pinot noir
2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir – Santa Cruz Mountains
The Wine – 2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir was sent to me to review. After opening the wine it blossomed like a bouquet of springtime flowers.
On the eyes a soft magenta and red brick coloring and light viscosity. A beautiful translucence in the wine glass. On the nose a moist earthiness and faint strawberry aromas. Once on the palate, the dominant taste of freshly picked strawberries abounded. Secondary flavors of ripe cherries hit the mid-palate. On the finish, velvety and rounded tannins, yet noticeable, concluded the sipping experience.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine is a combination of the Coast Grade and Soquel Estate vineyards. The wine is 100% Pinot Noir coming in at 13.7% alcohol. The grapes were in 100% French 3-year-old barrels for 10 months with only 449 cases produced. It has already won Gold at the 2025 SF Chronicle Wine Competition and was rated 95 points and Editor’s Choice by Wine Enthusiast. That is a lot of wine for only $30/bottle!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We were invited to a friend’s home for dinner. Pork was the main entrée for the evening so chose this wine to share with the meal and introduced them to Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir. The pork was served with spicy aioli sauce that popped the pork taste!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Accompanied by sauteed bean sprouts and assorted vegetables, potatoes and a fresh garden salad.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Dessert was perfect on a warm evening of fresh strawberries and pineapple pieces. An excellent food and wine pairing dinner.
The Winery
The winery is steeped in history going back to 1919 with Giovanni Bargetto purchasing 52 acres. Giovanni Bargetto moved to Soquel from his winery located in San Francisco. He sold the entire property in 1945. In 1999 they had the vision to purchase 5 ½ acres from the original 52 acres. Today the winery is located at 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, California. Soquel is just south of Santa Cruz and up in the hills above New Brighton State Beach. Giovanni was the grandfather of two of the current owners, Peter Bargetto and his twin brother Paul Bargetto. The third owner is their long-time good friend Jon Morgan.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They opened the winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1987. All three kept their “day jobs” for about 10 years learning to craft their wines. Wine grows on their property and in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA includes a variety of Pinot Noir’s (six different labels), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Nebbiolo. They offer the following varieties from outside the region: Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak Merlot, Pyramid (Partner’s Reserve) from Napa Valley, Re Summers Ranch Merlot and Red Blend.
Photos from Soquel Vineyards website
They have been producing award-winning wines since 1987 and just a small listing of their 2022 awards mostly from SF Chronicle Competition include:
*2022 Cabernet Franc Pleasant Valley, Gold in 2024 and 94 points Wine Enthusiast
*2022 Merlot, RE Summers Ranch, Gold in 2024
*2022 Nebbiolo, Lago Lomita Vineyard, Best of Class 2024
*2022 Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, Best of Class 2024
*2022 Pinot Noir, Saveria Vineyard, Gold in 2024
*2022 Pinot Noir, Partner’s Reserve, 93 points Wine Enthusiast
The list goes on and on delineating a myriad of awards and wine ratings to fill up pages! The key takeaway is this winery has put in the work to make excellent wines.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir from Ben Lomond Mountain, Beauregard Ranch
Background on Pinot Noir in Italy
Picture from Wikipedia
The winemaker for Soquel Vineyards, Peter Bargetto of Italian descent, thought it was interesting his love of Pinot Noir. So a little exploration of the history of Pinot Noir in Italy was due. Most wine aficionados associate Pinot Noir with France and California, yet Italy is steeped in Pinot Noir history. The name Pinot Noir translated from the French as “pine and black”. The pine describes the tightly clustered pinecone shaped of grape bunches. The black referencing the color of the grapes. The tightly bunched clusters of Pinot Noir make it very susceptible to both mildew and uneven ripeness compared to other varieties. With a late summer rain, Pinot Noir has been called the “heartbreak grape” due to its shaped clusters. A great quote by noted California winemaker, Andre Tchelistcheff stated aptly “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir”.
Map of Northern Italy by http://www.mapsofworld.com
While the Pinot Noir grape can be traced back to the 1st Century, it does have a rich and long history in Italy. In Italy in the Alpine northern regions of Alto Adige and Lombardia. Some of the first references to Pinot Noir, called Pinot Nero in Italy, trace back to the 1700’s being cultivated in vineyards. Pinot Nero is popular in the Franciacorta region of Lombardy where it is used to make sparkling wine. While being one of the oldest cultivated grapes with unknown but debated origins, it is speculated that the Romans brought the grape to Burgundy and Italy. Other areas in Italy producing Pinot Noir include Friuli Venezia Giulia and Tuscany.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This Pinot Noir comes from Beauregard Ranch grapes located in Ben Lomond, California in Santa Cruz County. The vineyard is located at 1800 feet elevation.
