2012 Miura, Pinot Noir, Matador

Miura (myu rä) n. 1. Derived from Don Eduardo Miura, the most famous breeder of Spanish fighting bulls; for the Spanish, Miura is a legendary name signifying nobility, boldness and power.

Miura is our program that focuses on what I feel are the best regions in California for the growing of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Within each of those regions I have selected the vineyards that best exemplify that area stylistically and qualitatively.

Miura, Pinot Noir, Matador

Matador is a bottling of my favorite barrel of Pinot Noir that we produced in our winery in a given year. Typically we produce over 150 barrels so it is a process to determine which I feel is our best effort! The wine is only bottled in magnums, so only 150 magnums per year are produced.

The 2012

The barrel for Matador this year came from a block in the Pisoni Vineyard called ’Hermanos’, meaning brothers in Spanish. It was entirely made up of whole clusters, in other words the grapes were never destemmed. Incredibly aromatic and complex with layer after layer of fruit and nuances.