Quality is the very first thing I recognized when opening a bottle of the 2007 D'Alfonso-Curran Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict (94 Points, Wine Spectator / $45.95). Coming from the duo team of winemakers with more than 50 years of experience, this wasn’t surprising.
There is bright red and the classic black fruit up front on this one. As it opens, there definitely is some sweetness - vanilla and caramel - along with floral and oak elements. The finish is crisp with some mineral and spice feel. I kept thinking that this will be the perfect bottle of California Pinot for the fall season.
Bruno D’Alfonso (formerly of Chalone) and Kris Curran (formerly of Sea Smoke fame) are passionate winemakers and should be considered artisanal Pinot Noir producers. They know Pinot Noir and the 2007 D'Alfonso-Curran Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict proves it. The D’Alfonso-Curran label is the premium effort in their family of wine. Bruno and Kris focus all of their attention on the winemaking process and leave the growing of the grapes to the nearby expert viticulturists.
The 2007 D'Alfonso-Curran Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict comes from the designated wine area in Santa Barbara County, California known at Sta. Rita Hills AVA (American Viticulture Area). The climate and geography are so perfect for grapes, there’s an entire region designated just for growing them.
Food Pairing:
This Pinot will pair perfectly with classic fall dishes like grilled flank steak with mushroom sauce and salmon (baked/broiled/grilled) with thyme.
Music Pairing:
Gregory Page & His Big Band Orchestra – Shine, Shine, Shine
Time travel to the 1940s jazz era with this record by another Californian gem.
The amount of this wine produced is miniscule - just 150 cases of the 2007 were made, which makes it rare - a rare bottle of spectacular California Pinot Noir made by quality winemakers. You can only go right with this.