It was aged in 100% French oak barrels ranging from 1-3 years of age for 24 months. Only 127 cases were produced and is sold for $50/bottle. It is 13.2% alcohol. Wine Enthusiast in 2025 just recently rated it 96 points and at the 2025 SF Chronicle Wine Competition it was awarded a Gold Medal.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a light crimson and purple coloring, presenting a semi-translucent presence, highlighting its “light and airy” appearance. On the nose the dominant aroma of freshly picked strawberries and damp forest waft deep into the senses. Once on the palate, the strawberries awaken in the mouth like a crashing musical cymbal and then settling down in the mouth like a soft and dainty piccolo notes. Secondly, flavors of minerality followed closely providing a mouth-filling experience. At the end, tingling tannins with crisp acidity provide an intriguing scenario. A tinge of cranberry provide a slight tartness that is counter-balanced with the strawberry and raspberry fruit.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in the year! Only 2-3% of the roughly 1800 wines tasted make this list. This wine will make the list for both quality and value. That makes two Soquel Vineyards making their debut on this list for the first time!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled this wine to pair this evening with a new dish for us called Balsamic Caprese Grilled Flank Steak. The flank steak was tenderized and marinated for 8 hours with the following ingredients: olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and black pepper. Separately cherry tomatoes, fresh Italian mozzarella balls, chopped fresh basil leaves and olive oil were mixed in a bowl. The steak was placed on the grill reaching 1500 degrees and then sliced. Served medium-rare on a plate with tomatoes, mozzarella balls, basil and then drizzled lightly with balsamic reduction.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Accompanied by quartered and roasted Yukon potatoes with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
A wonderful and tasty food and wine combination. Was a bit “unsure” if the balsamic would be too much for the Pinot Noir, but it was nicely matched with just being lightly drizzled. As a first time preparing this dish, it was a solid A-. We discussed adding some additional spices into the marinade next time to give it a bit more zip.
The Winery
The winery is steeped in history going back to 1919 with Giovanni Bargetto purchasing 52 acres. Giovanni Bargetto moved to Soquel from his winery located in San Francisco. He sold the entire property in 1945. In 1999 they had the vision to purchase 5 ½ acres from the original 52 acres. Today the winery is located at 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, California. Soquel is just south of Santa Cruz and up in the hills above New Brighton State Beach. Giovanni was the grandfather of two of the current owners, Peter Bargetto and his twin brother Paul Bargetto. The third owner is their long-time good friend Jon Morgan.
Photo from Soquel website
They opened the winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1987. All three kept their “day jobs” for about 10 years learning to craft their wines. Grapes grown on their property and in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA includes a variety of Pinot Noir’s (six different labels), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Nebbiolo. They offer the following varieties from outside the region: Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak Merlot, Pyramid (Partner’s Reserve) from Napa Valley, Re Summers Ranch Merlot and Red Blend.
For more information about the winery and other wines they offer see a previous article at: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2025/05/06/2023-soquel-vineyards-pinot-noir-santa-cruz-mountains/
In conclusion, a spectacular meal and an exquisite Pinot Noir wine were enjoyed last evening!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir “Santa Cruz Mountains”
The Winery
The winery is steeped in history going back to 1919 with Giovanni Bargetto purchasing 52 acres. Giovanni Bargetto moved to Soquel from his winery located in San Francisco. He sold the entire property in 1945. In 1999 they had the vision to purchase 5 ½ acres from the original 52 acres. Today the winery is located at 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, California. Soquel is just south of Santa Cruz and up in the hills above New Brighton State Beach. Giovanni was the grandfather of two of the current owners, Peter Bargetto and his twin brother Paul Bargetto. The third owner is their long-time good friend Jon Morgan.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They opened the winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1987. All three kept their “day jobs” for about 10 years learning to craft their wines. Wine grows on their property and in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA includes a variety of Pinot Noir’s (six different labels), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Nebbiolo. They offer the following varieties from outside the region: Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak Merlot, Pyramid (Partner’s Reserve) from Napa Valley, Re Summers Ranch Merlot and Red Blend.
Photos from Soquel Vineyards website
They have been producing award-winning wines since 1987 and just a small listing of their 2022 awards mostly from SF Chronicle Competition include:
*2022 Cabernet Franc Pleasant Valley, Gold in 2024 and 94 points Wine Enthusiast
*2022 Merlot, RE Summers Ranch, Gold in 2024
*2022 Nebbiolo, Lago Lomita Vineyard, Best of Class 2024
*2022 Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, Best of Class 2024
*2022 Pinot Noir, Saveria Vineyard, Gold in 2024
*2022 Pinot Noir, Partner’s Reserve, 93 points Wine Enthusiast
The list goes on and on delineating a myriad of awards and wine ratings to fill up pages! The key takeaway is this winery has put in the work to make excellent wines.
