jalapeno.html
What the Winery Says
In the heart of the Carneros wine appellation, set among tumbling hills with light bay breezes, are the Fotinos Brothers Vineyards. This 11 acre wine estate has the ideal microclimate for our traditional, yet progressive, style of viticulture. Our wines are a culmination of 115 years of family wine making, spanning four generations. We are committed to producing the highest quality, terroir driven Pinot Noir that is the purest expression of our vineyards. Since 1973 our family has hand crafted this wine on a private label. After 33 years of perfection, it is now available for everyone to enjoy. Salute! * Estate grown * Hand picked and sorted * OSRII block, Carneros wine appellation * Expected release date of March 20, 2012.
This Pinot has a 94 point rating and has won gold at The World Wine Championship.
Tasting Notes: The wine opens with perfumed aromas of ripe red fruits(plum,cherry and raspberry), an array of spices with a hint of smoke and toasty oak with subtle hints of evergreen and minerals. This gives way to a balance of similar flavors with a sneaky length and a velvety smooth finish.
- abv
- 14.5%
About the Winery
Family Wine Making Heritage
In Lefkas, Greece, toward the end of the 19th Century, our grandfather, Christos, was taught the art of traditional wine making by his father. Christos immigrated to the United States in the early part of the 20th Century and eventually farmed his own vineyard in Sonoma, California. As Christos perfected his viticulture and wine making techniques, he passed his knowledge along to his son, Tom, our father. As children we were immersed in this deep tradition, working in the vineyard in the Spring and Summer months and harvesting in the Fall. Being a large family, twenty or so of us would meet monthly at our grandparent’s home and vineyard enjoying food, wine and each other. Sundays at our grandparent’s house were spent eating Greek lunches under the grape arbor with family and friends. This was back in the days when we would climb inside half barrels and stomp grapes with our feet. We have come a long way since then.
In 1968, our father, Tom, purchased his own vineyard. He used the traditional skills of his heritage along with his own contemporary ideas to create one of the best private label Pinot Noir’s in Napa Valley. In the 1970’s, he won many 1st place ribbons in Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa County wine making contests.
We grew up with this rich history of wine making, honing our skills to produce what has taken four generations to perfect, our 2006 Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, our father passed away in 1983. We want to dedicate this first vintage in his memory. Our mother, Martha, remains involved in the family vineyard, carrying on our father’s legacy.
In Greek mythology, The God of Wine was Dionysos. He was often depicted with a “thyrsos”, which is a giant fennel staff covered in grapevines and leaves and topped with a pine cone. The symbol for our winery is a variation of this “thyrsos”, representing our Greek heritage. Homer told many tales of Dionysos and the courage he displayed fending off evil doers. We believe this “Tha-rros” (courage) is in our blood, giving us continued strength to grow and produce Pinot Noir, the most delicate of wines.
