Cartograph 2016 Estate 777 Pinot Noir
I was recently invited to a Zoom Tasting with some wine industry friends and the theme for the tasting was our favorite wine region. I had this bottle of Cartograph wine that I had been trying to justify opening. This was my opportunity! I am not sure that I have an actual favorite wine region. There are so many and each has its own wine riches. I am an equal opportunity wine drinker so if it is good, I am happy. I will say that Russian River Valley is one of my favorites, if I had to list a top 5.
I was introduced to Cartograph by wine friends and, with my first sip, understood these wines were absolute treasures. A meticulous and exacting type of love goes into wines of this caliber. Wine making is grueling work and only someone who cares for their wines more than themselves can make wines at the level that Cartograph does.
Having been experiencing the Pandemic Blues, I grabbed this bottle and opened it. I was so excited to have this wine and to see friends, new and old, for a fun night of tasting and conversation. I took my first sip and almost began to cry. Had I not been on a zoom call, I would have sobbed. It was the like scene from the movie Ratatoulle where the cold and heartless food critic, Anton Ego, took a bite of this dish the movie is named after and was transported to a childhood memory that spoke of love and comfort.
This sip transported me to many great memories. Vertical wine tastings with friends, after parties at Wine Blogger’s Conferences, Hog Island Oyster oysters with great wine my last day in California, wine tasting weekends, time spent in Mendocino for a friend’s birthday party, deck parties, wine industry parties, sipping port and smoking cigars with one of my bosses, eating at Foreign Cinema and Chez Panisse, playing poker with wine corks instead of poker chips, blending trials, and wine and food pairing work for winery guests. In short, every subsequent sip brought up another great memory.
All of these moments shared two things. The first was that I recognized in the moment how special it was and I savored it and stored it. Life gets really hard sometimes and having these moments as a bulwark and place of refuge to rest in is important. The second was that each of these moments had to do with connection. They happened with people I dearly love and deeply care about. I was glad that this Zoom tasting had a lot of people so that I could stay in my feels for a little while.
Now, on to the technical side of this wine! The wine smelled like cooling cherry jam and violets. The longer it was open, the more prevalent the violet aroma was. As it opened more, there was a hint of pepper as well. It smelled like a blend of 50/50 white and black pepper. The palate was bing cherry all the way. A perfectly ripe bing cherry. The finish ended with a subtle note of cedar plank and I wish I had cedar plank grilled salmon to pair with this wine.
This wine was so good, I essentially finished the bottle myself. I did give my roommate a half glass. I did not pay for this particular wine as it was a trade for services. The 2017 retails for $62.00 and I have had much more expensive Pinot Noirs that were not even close to the level of quality and beauty of this wine. This wine receives a Double P.O.H. Seal of Approval. If you have never had their wines, you can thank me after your first sip. https://www.cartographwines.com/
Happy Sipping!
Purveyor Of Happiness 