2009 Claiborne & Churchill Classic Pinot Noir

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Product was provided for free however the review is my honest opinion and includes affiliate links.

I recently started receiving wines from the California Wine Club.

The wines I received will come from the The California Wine Club Premier series.  The series features two wines each month: a white and a red.  The Premier Club is an inexpensive club for the wines you try.  Over the upcoming months I will be rating two California wines.  So far I like the choices because the wines are not just from Napa or Sonoma, but also places like Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and even the Sierra Foothills.

I can’t wait to try both and write about them.  If you are new or old to wine drinking, I think this would be a great affordable club to join and stay with for many years to come.

Here is my first of many.

We had a somewhat lazy Sunday recently and my parents were coming over for dinner.  I had to study for most of the day, so Chris decided to make home-made Butternut Squash Ravioli with grilled flank steak and broccoli.  Both my dad and I are huge pasta fans and I was really looking forward to dinner and a glass of wine.

I recently received a bottle of 2009 Claiborne & Churchill Classic Pinot Noir.  I figured the Pinot would pair well with Chris’ meal.

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Prior to Chris plating I decided to pull the cork and try a glass!  My dad, who does not drink smelled the glass and said the Pinot Noir smelled really good.  I hadn’t tried it yet, but had to agree!

Sight
Medium color depth, the clarity is clear.  The hue was a nice Ruby.

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Smell
The Pinot Noir was very aromatic and fruity.  I noted caramel, vanilla, slight oak, rhubarb and other red fruits.

Taste
The taste was dry and medium to light-bodied with good acidity.  The tannins were medium and soft.  I could taste cranberry and light red fruit.  I could feel the tannins on the sides of my palate while it was soft and silky.  The finish was medium in length.

Wine makers notes:
• The fruit was sourced from several vineyards in Edna Valley: 85% Twine Creeks and 15% Wolff Vineyards (Clones #113, 115, 667,   Martini and Pommard).

• Juice fermented in open-top bins for 7 to 10 days, with punch-downs by hand four times per day.

• This 100% Pinot Noir aged for 10 months in all French oak barrels.

abv: 13.8%

Taste the Difference. We are so confident you will love the wines we feature, we will give you your first three months at 50% off.

I rated the 2009 Claiborne & Churchill Classic Pinot Noir three glasses.

The Pinot Noir paired very well with the meal and I would definitely drink this one again.

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In Vino Veritas!

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