2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Pinot Noir 375ml, Petaluma Gap
93 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
The 2018 La Cruz Pinot Noir shows bright and penetrating deep garnet color with lilac, rose petal, red cherry, and a dust of cocoa powder aromas. The wine exhibits a lovely mouthfeel and texture with a complexity of Bing cherry, cranberry, and juicy strawberry/rhubarb, followed by a balanced and lengthy finish.
Vintage-Vineyard Notes
The 2018 vintage started with a cool spring, with the fruit set being consistent. The moderate summer temperatures, with very few heat spikes, gave us a perfect ripening season. This ideal weather allowed us to harvest each block at our perfect ripeness, with excellent flavor development and the natural acidity just right. The long growing season gave us wines with great structure and concentration. The ancient seabed of the San Pablo Bay is mineral-rich, clay soils that define La Cruz Vineyard. Twenty acres are planted to pinot noir, in distinct blocks where Pommard, 828, 667, 777, 114, and 115 clones are planted. Typical to this vineyard is a pronounced bright acidity and signature spice notes.
Winemaking
The fruit was harvested over several cold nights and arrived immediately at the winery where it is hand sorted and fully de-stemmed. The whole berries had a 5-day cold soak and then fermented using native yeast until dry. Afterward, it is transferred to barrels where it underwent secondary fermentation. Racked only once for bottling and filtered. The backbone of this wine is the Pommard clone and selected barrels of 667,777 and 828. We used a Nomacorc 300 closure with a specific medium oxygen ingress rate, allowing for slow but steady aging in the bottle. It is a plant-based closure with a carbon-neutral footprint, aligning with our mission.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Petaluma Gap
Harvest Date: September 14-19, 2018
Coopers & Age: 25% New French Oak, LeRoi Cadus
Bottling Date: July 25, 2019
Alcohol: 14.1%
pH: 3.55
Total Acidity: 5.79 g/L
What’s Included
6-bottles:
6x 2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Pinot Noir 375ml, Petaluma Gap
Case:
12x 2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Pinot Noir 375ml, Petaluma Gap
Our mission is to share the passing of time through our family’s vineyard.
Arturo Keller and his wife Deborah first fell in love with the site while driving a vintage car through the meandering Sonoma roads, and selected the property for its potential as a site for a world-class vineyard. Clearly, the property’s beauty, setting, and history influenced our decision to make it our home.
In 1989, we planted the first Chardonnay vines, and La Cruz vineyard was born. Our first vintage was sold to Rombauer Vineyards, who rapidly became excited with the potential of the site, giving us confidence in our fruit. By 1999, we planted a few acres of Pinot Noir and recognized the potential to make our own exceptional wines. In 2000, the Keller Estate label became a reality. Shortly after, in collaboration with the prestigious Mexican firm of Legorreta+Legorreta we designed and built our stunning and functional winery, designed specifically for gravity-flow winemaking.
Ana Keller, Arturo’s daughter and a biochemist by training, joined the team eager to create the most exquisite wines from the Estate’s vineyards. With Arturo’s constant vision and encouragement, Ana’s passion has established Keller Estate as a benchmark for producing some of the best wines in the Sonoma Coast. Her passion and dedication have been instrumental in establishing Petaluma Gap AVA and promoting the wines of this region worldwide.
We invite you to visit us and share our passion.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, LA, MD, MI, MO, NV, NH, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA
We were so pleased to open our Lab Rat box to find a lovely half bottle of 2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir. We love California pinots so we knew we were in for a special taste.
The bottle happened to coincide with the arrival of our daughter who was home for a weekend so we are able to provide three tasting impressions. We already had a dinner planned that we knew wouldn’t pair well with the Pinot, so we decided to give it a try as a patio wine while grilling. (I must say it was also the first Spring day that was nice enough to sit outside and enjoy the weather.)
We opened the bottle and let it breathe for about half an hour before pouring. We then poured it into a red wine glass and were enthralled with the beautiful clear garnet color that invited one to just admire the appearance for a bit before bringing it to the nose.
