Wine Recommendation
  Sign In
Subscribe to our newsletter
Bookmark and Share  
print this review   PDF version of review     

Wine Recommendation

Harrington Winery 2006 Pinot Noir, Brosseau Vineyard (Chalone)

Harrington Winery

2006 Pinot Noir, Brosseau Vineyard
(Chalone)



Pinot specialist Bryan Harrington has added some of California’s most notable vineyards to his stable of appellation and vineyard designated Pinots (Anderson Valley’s Wiley Vineyard, Sonoma Coast’s Hirsch Vineyard and Russian River’s Morelli Lane, to name a few). With this wine, Harrington joins other notable Pinot producers doing vineyard-designated bottlings with Brosseau Vineyards fruit – David Bruce, Brian Loring and Testarossa Vineyards, in addition to the grower's own estate bottling. The Brosseau family has been farming Pinot here in the Gabilan Mountains since the late 1970s, originally under contract to Dick Graff’s Chalone Vineyards. The cool climate and limestone-laden soils of the high elevation Chalone appellation yield Pinots that are sleek and well defined with a reputation for longevity. This wine, which is clearly built to go the distance, represents the qualities of the Chalone appellation perfectly.

Start with a wine that is actually the color of Burgundy. In the nose it is violets, leather and eucalyptus, with a hint of mint and mélange of understated spices. On the palate this is a long distance runner, lean bodied, steely, with sufficient mid palate grit to impress, and absolutely no exterior muscle baggage to handicap the long run this chappy was trained to compete for. Fruit flavors here are well married for just a 2006, restrained spice, some pepper, but no part of this wannabe champion long distance runner is stressing any other part. He is in the race with the best coaching imaginable. Where will this wine finish at the ten years pole, you're asking yourself. ’should I put some money on this chap? The future is foretold in the finish - of the wine, not the race. The astounding minerality evident as the '06 Brosseau slips off the back of your palate should send you back to your wine-bookie... make that a case...no make it two cases, to WIN!

Reviewed June 19, 2008 by Roger Dial.




Other reviewed wines from Harrington Winery

 

The Wine

Winery: Harrington Winery
Vineyard: Brosseau Vineyard
Vintage: 2006
Wine: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Chalone
Grape: Pinot Noir
Price: 750ml $50.00

Review Date: 6/19/2008

The Reviewer

Roger Dial

Under various hats (winegrower/maker/negotiant/writer) Roger Dial has been tasting wine professionally for 40 years. He regards varietal and regional diversity as the best virtues of wine, and is ever-suspicious of the quest (by producers and critics, alike) for “universal greatness”. His tasting regime is simple: Is the wine technically sound? Is it interesting? Warning: he’s a sucker for all aromatic varieties.