The Wine – 2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2023 Soquel Vineyards Pinot Noir was sent to me to review. It initially opened a “bit tight” but shortly after opening blossomed like a bouquet of springtime flowers.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On the eyes a soft magenta and red brick coloring and light viscosity. A beautiful translucence in the wine glass. On the nose a moist earthiness and faint strawberry aromas. Once on the palate, the dominant taste of freshly picked strawberries abounded. Secondary flavors of ripe cherries hit the mid-palate. On the finish velvety and rounded tannins, yet noticeable, concluded the sipping experience.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine is a combination of the Coast Grade and Soquel Estate vineyards. The wine is 100% Pinot Noir coming in at 13.7% alcohol. The grapes were in 100% French 3 year old barrels for 10 months with only 449 cases produced. It has already won Gold at the 2025 SF Chronicle Wine Competition and was rated 95 points and Editor’s Choice by Wine Enthusiast. That is a lot of wine for only $30/bottle!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was chosen to go with baked Pork Tenderloin this evening. We generally enjoy Pinot Noir wine, mostly with Pork Tenderloin and occasionally with a rib eye steak. This evening using a dry rub on the Pork Tenderloin consisting of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and a pinch of Chili powder. Accompanied by roasted quartered Yukon Gold potatoes in olive oil and then tossed with garlic salt and finished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Also sauteed Brussel spouts with fresh smoked bacon along with a fresh garden salad with green onions, smoked bacon and quartered cherry tomatoes with a Northern Italian dressing. The pork slices garnished with Steward & Jasper Cherry Pepper Sauce and freshly cut basil. An excellent wine and food pairing this evening.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2022 Balverne Pinot Noir – Light and Refreshing
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
The Wine – 2022 Balverne Pinot Noir
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
This wine on the eyes was a semi-translucent light and bright crimson in the glass. On the nose, aromas of strawberry were dominating. On the palate, the ripe strawberries burst vividly in the mouth with secondary flavors of cranberry and cherries. The finish was a bit abrupt, but sufficient to enjoy each inviting sip. The finish was on the smoother side of tartness with rounded and caressing tannins. Only 350 cases were produced from their Russian River Valley property. It was aged in 25% new French barrels for nine months with a light toasting of the barrels. Alcohol level is 13.8% and primarily used clones 667 and 459 with a smaller percentage of 114 and 115 picked from their vineyards. No price is shown on their website but the previous vintage, 2021 was $45/bottle.
This lighter and more refreshing Pinot Noir provides more complementary food pairings.
The Food and Wine Pairing
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
Paired this evening with a Greek themed dinner. The main dish was a Greek chicken recipe that included lemons, shallot, garlic cloves, olive oil, dried oregano, kosher salt, paprika, black pepper and fresh parsley with the sliced chicken breast. Prepared in a skillet on the stove. Accompanied by Greek roasted potatoes with ingredients of chicken stock, virgin olive oil, lemon zest, garlic powder, salt, pepper, fresh oregano and fresh parsley. Also a fresh garden salad with cherry tomatoes, halved Kalamata olives and minced purple onion.
Selected this wine as an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc for the meal this evening. The Pinot Noir was light and airy believing this would be a good match for the meal. It was a good match but do think Sauvignon Blanc would have been a better choice. As the anonymous saying goes, “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”, so worth a little risk this evening.
The meal was very tasty, and the wine was a perfect fine to drink. The thought would be for this wine to be a summertime “patio pounder” with warmer weather and could easily be a standalone wine.
The Winery
(Photo Balverne website)
Bob and Renee Stein purchased the 710-acre Russian River Valley estate that included a working vineyard in 1992. The Steins vision was to create a sustainable property which they developed by keeping 350 acres in a protected Forever Wild open space. This acreage weaved with the vineyards combines rugged wildland and wildlife with the manicured vineyards.
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
They accomplished their ideal view and called it Notre Vue (our view). Who would not enjoy viewing this idyllic setting every day? Can you imagine yourself sitting here?
(Photo Balverne website)
The resulting effort is 250 acres of rolling vineyards and the “Forever Wild” protected space. This includes 17 miles of hiking and biking trails with picnic areas throughout. Horseback riding trails also exist. Their label shows a red shoulder Hawk which roams the area. Their motto is the reason they consider Forever Wild to be the heart of the Notre Vue Estate.
Their goal with their winemaker Alex Hoffman is focused on making wine in a European style with finesse and low intervention. Their current offerings with the Balverne label include Zinfandel, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, a few different Chardonnay’s, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Under their Notre Vue label, they have various Rosés, Chardonnay’s, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a few red blends.
Sláinte,
Michael