TASTING NOTES:
This magnificent wine showcases aromas and flavors including confected dark fruits, particularly plums and blackberries, enhanced by exotic spices and chocolate with a hint of toffee and coffee beans on the sumptuous finish. While very expressive and full on the middle palate, fine tannins meld gracefully into the wine's finish, signaling the ability to age for a decade or so, peaking around 2011 in our best estimate.

RECOMMENDED FOOD PAIRINGS:
Smoked Duck or Chicken sausages
Roast Lamb with Pancetta, Sage and Rosemary
Wild Mushroom Tart
HISTORY:

Pelerin owners Chris and Cathy Weidemann met in 1994 while studying Viticulture and Enology at U.C. Davis. Amongst classes and exams, and while subsequently working in Napa Valley, they shaped their dream of founding a small artisan winery. The Santa Lucia Highlands (near Carmel/ Monterey Penninsula) ultimately provided the ideal location for the project: offering just the right combination of terroir and opportunity. While working in Monterey, Chris and Cathy were able to forge relationships with Gary Franscioni of Rosella's Vineyard, and Rich and Claudia Smith of Paraiso Vineyards, thereby securing access to what they regard as the best Pinot Noir and Syrah sites in the area. As an Assistant Winemaker for Newton Vineyard and later at Morgan Winery, Chris has honed his craft alongside winemakers John Kongsgaard and Dean DeKorth. He describes his winemaking style as a joining of John's focus on intense and dramatic wines with Dean's discerning sensibility regarding textural balance and complexity.