Tag Archives: Fort Ross-Seaview AVA

60 Second Wine Review — Tuli Pinot noir

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on September 2, 2018

Update: The 2016 version of this wine was included in my blind tasting of Joe Wagner vs Oregon Pinot noirs. The Tuli was picked by the majority of tasters as a clear Wagner wine.

A few quick thoughts on the 2013 Tuli Pinot noir from Sonoma County.

The Geekery

Tuli is made by Joe Wagner, son of Chuck Wagner (of Caymus fame), and is part of a portfolio of wines that he produces for his Copper Cane Wines & Provisions company.

Along with Tuli, Copper Cane also makes Belle Glos, Elouan, The Willametter, BÖEN, Torial, Quilt, Beran, Carne Humana and the sparkling wine Steorra. Many of these new brands were developed by Wagner after he sold his Meiomi label to Constellation Brands in 2015 for $315 million dollars.

The name Tuli comes from the language of the native Wappo tribe that originally inhabited Sonoma County and means “sharing”. The fruit is sourced from throughout the county, including the Russian River Valley, with a primary focus on the cooler coastal regions of the Sonoma Coast, Fort-Ross Seaview and parts of the new Petaluma Gap AVA.

The Wine

Medium intensity nose. Very ripe black cherry with noticeable vanilla oak and baking spice–particularly clove and nutmeg. Around the edges some cola spice comes out with air.

With the very ripe cherry fruit, vanilla and baking spice, this Tuli Pinot has a lot of cherry pie notes.

On the palate those very ripe cherry notes come through and, coupled with the vanilla richness, gives this wine a lot of weight. Medium acidity helps balance the medium-plus tannins and body but could probably be a tad higher. The spices still make their presence known as they extend through the moderate-length finish.

The Verdict

The Tuli is a “Joe Wagner Wine” through and through with its big body and soft, plush fruit. It’s not as sweet tasting as Meiomi was (probably because it doesn’t have Riesling and Gewürztraminer blended in) nor is it quite as full-bodied and oaky as the Belle Glos Pinots are–though there is definitely oak and weight in the Tuli.

At around $25-30, it hits a “Goldilocks niche” between the two styles. Above all, this is a Wagner wine with the family pedigree very evident.

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60 Second Wine Review — Flowers Pinot noir

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on June 22, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2013 Flowers Pinot noir from the Sonoma Coast.

The Geekery

Flowers Winery began in 1989 when Joan and Walt Flowers purchased a few hundred acres in the northern Sonoma Coast AVA only about 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The prevailing wisdom was that cold ocean winds would be too cool to properly ripen even Burgundian varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot noir but the Flowers started planting Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard in 1991.

Over the next couple decades, Flowers would pioneer what would eventually be recognized as the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA in 2011. Today many notable wineries have joined Flowers in planting vineyards or sourcing fruit here–including Helenthal, Hirsch, Littorai, Martinelli, Marcassin, Pahlmeyer, Peter Michael, Siduri and Williams Selyem.

In 2009, Flowers Winery was acquired by Huneeus Vintners where it joined a portfolio that now includes Benton Lane, Faust, Illumination, Leviathan, Neyen, Quintessa, Primus, Ritual and Veramonte.

Since 2010 all of the estate vineyards of Flowers have been converted to either biodynamic or organic viticulture with the winery employing native yeast fermentation. The wine was aged 11 months in French oak barrels (25% new). Around 22,000 cases were produced.

The Wine

Medium-intensity nose. A mix of red fruit and floral notes that aren’t very defined. Feels like this wine has faded a bit.

This Pinot has an interesting rhubarb note.

The red fruits carried through on the palate and become more defined as cherry with an interesting, earthy rhubarb note. The floral notes disappear but are replaced with some black tea spice notes that I find appealing in many northern Willamette Pinots. Medium-plus acidity and soft medium tannins are well balanced. The moderate-length finish ends on earthy rhubarb.

The Verdict

While not dead at all, it definitely seems like this wine is on the tail-end of its life cycle and was probably delivering a lot more pleasure 2 to 3 years ago.

At around $45-50, it’s not a screaming value at all and, again, I would probably seek out newer vintages at that price.