On the nose, the first impression was plum, dark cherry, and pomegranate. As it opened up it revealed some beautiful woody or mossy notes that grounded the fruits. The floral notes of lily, lilac, and rose bloomed after a bit of swirling in the glass. All in all, a nice expression of a Pinot.
The taste was a lovely combination of the notes that were revealed in the nose. The wine was well balanced with both acidity and tannins present with neither taking the lead.
The finish was fairly long lasting and the tastes of dark fruits and a white bread note lingered, probably the yeast from the open fermentation. It was a lovely presentation of the terroir.
The overall perception of this wine was one that is not overly complex but definitely a lovely drinkable wine. I could see enjoying this as a summer red with a very slight chill to it paired with grilled salmon or chicken or possibly even duck.
All in all, the three of us enjoyed this wine and can see adding it to our summer rotation for grilling and lighter meals, or just as a nice patio sipper by itself.
Thanks to Casemates for allowing us to Labrat this wine!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2018 Keller Estate Pinot Noir Half Bottle - $40 = 20.00%
@cdn1127 sorry, I’m an idiot, I didn’t pay attention to the half bottle aspect. I’m a complete and utter moron but realize I don’t want half bottles since we’re pretty good about finishing a bottle. 1000 apologies
@deadlyapp@rpm the Pinot Noir is quite good (I still have a good share of the last Keller Pinot Noir offer), but I just love the Rôtie. I’d love to see another Rôtie offer someday… not too many of those bottles are left.
I received a lab rat bottle and attempted to write a review on my phone while at work in between tasks and it didn’t go so well.
Besides being unable to post pics (I did get one uploaded but then every subsequent pic, it said "you can only upload pictures, despite the fact that they were all jpgs. ), my draft somehow got deleted.
Rather than start over from scratch at the point of frustration, I will post a full review within the next 2 hours from my home PC. In the meantime, I will say that the wine paired wonderfully with all components of our meal.
It was very versatile with food and we both liked it better with food than without.
@chipgreen If you’re using an iPhone, it by default uses a format called HEIC, which is not particularly compatible across non-Apple platforms. You can change the setting to use standard JPG.
I think recent Android versions have a similar thing going on.
2018 Keller Estate Pinot Noir Half Bottle
We received our half bottle of Keller Pinot Noir in time to plan a meal around it. Dinner consisted of salad, baked boneless breast of chicken marinated in Stubb’s Citrus & Onion Marinade, garlic mashers and brussel sprouts with Rosemary and cracked pepper.
LOOK:
Upon opening, it appears that the cork is synthetic? The wine is a pretty translucent magenta color when held up to the light. Thin, slow-running legs in the glass when swirled.
SMELL:
On the nose, I got some red and blue fruits, slight spice and a hint of oak. General sense of a barrel room aroma, but a little more restrained. Wifey said raspberries and a little pepper.
TASTE:
At first, I was getting darker fruits - mostly plum and cassis. Some allspice chimes in on the mid-palate along with some mild oak. My LW noticed the spice upfront and for her, the palate followed the nose with mostly raspberry. As the wine opened up, we both agreed that the palate shifted a little, featuring more of a red fruit note than dark fruit. We also both noticed some earthiness developing in the glass.
The wine paired really well with every course. Definitely a food-friendly wine. We each saved half a glass for after dinner and it was quite different without food. Cherry seemed to dominate the palate and there was a distinct tartness to the flavor profile. While we both still liked it without food, we agreed that it was better with food than without.
MOUTHFEEL:
The wine had a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Medium acidity. This is a lighter bodied Pinot, more on the feminine side but not extremely so. The tannins are very mild.
SUMMARY:
Overall, this is a great food wine. While still enjoyable without food, it really shines on the dinner table.
2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Pinot Noir 375ml, Petaluma Gap
93 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
The 2018 La Cruz Pinot Noir shows bright and penetrating deep garnet color with lilac, rose petal, red cherry, and a dust of cocoa powder aromas. The wine exhibits a lovely mouthfeel and texture with a complexity of Bing cherry, cranberry, and juicy strawberry/rhubarb, followed by a balanced and lengthy finish.
