Only 400 cases produced. Delfina’s Vineyard is the very heart and soul of the Blair Estates’ label. Named after our family matriarch, the vineyard sits on the very first property purchased by our grandparents in the 1920s. Whole berry fermentation was started with cultured yeasts in small open top tanks. The cap was manually punched down for optimum extraction and structure. The wine was transferred to a combination of Francois Frere and Seguin Moreau Burgundy barrels, with forty-five percent being new, for 10 months of aging. In the glass, the our signature “Delfina’s” Pinot Noir displays a nose of rose petal and spice combined with bing cherry and strawberry. This spicy fruit tandem carries onto the palate, joined with a light touch of warm, vanillin-oak. Medium acidity and silky tannins give the wine weight in the mouth and carry it to a long finish.

Price: $40.00  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Friends,

“Reserve” is a title that is thrown around pretty liberally in the wine industry, often without a whole lot of meaning. Most terms on a wine label have solid statistics or legal requirements behind them. For the wine to be called Pinot Noir, it needs to be at least 75% of that varietal. To list an official AVA like Arroyo Seco, at least 85% of the grapes have to come from within that appellation’s boundaries. But “Reserve” in the U.S. has no such definition, no required components. For the most part, it is simply a marketing moniker.

Until now. “The Reserve” is Blair Estate’s ultimate Pinot Noir. Everything about this wine is exceptional. “The Reserve” designation here has real meaning. Simply put, it is hand selected from the very best vines each vintage – held in “reserve” for special treatment and special occasions.

Here’s an excerpt from my vineyard log book from the 2013 vintage: “October 16. Walking Delfina’s, I left the refractometer behind and hand sampled for the very best grapes. Trusting my palate, I selected just enough fruit for five barrels worth of truly exceptional Pinot Noir. Clone 115 came from rows 18 thru 21. Rows 64 thru 66 gave us Clone 777. And Pommard 4 came off the south block’s rows 72 and 73.” These were the grapes destined for this first “The Reserve” release.

Only 125 cases were produced of Blair Estate 2013 “The Reserve.” The striking etched glass bottle with its red wax capsule has already won a Gold Medal for Label Design at the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. It has also received a slew of great scores from top reviewers: 94 Points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. 92 Points from both Tasting Panel Magazine and the International Wine Review. This is the Blair family’s ultimate statement in Pinot Noir from the Arroyo Seco – clearly putting the vineyard and the appellation on the map with California’s very best PN locales.

Respectfully, Jeffrey Blair

Price: $65.00  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Only 220 cases produced. Delfina’s Vineyard is the very heart and soul of the Blair Estate label. Named after our beloved grandmother, the vineyard sits on the first property purchased by our grandparents in the 1920s. This "field blend" consists of Chardonnay clones 95 and 809. The free run and lightly pressed juice underwent primary fermention in new French oak barrels. Malolactic conversion, extended lees stirring, and nine months aging in new Francois Frere and Seguin Moreau barrels completed this complex, layered white. Intense apple, pineapple, and citrus flavors meld seamlessly with a streak of vanilla, creme brulee, and spice. Our trademark cool climate acidity keeps the wine in balance. A perfect match with cream-sauced pastas or roast turkey or chicken.

Price: $40.00  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Only 125 cases produced. From the beginning, this Rosé of Pinot Noir was planned as a separate wine. We did not simply “bleed off” juice in the oft used saignée method, as an afterthought to making a red wine. Instead, we employed a short, limited maceration after the fruit was destemmed. The
Pinot Noir juice then soaked on its skins for 20 hours, picking up the beautiful pink hue. It was fermented in a cold stainless steel tank to lock in the color and fruit expression. It fermented completely to dryness and then was aged for six months in “neutral” French oak. This second Blair Rosé is a serious “pink” wine. Serve well chilled with a Salade Niçoise or an herbed salmon steak fresh off the grill.

Price: $22.00  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Using free run and a light press, fifty percent of the juice was fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels; the other fifty percent in small stainless steel barrels to preserve the lush fruit character. Battonage, lees stirring, was done once a week. The result is a limited release of only 125 cases that is everything a Pinot Gris should bve: lush tropical fruit flavors allied to bright, refreshing acidity. Made in a drier, "Alsatian style", it is delicious now but will also reward patient cellaring over the next two to three years.  It's a natural pairing for shellfish, chicken & pork.

Price: $26.00  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Only 150 cases produced. Morgantini is a well-regarded estate very close to ours in the Arroyo Seco district. From their best blocks, we picked “Clone 115” at 27.5 Brix. We fermented in 1.5 ton bins at a peak temp of 35?C with a total fermentation time of twelve days. After pressing, the young wine was settled in tank for 48 hours before racking to French oak barrels; 25% new, with the balance being one and two year old cooperage.
This Pinot was aged for 10 months and then very lightly filtered for clarity only, before being bottled. In the glass, the Morgantini Pinot Noir displays a nose of sage and spice combined with black cherry and strawberry. This spicy herb / fruit tandem carries onto the palate, joined with a light touch of warm, vanillin-oak. Good acidity and mid-weight tannins give the wine grip in the mouth and carry it to a long finish.

Price: $35.00  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12