Mary Elke North Coast Pinot Noir (non-vintage)
"Boonville Barter" $15
This year's Boonville Barter is available ONLY online. It's not sold in stores. This year's BB was made from alot of Elke Pinot Noir, the same that goes into the high price pinots. It's always a blend, however, of what we have around, so I print up large quantities of labels that can last a couple of years. It's what all my Elke men drink everynight. Whether that's a selling point or not, they keep coming back for more. Try some.

2008 Mary Elke Chardonnay $19
The Mary Elke brand bottles special deals and arrangement I make with the Anderson Valley vineyards, wineries, and winemakers. This 2008 Chardonnay is from Anderson Valley vineyards that usually get made into champagne but was allowed to hang on the vine for still wine production. It is clean, crisp and refreshing like the sparkler for which it was intended, but has bright fruit characters, notably apple. Not a “cocktail” Chardonnay, this wine is best enjoyed with fish, white meats, and complex dishes — which accounts why it is bought so much by my restaurant accounts. Alcohol: 13.9% Release Date: July 2009 Production: 275 cases/750 mL.

2008 Mary Elke Pinot Noir $26
Donnelly Creek Vineyard, Anderson Valley
The 2007 Mary Elke Pinot Noir is 100% Donnelly Creek vineyard fruit from two clones that reflect the cool climate and soils of the Anderson Valley. In years previous we blended the Donnelly fruit with others, but this year we snatched enough from the vineyard for the ME label. Rich fruit flavors combine with a slight spice element and a slight mid-palate tannin to produce a “bigger” style Pinot Noir that many modern drinkers of Pinot Noir prefer. Last year's 06 Mary Elke Pinot Noir was was sold out in a few months. This year we have about 1200 cases. Alcohol: 14.1%. Aged for 10 months in new and used oak barrels, bottled in July, 2009. Release Date: September 2009.

Wine Spectator rated the 2007 vintage as 91 points. (Not bad for mid-$20s.)

 

 

2008 Mary Elke Rose of Pinot Noir $15
Made from 100% Pinot Noir from Elke's Donnelly Creek Vineyard in Anderson Valley, this Rose was hand-crafted in Cuvaison's Custom Crush operations. The Pinot Noir grapes are typically harvested for sparkling wines, but there were eight tons not spoken for, so we decided to use it for a Rose. What grapes they were! The small lot production really shows here, with its delicate Pinot Noir flavors, bright fruit, and supremely long finish for a Rose. Alcohol: 13.5%, Bottled in January of 2009 with a Production of 250 cases/750ml.

2007 Elke Vineyards Blue Diamond Pinot Noir $34
Donnelly Creek Vineyard, Anderson Valley
The Pinot Report recently scored it a 90.
The 2007 vintage was a superior year for the Donnelly Creek vineyards and this wine reflects the atypical bright fruit characters as well as the earthy minerality that is becoming so enamored of our Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The 2007 Blue Diamond shows as much depth and complexity as the 2006, but with a little more fruit. It has the same excellent balance, the medium body, and the long velvety finish. Early tastings by my family indicate it's one of the best vintages in the Blue Diamond Label's 10 years of releases. Alcohol: 14.2% Oak Aging: 12 months in 25% new. Production: 725 cases / 750 mL. 50 cases/375 mL for the restaurant trade. Released March 2009 to the trade.

2006 Elke Vineyards Blue Diamond Pinot Noir $38
Donnelly Creek Vineyard, Anderson Valley
The 2006 vintage reflects our Burgundian winemaking philosophy combined with bright fruit characters and an earthy minerality typical of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The growing season was difficult: first wet, then hot, and then mild just before harvest. It gave us farmers fits but the resulting wine has a wonderful perfume and a lovely density. The 2006 Blue Diamond shows depth and complexity with excellent balance, medium body, and a lengthy, velvety finish. This lovely Pinot is showing fantastic in the bottle right now, but will age well for years to come.
Alcohol: 14.1% Oak Aging: 11 months in 30% new. Production: 650 cases / 750 mL. Released November 2007 to the trade.