Full Review

Vanderbilt Reserve

Vanderbilt Reserve
2019 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.5%
92 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$40

Vanderbilt Reserve
2019 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.5%
Dark garnet color. Fruity aromas and flavors of spumoni gelato, boysenberry cobbler, cherry cordial, and buttercream with a satiny, bright, fruity medium-to-full body and a smooth, intriguing, medium-long finish with suggestions of choke cherry chutney, pickled watermelon rinds with pink pepper, spiced caramelized nuts, and cedar and olives with chewy, well-integrated tannins and light oak flavor. A vibrant, chewy, flavor-packed pinot with lots of layers of fruit and spicy oak to relish in.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity, Juicy & Smooth, New World, Oaky, Savory & Rich & Full
Aroma Aroma: spumoni gelato, boysenberry cobbler, cherry cordial, and buttercream
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with suggestions of choke cherry chutney, pickled watermelon rinds with pink pepper, spiced caramelized nuts, and cedar and olives
Sweetness Sweetness: Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years on its own
Recipes Pairing: Duck Rilettes With A Cherry Jelly, Dried Fruit Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Lasagna
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A vibrant, chewy, flavor-packed pinot with lots of layers of fruit and spicy oak to relish in.

The Producer

Biltmore Estate Wine Co.

The Producer
1 N. Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801
USA
1 828-225-1487

Their Portfolio

89 Antler Hill 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 14.8% (USA) $75.00.
BR Antler Hill 2018 Pinot Noir, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County 14.8% (USA) $50.00. - Bronze Medal
88 Antler Hill 2021 Chardonnay, Carneros 14.5% (USA) $40.00.
89 Biltmore Estate 2019 Limited Release, Malbec, American 13% (USA) $28.00.
88 Biltmore Estate 2019 The Hunt Red Blend, Sonoma County 14.8% (USA) $45.00.
85 Biltmore Estate 2019 Limited Release, Petit Verdot, American 14.1% (USA) $28.00.
86 Biltmore Estate 2019 Estate, Merlot, American 13.8% (USA) $18.00.
BR Biltmore Estate 2020 Limited Release, Sauvignon Blanc, American 13.7% (USA) $22.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Biltmore Estate 2020 Estate, Sauvignon Blanc, American 13.5% (USA) $17.00.
BR Biltmore Estate 2020 Chardonnay, American 13% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
89 Biltmore Estate 2020 Pinot Grigio, American 13.5% (USA) $15.00.
BR Biltmore Estate 2019 Limited Release, Pinot Noir, American 13.9% (USA) $28.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Biltmore Estate 2021 Chardonnay, American 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
86 Biltmore Estate 2021 Pinot Noir, American 14.1% (USA) $22.00.
BR Biltmore Estate 2021 Pinot Grigio, American 13.5% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Biltmore Estate 2021 Pinot Grigio, American 13.5% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Biltmore Estate 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, American 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
86 Biltmore Estate 2022 Limited Release, Chenin Blanc, American 13% (USA) $19.00.
BR Biltmore Estate 2022 Limited Release, Gewurztraminer, American 13.2% (USA) $21.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Biltmore Estate 2021 Riesling, American 13% (USA) $18.00.
87 Biltmore Estate 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, American 13.9% (USA) $22.00.
86 Biltmore Estate 2021 Merlot, American 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
92 Biltmore Estate 2020 Limited Release, Malbec, American 13.9% (USA) $30.00.
93 Biltmore Estate NV Cardinal’s Crest® Winemaker’s Blend, American 14.1% (USA) $22.00.
87 Biltmore Estate Cardinal’s Crest Bottle Package 14.1% (USA) $22.00.
85 Biltmore Estate 2021 Chardonnay, American 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
86 Biltmore Estate 2022 Chardonnay, American 13.9% (USA) $15.00.
87 Biltmore Estate 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, American 13.9% (USA) $15.00.
88 Biltmore Reserve 2019 Reserve, Cabernet Franc, North Carolina 12.5% (USA) $40.00.
86 Biltmore Reserve 2019 Chardonnay, North Carolina 13% (USA) $25.00.
86 Biltmore Reserve 2021 Chardonnay, North Carolina 12.5% (USA) $25.00.
91 Biltmore Reserve 2022 Chardonnay, North Carolina 12.5% (USA) $25.00.
92 Vanderbilt Reserve 2019 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 14.5% (USA) $40.00.

Pinot Noir

Wine Glass Burgundy.jpg
Serve in a Burgundy Wine Glass
Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most fascinating red varieties. While many red grapes produces wines of power and youthful intensity, a wine made from Pinot Noir is often more refined with higher acidity and lower levels of tannins. The spiritual home for Pinot Noir is Burgundy, where it is produced in many styles, from very light to examples that can age for two to three decades.

Pinot Noirs tend to have aromas and flavors red cherry fruit, while some offer notes of wild strawberry, plum or even floral notes such as carnation and red roses. As tannins in Pinot Noir are not as pronounced as in a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, most Pinot Noirs can be enjoyed upon release, which is usually two to three years after the vintage.

Burgundy works extremely well for Pinot Noir, as it is a cool climate; a warm or hot climate would not bring out the perfumes of the variety. Thus growers in several countries have planted Pinot Noir in their coolest regions, looking to emulate Burgundy. These include the Willamette Valley in Oregon; Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills in California (among others); Central Otago in New Zealand; Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys in Chile and the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden in Germany (where the grape is known as Spatburgunder). The concept of terroir – a wine is the producet of its specific environment – is most often associated with Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noirs tend to pair well with poultry (duck a l’orange is a classic match), game birds and even certain types of seafoods (as tannins are low), such as salmon, tuna and halibut.