New Wine Enthusiast Reviews of Niner Wine Estates
Jespersen Ranch is tucked into the foggy hillsides of the Edna Valley. It's coastal proximity lends fantastic character to our Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Grenache.
foggy summer mornings at Jespersen Ranch
2017 Pinot noir · 93 Points, cellar selection
We farm 33 acres of Pinot Noir planted to a blend of seven different clones. This clonal diversity adds complexity to our single-vineyard wines and 2017 was our second year experimenting with our new plantings. With our 2017 Estate Pinot Noir, we destemmed about 1/3 of the grapes, left 1/3 whole cluster and dried the stems of the remaining 1/3. The wine was aged for 11 months in French Oak barrels, about 38% of which were new French oak, before being filtered and bottled. $35 Shop Here »
2017 chardonnay · 92 points
We hand-pick our Chardonnay grapes and whole-cluster press them into a stainless steel tank before being racked to barrels. The wine went through primary fermentation in 35% New French Oak barrels and was aged on the lees with frequent stirring to create a creamy mouthfeel. The wine went through secondary fermentation naturally while in barrel, and retained a bright saline characteristic and zesty acidity. $25 Shop Here »
2018 Rose · 92 points
With a dry and refreshing wine style as the goal, the Rosés of France were our inspiration in 2018. After hand-sorting our Pinot Noir clusters, we gently whole-cluster pressed 70% of the fruit. The clusters in the press act as a natural filter and we ended up with gorgeous, clarified juice that we fermented in a stainless steel tank at 54F. The remaining 30% of the grapes were destemmed and soaked for 5 hours, gently extracting color from the skins of the grapes. The grapes were then pressed and fermented in stainless steel as well. We blended the two lots together and aged the lightly-hued wine in a mix of neutral oak barrels and stainless steel for 6 months. The wine was bottled under screwcap to retain freshness. $25 Shop Here »
2018 albarino · 90 points
We picked our Albarino in two passes about two weeks apart: the first pick gave us grapes ripe with green & grassy notes while the second pick had fruitness & more phenolic development. The aromatics on this wine are a symphony of fresh fruit & mineral notes. Aromas of pear, white nectarine & crisp peach intermingle and are unified by a bright minerality & freshly cut green grass. The palate has a comfortable roundness up front and is swept away by a kiwi-laced acidity on the finish - the perfect summer sipper. $20, sold out
