Artisan Wine Depot is currently featuring two WALT pinot noirs at bargain prices. We’ve written about WALT several times before. When we read about this we rushed over to pick up a couple of bottles of each. And they could not be more different. One is from the Sonoma Coast, the other from Anderson Valley. Each is an excellent reflection of the terroir of its respective AVA. (Prices quoted are in effect at Artisan as of February 14, 2020.)
WALT’s 2017 La Brisa ($36.97) is a blend of three Sonoma Coast vineyards: Bob’s Ranch, Gap’s Crown, and Calesa. Gaps Crown is up in the hills. In our experience, the grapes most closely resemble Anderson Valley. That explains why this Sonoma Coast is lighter than we’d expect.
The wine is on the red side of-purple with aromas of rose petal, tangerine peel red raspberries. Medium-bodied with flavors of crushed raspberry, cola, freshly turned soil, and tobacco linger on the palate. The texture is rich and leads into a long finish with balanced oak and minerality.
The 2017 Blue Jay ($39.99) is from hillside vineyards in the Anderson Valley. The color is lighter than La Brisa, tending away from purple and toward ruby. Aromas of blood orange, strawberries with hints of forest floor. Complexity on the palate shows flavors of wild blueberries, baking spice and red raspberries. The long finish is smooth tannins, oak, and balanced acidity.
