Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir 2020 |
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What wine goes with Fenway Franks? OK, this is a stretch; some would say a seventh-inning stretch. Bear with me; I only report the news, not make it. |
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Joe Wagner, while working for his dad, in 2001, at the ripe age of 19, created Belle Glos, a project named after his grandmother and co-creator of Caymus. Belle Glos is a vineyard-designated Pinot Noir from Californian coastal growing regions known for Pinot Noir: Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. An ambitious project started three years before the movie βSidewaysβ came out, which created an amazing spike in demand for Pinot Noir. Joe believed certain areas had microclimates especially suited for the finicky Pinot Noir grape. A novel idea for California at the time. |
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Clark & Telephone Vineyard, located on the corner of Clark Avenue and Telephone Road in the Santa Maria Valley, is cooled by wind and fog that snakes in from the Pacific Ocean along a channel of the Santa Maria River. The vineyard was established in 1972 and was planted ungrafted to the Martini clone. This heirloom clone of Pinot Noir, one of the first to grace the California coastlands, has become something of a lost treasure. Located just 13 miles from the ocean and situated on a west-facing slope, this vineyard experiences weather patterns that move from west to east, bringing cool coastal fog and breezes inland. In the world of Pinot Noir production, this is a special place. |
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With the 2002 vintage, winemakers Joseph Wagner and Jon Bolta (Conundrum, another Wagner creation) took what was already a low-yielding 76-acre vineyard. They reduced the crop even more radically by regular thinning to increase the flavor concentration of the berries. When the grapes were hand harvested, they ended up with just over one ton per acre. Average yields for premium Californian red wine grapes are 3.5 to 6.5 tons per acre. The quality was so high and the flavors so distinctive they felt the wine deserved to be named for the vineyard that produced it, which was located at the intersection of Clark & Telephone roads. Thus the iconic Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir came to be. |
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The 2020 vintage started with winter with little to no rainfall and temperatures warmer than usual for January and February. The weather transitioned in March and early April to mild and wet weather that replenished the soil profile with much-needed water. Due to warm weather at bloom, the fruit set was remarkable, and the overall crop yield was above average for Santa Barbara County. Veraison began in early July and was completed by early August. The fruit had excellent color and flavor development which was complemented by bright acidity. Warm and mild weather occurred from August through October, which helped ripen the crop uniformly. Harvest started and was completed during the second week of September. |
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We harvested early in the morning so the fruit would arrive at the winery while the grapes were still cool to preserve their vineyard-fresh flavors. After destemming (but not crushing) the berries, we cold-soaked the must for 14 days to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction. During fermentation in a combination of closed and open-top stainless steel fermenters, we used both punch-down and pump-over techniques to extract color and phenolics. We aged the wine in 100% French oak (60% new) for up to 12 months. After the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, we racked it twice before bottling. |
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Deep ruby red in color with scarlet highlights, Clark & Telephone opens with bountiful aromas of red fruits of cranberry and raspberry jam, laced with clove, cedar, and holiday baking spices. Bold and complex flavors of crushed ripe cherry, cranberry, and blueberry pie linger on the palate. The texture is rich and lively and leads into a warm and structured finish. |
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The 2020 Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir offers a delicate balance between ripe fruit and oak. This wine excels with aromas and flavors of blackberries, earth, and enticing barrel nuances. Enjoy it with a well-seasoned, oven-roasted leg of lamb. Wine.com 91 pts
A big, bold, and superripe style of Pinot Noir, this bottling offers thick aromas of red and black cherry alongside mace and milk chocolate on the nose. The palate is viscous and powerful, with flavors of baked strawberry, cherry, nutmeg, and licorice. The structure and acidity rise toward the finish. Wine Enthusiast 90 pts
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Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir 2020 |
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This year, the red sox teamed up with Copper Cain Wine Company and created a Fenway Park Green Monster bottling of Belle Glos Clark and Telegraph Pinot Noir. Only 200 cases of this wine were released, and as you can imagine, Fenway Park took most of those cases. We were able to secure 40 cases of this one-time bottling at a tremendous price. To add to the value of this wine, Copper Cane Wine Company has a QR code or Mail-In Rebate for its brands that Belle Glos qualifies. Can this get any better besides the Red Sox reaching the wildcard spot for the playoffs?
Well, yes, it can. When Tim and I tasted this wine, we were fully aware of the Wagner/Caymus style of making wine. Powerful, much like the Green Monster Wall in left field at Fenway. And this wine was no surprise, much like past vintages. It is a monster in its own right; 4.8% alcohol is the first clue to its power. Big extracted fruit, but not flabby or cooked. On the nose, it has intense black fruit, cedar, and spice, some vanilla. On the palate, the fruit morphs into more cranberry and mocha. Tannins are noticeable and balanced by the fruit. A very long finish of dark cherry and spice. We both were impressed with the complexity of this wine and immediately wished we had a big steak on the grill to make this a doubleheader.
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*Sale price is on 3 or more bottles
$10 Mail in Rebate on three bottles. Final Bottle Cost $34.67
$30 Mail in Rebate on six bottles. Final Bottle Cost $33.00
Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case
Very limited quantities
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Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet, and in this pandemic environment, simply operations sometimes prove difficult. Thank you in advance for your patience. |
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Let me know your preferred store for pickup: Attleboro, Norwood, Sturbridge, or Swansea. If you don't state the store, I will assume you are picking up in Sturbridge.
Place your order now while you've got everything in front of you. Reply to this email along with your name and which store you want to pick it up.
I will confirm your order via email when it is ready for pickup. Please give us at least 48 hours to respond. Stay well, cheers!
βJohn Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist
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Monday-Thursday
9AM to 9PM
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Friday-Saturday
9AM to 10PM
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We reserve the right to limit quantities. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase/consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Not responsible for typographical errors. Rebate quantities are subject to limitation by the manufacturer. These alcoholic beverages may be subject to payment of Connecticut or Rhode Island Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Connecticut Use Tax, and may be subject to seizure as contraband. |
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