Wines
The Cold Heaven philosophy is to create balanced and elegant
wines with ample structure and natural acidity using both
red and white varieties from some of California’s best
cool climate vineyards.
Minimalist handling, gentle cellar techniques, and clonal
focus are critical in creating the very special wines of
Cold Heaven Cellars.
Cool-Climate Viognier
Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley 2009
This is a brand new addition to the Cold Heaven line-up.
The clonal selection, "R", gets its name from
Rousanne, which for many years it was thought to be and was
propagated as in a few California vineyards. We love it because
it holds its balance in a warm climate and gives us the fresh,
lively style we strive to make. This wine has classic viognier
flavors, balanced and elegant, lush but not overly dense.
White pepper, ripe pear, mineral, pineapple, kiwi, and vanilla
dominate what we like to call Viognier 101.
Click
here for full wine notes.
Viognier, Sanford & Benedict 2009
Bright yellow. Intensely aromatic bouquet evokes fresh pit
fruits, tangerine and white flowers, with a spicy overtone.
Deeply pitched nectarine and citrus zest flavors display
a suave blend of richness and energy, turning more tangy
with air. Finishes with excellent intensity, focus and spicy
length. This wine has the power to stand up to rich foods.
92 points
Josh Raynolds ©2011 WineAccess. All Rights Reserved.
Viognier, Le Bon Climat 2010
Pale gold. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of nectarine, orange
pith, candied ginger, bee pollen and flowers. Sappy citrus
and dried pit fruit flavors stain the palate, with slow-mounting
spiciness adding back-end cut. Lively but powerful viognier,
with excellent clarity and floral-driven persistence. 93 points
Josh Raynolds ©2011 WineAccess. All Rights Reserved.
Viognier, Domaine Des Deux Mondes Saints & Sinners
2009
Fresh, mineral-accented pear, white peach and floral
aromas, with notes of licorice and honey. Restrained and
sharply
focused on the palate, showing a spicy orchard fruit quality
and a nervy kick of citrus zest. A strikingly brisk, energetic
style of viognier, with strong closing thrust and lingering
spiciness. 92 points
Josh Raynolds ©2011 WineAccess. All Rights Reserved.
Structured Pinot Noir
At the risk of sounding mysterious and evasive, it is our
preference to not talk about our vineyard sources for our
pinot noirs. While we realize this may sound like we have
something to
hide,
it really is a reflection of our own philosophy of winemaking
and a slight departure from the approach we have taken with
our viogniers. While we aren’t hiding anything but
the vineyard names, it goes without saying that we do have
access to some of the top vineyards in the area and we will
continue to source from them as we fine-tune our clonal and
vineyard selections with each upcoming vintage. It is has
been our approach to select clones within specific vineyards
and match them up to combine these clones in a way that provides,
what we think, is the purest expression of pinot noir from
our preferred AVAs. While we are willing to discuss what
clones we prefer (at least for now), it is our goal to focus
on what is in the bottle as opposed to which famous vineyard
the fruit was sourced. As we fine-tune our clonal and vineyard
selections and settle into long-term sourcing arrangements
our willingness to discuss them will be much more enthusiastic.
Pinot Noir, Makepeace 2010
Notes of black tea, dried roses, coupled with bright acid
and polished tannins define this wine as coming from typical “cool
climate” growing regions. Generous upfront fruit along
with its exceptional structure will make this wine a keeper
for the collector but is sufficiently balanced that its youthful
exuberance can be enjoyed immediately.
Click here for full wine notes.
Pinot Noir, Nevertell 2010
Nevertell is a single-clone, single vineyard Pinot Noir
that was selected because it screams balance and old world
nuance. Fruit forward without being over-opulent, restrained,
elegant, and persistent and very much in the Cold Heaven
style of wine making.
Click here for full wine notes.
Limited-Production Syrah
Syrah, Second Sin 2005
There is little we can say about this wine except that we
love it. Again, a blend of three separate vineyard sites,
but we replaced the Bien Nacido with fruit from the Los Alamos
area of Santa Barbara County. We like to call this the pinot
noir of syrahs because it's so elegant and pure. Don't be
fooled by the description; there is plenty of chocolate,
caramel, and smoky aromas to let you know you're having one
of California's unique syrahs.
Click
here for full wine notes. |
