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Tasting Notes
Full-bodied with enough structure to balance its hedonistic personality. There is ripe black and red cherry fruit, followed by herbal tea, leather, forest floor, and cola.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
TANNIN
Low
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Tannin can range greatly in wine, but it is necessary to some degree, and a necessary constituent for red wines to age well. In high amounts, it can cause a drying affect, which is sensed mostly on the gums and tongue. Tannin is a natural preservative extracted from grape skins, otherwise known as polyphenols that are micronutrients and antioxidants with potential health benefits.
ACIDITY
Soft
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
14.5%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Pinot Noir is arguably the most revered grape variety in the world with origins in Burgundy, France where the best expressions can still be found. Pinot Noir is not only a tough grape to grow, it also shows miniscule differences in terroir arguably more than any other grape variety. Stylistically, it is generally higher in acid and lower in tannin but can vary depending on the location, and winemaking technique. It is very versatile with food, and shows a range of flavor from red and black fruit, floral, spice, earth, and mineral qualities.
Stephen Hansel was tutored by Tom Rochioli when making his first wines in the family barn. He transformed a working farm led by his father, Walter Hansel, into an estate winery with 80 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Despite the size of the estate, the estate harvests by hand, making 18 passes through the vineyard during the growing season and adjusting as they go based on the vicissitudes of Mother Nature, who helps to dictate their style of wine, perennially of high quality.
The cool fog in the evenings and the warm days of the Russian River Valley allow for a long ripening season and grapes of intense flavor and good acidity.
Black Cherry
Cola
Leather
