Product Description:

This 2-pack includes 1 bottle of 2010 Alta Maria Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley and 1 bottle of 2012 Zorzal Terroir Unico Pinot Noir.

2010 Alta Maria Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley:
"Deep ruby color; complex aromas of stewed cherry, spice and herbs; rich and deep plum and cherry flavors with spice and herbal notes; some tannin and oak; good structure and balance; long finish. Full and complex Pinot that is a great match for grilled meats." - 93 Pts Pinot Report (03/13)

"Vivid red. Deeply pitched cherry and raspberry on the pungent, floral-accented nose. Silky and focused, offering bitter cherry, red fruit compote and musky herb flavors that show good depth and grip. Picks up a smoky nuance with air, along with a touch of candied rose. Closes on an earthy beetroot note, with silky tannins and very good length." - 90 Pts Josh Raynolds - International Wine Cellar (12/13)

"This harnesses dramatic ripeness without over-reaching, offering enough length and freshness to support its dense layers of blackberry-laden fruit. Grippy tannins provide a structural counterpoint to that sumptuousness, suggesting the appetizing bitterness of carob and setting the wine up for roasted pork loin." - 90 Pts Wine & Spirits (04/13)

Wine:
"2010 is our 6th vintage! Garnet red in appearance, this 2010 Pinot Noir’s captivating aromas are spicy with ripe cherries and strawberries. A luscious mid-palate comes through upon tasting, but lies well within the true character of this variety. Medium-bodied throughout, with balance and a great fruit presence that is a classic mark of the vintage." - Winery

This wine was also rated 88 Points by the Wine Advocate and Burghound, 87 Points by the Wine Enthusiast, and 86 Points by the Wine Spectator.

2012 Zorzal Terroir Unico Pinot Noir:
"This pinot seems simple at first, with scents of strawberries and fresh flowers that flood the mouth, tasting of red fruits freshly crushed. Then earthy and spicy notes turn the wine toward greater complexity, while the firm tension of the structure surrounds all the juicy flavor." - 90 Pts Wine & Spirits (02/13)

"The 2012 Pinot Noir is cropped from a single vineyard planted at 1,300 meters atypically east to west, 80% crushed and 20% whole cluster (i.e. carbonic fermentation.) After cold maceration for four days, it undergoes pigeage thrice daily and treated with sulphites at 30ppm and bottled. It has a deep purple/crimson color. The nose is tightly wound with blackberry and bilberry aromas – an underlying minerality palpable. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, slightly chalky tannins. There is a tightly wound core of blackberry and raspberry leaf, while the finish is brittle and defined. This is a lively, vivacious Pinot Noir. Drink now-2016." - 89 Pts Neal Martin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (10/12)

Wine:
"Colour: good intensity for the variety, with violety tones. Aroma: Here we find a Pinot Noir that is very intense in the nose, a result of our terroir: aromas of blackberries, strawberries and earth, with mineral notes. Flavour: direct, clear, vertical. It flows in the mouth with plenty of life and smoothness. It has good volume and great acidity, making it very fresh, and a long, sweet finish." - Winery

Winemaking:
"The grapes are placed in cement tanks, with 80% crushed and the other 20% as whole clusters. The container is filled by gravity, in other words, there is no pumping at any time, which means that the grapes reach their fermentation site practically intact. A cold maceration lasting about 4 days is carried out, and then Alcoholic Fermentation begins with indigenous or autochthanous yeasts. During this fermentation, the skins are tamped (pillage) 3 times a day. Malolactic fermentation is carried out and then the wine is treated with sulphites at 30 ppm., filtered through plates, and finally bottled." - Winery

Vineyard:
"The vineyard for this variety is located at 1,300 metres above sea-level in Gualtallary, Tupungato. It is a young vineyard planted on chalky soils, with a very pronounced slope. This helps the grapes to be healthier because there is no accumulation of water or frost. It has a mountain climate, which implies a great variation in temperature, and the resulting grapes have thicker skins." - Winery