Wine review: 2004 David Bruce Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

November 12, 2009 · 5 comments

davidbruceThe David Bruce Pinot and I go back many years, you must understand.  I first met this darling while slinging vino at Fleming’s in Boston.  By act of God, the good folks at the Franklin Cafe carried it, as well, which meant that I got to know it well.

So what’s all the fuss about?  A good Central Coast Pinot benefits from the cooling breeze off the ocean–something you don’t get in Napa and wouldn’t want for a Cab necessarily.  And yet the DB has a tremendous amount of fruit that don’t necessarily find in Oregon Pinots, succulent as they may be.

Bottom line? If you need a break from wines that shout but don’t want to sit down with something wishy-washy, this wine is a lot more like that friend you have that sits quietly but pleasantly most of the night while we loud folk are telling stories with wild hand gestures and air kicks…but then he sneaks in the perfect line at just the right time and wins everyone over.

For the winos out there, I would add that this is my first tasting of the Santa Maria Valley label, which isn’t even listed on his website.  Said Valley is in Central Coast, of course, so it would seem the grapes are just sourced a bit more specifically than in his broader Central Coast blend, which I understand is no longer available in NYC.

The nose is full of fruit, particularly cherry, and the finish is long but gentle on the characteristic Pinot strawberry “heat.”  After my first class, I elected to pair the sucker with a young Fontina, and I thought it went spectacularly well, but I always like slightly more acidic wines with soft cheeses.

Here’s to an old friend!

Updated: Just read a review from the Wine Cask Blog, and writer PB says, “It was positively spoiling and ruining my palate for the inexpensive Pinot’s I am used to. Oh well; I’ll survive.”  Couldn’t agree more!

Tagged as: Pinot Noir

  • http://www.smvwines.com/blog Kady

    Okay, I adore your comparison of the quiet friend that wines everyone over. I think that's a great way to describe Santa Maria Pinot Noir. While we have many bold wines, they don't hit you over the head so that you need to down a gallon of water to revive yourself. SMV Pinots are almost always food friendly and favorites for a variety of wine drinkers. Does the label say which vineyard the Pinot is from in Santa Maria?

  • http://adamrneary.com Adam Neary

    Hi Kady, and thanks for posting! I am glad that you liked the comparison, and hopefully many more to follow in the coming months.

    Unfortunately, the bottle did not specify a vineyard. In fact, it was a strange experience holding a bottle that was not really documented on the internet, including on the David Bruce website! David, if you're listening, Kady and I want for info. :-)

    Seriously, though, I think these days it is key to have your website up to date with all of the offerings you have out in the marketplace. If your die-hard fans cannot get to the info they take time to seek out, how can you expect the passive consumers to be informed? Would love to continue the dialog, or if there's any way I can help…

  • http://www.smvwines.com/blog Kady

    What was the vintage? I can probably find out more about it. I'm the Executive Director of the Santa Maria Valley Wine Country (smvwines.com) so I can ask around. Obviously I'm very interested in learning about any winery that buys fruit from Santa Maria. I agree about the website situation. I own my own company for social media and web 2.0 marketing and I can't stress enough to wineries and businesses how important it is to stay up-to-date and participate online. That's why I was curious about the vintage–perhaps it's an older wine? Nonetheless, I'm glad it was tasty! I expect nothing less from an SMV Pinot!

  • http://adamrneary.com Adam Neary

    Hi Kady! Thanks for the follow on twitter. The wine was a 2004, which means it wasn't particularly old. The gent at the wine store mentioned that you can no longer get the DB Central Coast Pinot, so perhaps David is just being a bit more regionally-specific with this release. If you hear anything, certainly let me know!

  • http://adamrneary.com Adam Neary

    Hi Kady! Thanks for the follow on twitter. The wine was a 2004, which means it wasn't particularly old. The gent at the wine store mentioned that you can no longer get the DB Central Coast Pinot, so perhaps David is just being a bit more regionally-specific with this release. If you hear anything, certainly let me know!

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