2003 Miura Talley Vineyard Pinot Noir

Miura Vineyards is based in Napa but sources its grapes from vineyards in Monterey County, the Santa Lucia Highlands, San Luis Obispo County and Napa Valley. Miura also has winemaking projects in northeastern Spain in the Priorat appellation and others. Miura was started in the 1990s when a group of San Francisco chefs and sommeliers decided to make wine. Miura’s owner is Emmanuel Kemiji, a well-known master sommelier and restaurateur who was part of that group. He named the project after a breed of Spanish bulls used in bullfighting. In California the estate makes Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. In Spain the estate makes Grenache and red and white Grenache blends. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the Pinot Noirs “I have tasted to date have been outstanding, suggesting this is a serious Pinot Noir specialist.”

Arroyo Grande Valley AVA is a 42,880-acre appellation within the Central Coast AVA. The appellation surrounds the town of Arroyo Grande, and is located southwest of San Luis Obispo. Located within four miles of the Pacific Ocean, the 16-mile long valley includes several microclimates, such a cooler lower one on the west end, where Pinot Noir is grown, and a higher, hotter microclimate inland, where Zinfandel thrives. Arroyo Grande was officially recognized as an AVA in 1990. Many grapes are grown here, including Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Tempranillo. Like most of the Central Coast, this AVA has a long tradition of farming. Most of the ever-growing number of wineries here have sprung up in the last 30 years and they tend to focus on Rhone varietals.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.