Time flies when you are having fun, and apparently when you are making
Pinot Noir as well. Way back in 1983, we discovered we had a wide range of wine
styles on our hands (literally and figuratively) in the lots from the vintage. Some
were rich and concentrated, and some were perfumed, fresh, and relatively lighter.
We decided to capture the charm of those lighter lots by combining them and
bottling them separately. We gave this bottling the proprietary name “Garnet” after
the semi-precious gemstone.
We have been making this wine ever since, and with
this vintage we are entering the 21st century–from now on, Garnet will
be bottled with screwcaps. Notice the graphic from the top of the
box–no corkscrew/wine key required–just your bare hands. (We still
recommend pouring it into a glass before enjoying it, however).
Garnet is produced from Pinot Noir grown in the Carneros district. Our aim
in creating each vintage of Garnet is to produce a refreshing, early-drinking style of
Pinot, one that is full of cherry/raspberry varietal fruit, enriched and developed by
aging in French oak barrels.
We are often asked if we use a different winemaking technique during fermentation
in order to produce a lighter wine than our Carneros Pinot Noir. To understand fully,
one must start in the vineyard. Saintsbury gets Pinot Noir grapes from two dozen different
vineyards, the largest of which may be split into up to seven or eight lots. We use
our experience to judge which techniques will bring out the best in each one. After
fermentation, the wines are barrel-aged separately to allow them to show us their potential.
After the wines have spent a few months in barrel, we taste each one. We discuss
the merits of each lot and then make trial blends, with the goal of producing wines that
will properly represent all our Pinot styles. In early spring the lots selected to become
Garnet are assembled and the wine is bottled in early summer. The remaining lots
continue for further barrel aging until just before the next harvest when the Carneros
Pinot Noir and the Vineyard Series wines are bottled.
The Garnet Pinot Noir is enjoyed for the right combination of freshness and extract,
grace and length. 2008 is an outstanding vintage for Pinot Noir and the ’08 Garnet
reflects that–lush with bright, refreshing fruit and texture that mirror these flavors in a
seamless, rewarding expression of young Pinot Noir. This affordable Pinot Noir is a
perennial favorite during the holidays, and complements a wide variety of dishes.
© 2006 Saintsbury
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