2007 Black Kite “Kite’s Rest” Pinot Noir

Paul and I recently received our 2007 shipment of Black Kite Cellars complete lineup. We tasted all four of the 2007 release that night along with a 2001 Willaims Seylem “Rochioli River Block”. Black Kite cellars is a family owned and run artisan producer of hand crafted, terrior driven Pinto Noir. The winery was established in 2003 and currently produces three single vineyard, block designated bottling’s. The three single vineyards Redwoods Edge, Stony Terrace, and River Turn, are each planted in four acre plots, with each displaying the diversity of their own soil types, micro climates and clone type. The Kite’s Rest is a magnificent blend of the three single vineyard offerings. This evening started well for me and I was very excited to try these wines, but ended up ill by the end of the evening with something that my daughter had been struggling with for a few days. Since I fell off early in the night, and lost my enthusiasm and joy for this event, I will only talk about the first wine of the night. I promise to bring more on the other bottles at another tasting when I can bring you honest and thoughtful comments. PS The Williams Seylem turned out to be baked.

Wine Details:

Winery: Black Kite Cellars

Appelation: Anderson Valley CA

Vintage: 2007

720 cases produced fermented using Burgundian yeasts and aged in a mix of French cooperage from the Allier, Vosges, and Troncais forests of central France that help produce wines of complexity, elegance, and longevity. The winemaker is Jeff Gaffner who IMO does a tremendous job of letting the land show through in the single vineyard wines. The viticulturalist is Paul Ardzrooni.

In the glass the color is dark ruby/garnet. On the nose dark berry, dark cherry, raspberry, cassis, sweet toasty oak, spanish cedar, white pepper, with a hint of dark chocolate, pencil lead, earth, and dark wild mushroom. On the palate the fruit is elegantly structured and very well balanced with chocolate covered dark cherry with a nice mid palate showing bright acidity, and a clean focused generous finish. 

Rating 94 JH, 93 PC