Vintage-Vineyard Notes
The 2018 vintage started with a cool spring, with the fruit set being consistent. The moderate summer temperatures, with very few heat spikes, gave us a perfect ripening season. This ideal weather allowed us to harvest each block at our perfect ripeness, with excellent flavor development and the natural acidity just right. The long growing season gave us wines with great structure and concentration. The ancient seabed of the San Pablo Bay is mineral-rich, clay soils that define La Cruz Vineyard. Twenty acres are planted to pinot noir, in distinct blocks where Pommard, 828, 667, 777, 114, and 115 clones are planted. Typical to this vineyard is a pronounced bright acidity and signature spice notes.
Winemaking
The fruit was harvested over several cold nights and arrived immediately at the winery where it is hand sorted and fully de-stemmed. The whole berries had a 5-day cold soak and then fermented using native yeast until dry. Afterward, it is transferred to barrels where it underwent secondary fermentation. Racked only once for bottling and filtered. The backbone of this wine is the Pommard clone and selected barrels of 667,777 and 828. We used a Nomacorc 300 closure with a specific medium oxygen ingress rate, allowing for slow but steady aging in the bottle. It is a plant-based closure with a carbon-neutral footprint, aligning with our mission.
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
336.00/Case for 12x 2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Pinot Noir 375ml, Petaluma Gap at Keller Estate
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, LA, MD, MI, MO, NV, NH, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 18 - Thursday, Apr 21
2018 Keller Estate Pinot Noir Half Bottle
6 bottles for $99.99 $16.66/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
We were so pleased to open our Lab Rat box to find a lovely half bottle of 2018 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir. We love California pinots so we knew we were in for a special taste.
The bottle happened to coincide with the arrival of our daughter who was home for a weekend so we are able to provide three tasting impressions. We already had a dinner planned that we knew wouldn’t pair well with the Pinot, so we decided to give it a try as a patio wine while grilling. (I must say it was also the first Spring day that was nice enough to sit outside and enjoy the weather.)
We opened the bottle and let it breathe for about half an hour before pouring. We then poured it into a red wine glass and were enthralled with the beautiful clear garnet color that invited one to just admire the appearance for a bit before bringing it to the nose.
On the nose, the first impression was plum, dark cherry, and pomegranate. As it opened up it revealed some beautiful woody or mossy notes that grounded the fruits. The floral notes of lily, lilac, and rose bloomed after a bit of swirling in the glass. All in all, a nice expression of a Pinot.
The taste was a lovely combination of the notes that were revealed in the nose. The wine was well balanced with both acidity and tannins present with neither taking the lead.
The finish was fairly long lasting and the tastes of dark fruits and a white bread note lingered, probably the yeast from the open fermentation. It was a lovely presentation of the terroir.
The overall perception of this wine was one that is not overly complex but definitely a lovely drinkable wine. I could see enjoying this as a summer red with a very slight chill to it paired with grilled salmon or chicken or possibly even duck.
All in all, the three of us enjoyed this wine and can see adding it to our summer rotation for grilling and lighter meals, or just as a nice patio sipper by itself.
Thanks to Casemates for allowing us to Labrat this wine!
@efamily thank you for the rattage
Ok Seacoast NH peeps, anyone up for a case split with this unfortunate masshole?
@Einherjar13 I’m in the Derry area. If that’s not too far, I’d be happy to split.
@mattig88 not too far at all. Happy to split if you’d like. Thank you!
@Einherjar13 Ok, I placed the order, will let you know when it arrives.
@mattig88 awesome, thanks for the split!
HIKING! VIKINGS! STRIKE KING [BRAND FISHING LURES]! AWESOME!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2018 Keller Estate Pinot Noir Half Bottle - $40 = 20.00%
Any (NW) Columbus OH split interests?
@lehigh Hi - We could be in for a split (3, 4 or 6) depending on other interest.
