The name of this wine was inspired by composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

In the world of music, a grace note is an ornament or embellishment to a composition that’s “not only useful, but indispensable. They connect the notes,; they give them life. They emphasize them, and illustrate the sentiments, be they sad or merry. The best melody without them may seem obscure and meaningless.”

In the world of wine, the concept can be applied to the specific grapes utilized, the type of vessels used for aging, and the length of aging prior to bottling and release. For the 2010 Gracenote Pinot Noir, winemaker Reed Renaudin selected grapes from two vineyards in the Carneros area of Sonoma County, and then aged the cuvee in a mix of French and Hungarian oak barrels.

The wine is perfectly balanced, nicely concentrated, and both floral and fruitful. In a word, it’s a wine that truly is inspired.

About Pinot Noir

Very sensitive to climate and handling in winery, this fickle grape of Burgundy yields low tannin and acidity, medium colors and lifespan. Classic berry, cherry and currant flavors, silky textures typically balanced with spicy or floral tones.

• Grape Composition:100% Pinot Noir
• Grape Source:Carneros Growing Area of Southern Sonoma County
• Aromas & Flavors:Red Cherry, Red Berries, Cocoa, Coffee, Charred Wood, Toast and a Hint of Lavender
• Aging Vessels:French and Hungarian Oak Barrels (30% First Use) for 20 Months
• When to Drink:Now Through 2016
• Food Pairing Suggestiongrilled salmon, or a mushroom pizza.

My Thoughts:

This particular bottle of wine was chosen to drink while watching the cinematic masterpiece Sharknado.  One of those campy ultra cheesy horror flicks that are so awful that it’s hilarious and you can’t help but love it by the end.  But anyway…While pouring the first glass I was greeted with subtle, yet pleasant aromas of black currant, dark berries and campfire.  Based on smell alone I was already excited that this was going to be a pretty good wine.  Then, the first sip.  Well hello there!  A full bodied set of flavors, but none of it overpowering or any of the individual flavors stronger than the others.  I was surprised how light the mouthfeel was with this wine.  With such a powerful set of flavors it was surprisingly light and easy to drink.  Sometimes I find Pinot Noirs to be very heavy feeling.  This is definitely one of the better Pinot Noirs I’ve had in quite some time.  (I would have better details but for one, I forgot to take notes the other night while drinking this.  And then, I was slightly distracted by sharks flying through the air by way of tornado.)

This paired well with a white pizza with fresh tomatoes.  I’m sure it would have gone well with cheese, but I can definitely vouch that it paired quite nicely with cheesy movies.  I mean, it’s a movie where sharks eat people while being flung to land by a natural disaster.  I found a solid red wine to be appropriate…then again whites typically pair well with seafood.  Hmm…

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “Katie and I finished this with no problem and probably could have gone for another glass each if we hadn’t already finished off the bottle” Would I buy it again? Hell yes.  I’d even drink it without watching a bad movie!

Final Grade: A