The Wonderwall Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2019 is sourced from three vineyards, Morro View, Greengate, and Jesperson, in the Edna Valley AVA just north of the town of Arroyo Grande, a few miles away from the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast AVA.
Wonderwall is a brand from Andrew Jones of the Field Recordings WInery. Andrew Jones makes exciting and unique wines. He started as a vine nursery fieldman he planned and planted vineyards up and down the California coast. He thinks he has stood in every vineyard on the Central Coast.
His experience has allowed him to discover forgotten and off-the-beaten-path vineyards. I read where he would drive the back roads in the Central Coast wine country looking for forgotten underused vineyards. He would contact the owners and offer to put the vineyard back in shape for the right to buy the grapes.
The name Field Recordings comes from the folks in the early 1900s who used the newly invented ability to record sound to record bluesmen like Robert Johnson, old Appalachian folk songs, and Native American stories that would be lost to time otherwise.
The Wonderwall Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2019 and other Field Recording wines are documentation of vineyards that also could have been lost and forgotten. Wonderwall is also a reference to George Harrison of the Beatle’s first solo album which was a soundtrack to the movie Wonderwall. It featured mostly Indian music and both the album and the movie are nearly forgotten today.
The Wonderwall Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2019 is sustainably produced, has no additives, minimal sulfur, uses native yeast for fermentation, is vegan, and is recyclable. About 10% of the grapes were crushed and fermented with whole clusters, meaning the grapes and the stems were kept together. Whole Cluster is a Pinot Noir production technique is imparts flavor and structure to the wine.
The Wonderwall Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2019 was aged in French oak barrels for ten months with 10% of the barrels new oak and the rest barrels that had been used before. The alcohol content is 12.9% which is low compared with today’s California Pinot Noir which often hits 13.5% and beyond. 12.9% is very Burgundian and would suggest very cool growing conditions.
The Wonderwall Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2019 Tasing Notes
The color is see-thru garnet red. The nose is black cherry, herbs, black pepper, spice, dried fall leaves, strawberry, cola, and a hint of smoke. The Wonderwall Edna Vally Pinot Noir 2019 a subtle Pinot Noir with those cool funky flavors that make Pinor Noir so intriguing.
This Pinot Noir Tastes like cherry, tea, extracted black licorice, plum, and spice. The mid-palate offers a little Dr. Pepper (not sweet), sharp-edged spice, orange zest, and tart cranberry. The tannins are light but do provide structure and the acidity adds good length.
The Summary
- The Wonderwall Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2019 is an excellent traditional-style California Pinot Noir, none of that Meiomi thing happening here.
- The Field Recording and Wonderwall wines are affordable splurge wines. This wine lists for $25 and I found it on sale for $16. You are getting more than you are paying for at these prices.
- Give this Pinot Noir plenty of time to open up. Once it is fully ready the flavors will evolve in your glass.
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