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“Was Napoleon right for Josephine?“Is nausea right for Dramamine?“Were the 80′s right for the drum machine?“Who can say? Who can say?”- Uncle Fester, Adams Family, the Musical Just as one must carefully arrange the pieces on a chess board to maximize the potential of one’s position, so must a winery carefully match the correct grape, clone, trellising system, etc. to the vineyard and climatic conditions in order to maximize quality. �is understanding lies at the heart of everything Andrew Murray and his team do at Chessman Wines. It is up to every consumer to answer Uncle Fester’s eternal question. Have we done our work well? Please let us know what you think at [email protected].
�e VineyardsAndrew genuinely believes that “great wine starts at the root of the vine, at the very point where the eventual fruit derives its sustenance. Vineyard selection is therefore of paramount importance in our winemaking process. We want grapes that had to work hard to make it to maturity and that are carefully harvested at just the optimal point in their maturation.”
�e Chessman Santa Maria Pinot Noir was grown at the old vine Riverbench Vineyard, at the southeastern edge of Santa Maria Valley. Our wine was derived almost entirely from the original 1973 Martini Clone plantings at Riverbench. �ere is a small amount of young vine (clones 2A and 667) in the blend as well to add freshness.
�e Team “Andrew Murray Vineyards is one of the shining stars in the Santa Barbara �rmament. Extremely low yields…and a dedication to hillside vineyards, ripe fruit, and non-interventionalistic wine-making have combined to propel Andrew to the top echelon. Production is small,…but these wines are well-worth seeking out.” (8-27-99 and 2-28-02: Robert Parker for �e Wine Advocate)
�e WineAndrew harvested this wine the week of October 21 under ideal conditions, as we reported on our blog at the time. In fact, we included an early morning photo of the vineyard covered in a thick fog on October 24. Andrew aged the wine in all French oak, about 20% new, for 11 months. Given the long hang time, old vines and a really phenomenal vintage, it should not be surprising that the resulting wine is inky dark, nearly opaque at the core. �e nose over�ows with fresh blueberries, cherries, raspberries and plums, plus a strong cocoa and vanillin element as well. �e palate is quite rich, featuring generous heapings of baby fat. �e �nish is long and u�erly luscious. �is wine will reward 3 – 5 years of cellaring, but it is so lip-smackingly good right now it would take a particularly disciplined enthusiast to wait. Total production is 650 cases.
• Vintage: 2013 • Vineyard: Riverbench• Alcohol: 14.5% • Winemaker: Andrew Murray• Appellation:Santa Maria Valley • UPC: 850892003371• Cultivar: 100% Pinot Noir
Santa Maria Pinot Noir 2013
