Full of ripe, dark cherry flavors, this is uncharacteristically super-fruity and full-flavored for Rogstad and “Van der Kamp.” Easily explained – 2015 was the last in a series of drought years in wine country. No complaints here, unless too much flavor is a problem for you. Get cherry liqueur, dried violets and red roses, baking spices. Acidity and fine tannins support the ripeness to make this a strong, complete, very tasty Pinot Noir to drink now through 2023.
Steven Rogstad is a big “sense of place” proponent, and strives to show that in his Pinot Noirs. He’s done a heck of a job of this in his eponymous label. “Stad” is Norse for Place, so there you go. From the Rogstad website: “(Van der Kamp is a) mystical, 30 acre vineyard that has been farmed now for over 100 years. Cradled in a bowl at 1,400 feet elevation, just below the summit of Sonoma Mountain where the fog from San Pablo bay and the Petaluma Gap do a dance creating a sun clearing.”