@cdn1127 sorry been delinquent. Still interested?
@lehigh Yes, we’re in.
@cdn1127 sorry, I’m an idiot, I didn’t pay attention to the half bottle aspect. I’m a complete and utter moron but realize I don’t want half bottles since we’re pretty good about finishing a bottle. 1000 apologies
@lehigh OK, no worries. Next time.
@wccwinegirl @winedavid49
Idaho not on ship to list ?
Keller offer always have been in past - I’ve bought most of them.
@rc70 Thank you for your interest, rc70! Unfortunately, we are not permitted to ship to Idaho at the moment.
@KellerEstate Thanks for the update, I guess I’ll make do with the 35 bottles of your wines I currently have in cellar.
@rc70 Sounds like a great supply!
@KellerEstate @rc70 When are we going to see more of the Rotie?
@KellerEstate @rpm Hopefully not before they can ship to Idaho again.
@KellerEstate @rc70 @rpm i did love that Rotie. will pull Ana’s leg.
Funny enough, the 2017 full bottle version of this is available elsewhere at a similar price point when factored up in size.
I do love half bottle sizes and may have to take part in this one.
@deadlyapp 2018 was generally a better vintage for Sonoma County/Carneros Pinot Noir than 2017….
This is an rpmAUTOBUY…. so is Keller’s Rhône varietal ‘Rotie’
@rpm Pull my leg some more. I am a little light on pinots anyways. We’ll see if its still available in a few hours.
@deadlyapp @rpm the Pinot Noir is quite good (I still have a good share of the last Keller Pinot Noir offer), but I just love the Rôtie. I’d love to see another Rôtie offer someday… not too many of those bottles are left.
I received a lab rat bottle and attempted to write a review on my phone while at work in between tasks and it didn’t go so well.
Besides being unable to post pics (I did get one uploaded but then every subsequent pic, it said "you can only upload pictures, despite the fact that they were all jpgs. ), my draft somehow got deleted.
Rather than start over from scratch at the point of frustration, I will post a full review within the next 2 hours from my home PC. In the meantime, I will say that the wine paired wonderfully with all components of our meal.
It was very versatile with food and we both liked it better with food than without.
@chipgreen If you’re using an iPhone, it by default uses a format called HEIC, which is not particularly compatible across non-Apple platforms. You can change the setting to use standard JPG.
I think recent Android versions have a similar thing going on.
@klezman
GalaxyS9 but I appreciate the attempted assist!
Any SoCal splits happening?
My sincere apologies for the late review.
2018 Keller Estate Pinot Noir Half Bottle
We received our half bottle of Keller Pinot Noir in time to plan a meal around it. Dinner consisted of salad, baked boneless breast of chicken marinated in Stubb’s Citrus & Onion Marinade, garlic mashers and brussel sprouts with Rosemary and cracked pepper.
LOOK:
Upon opening, it appears that the cork is synthetic? The wine is a pretty translucent magenta color when held up to the light. Thin, slow-running legs in the glass when swirled.
SMELL:
On the nose, I got some red and blue fruits, slight spice and a hint of oak. General sense of a barrel room aroma, but a little more restrained. Wifey said raspberries and a little pepper.
TASTE:
At first, I was getting darker fruits - mostly plum and cassis. Some allspice chimes in on the mid-palate along with some mild oak. My LW noticed the spice upfront and for her, the palate followed the nose with mostly raspberry. As the wine opened up, we both agreed that the palate shifted a little, featuring more of a red fruit note than dark fruit. We also both noticed some earthiness developing in the glass.
The wine paired really well with every course. Definitely a food-friendly wine. We each saved half a glass for after dinner and it was quite different without food. Cherry seemed to dominate the palate and there was a distinct tartness to the flavor profile. While we both still liked it without food, we agreed that it was better with food than without.
MOUTHFEEL:
The wine had a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Medium acidity. This is a lighter bodied Pinot, more on the feminine side but not extremely so. The tannins are very mild.
SUMMARY:
Overall, this is a great food wine. While still enjoyable without food, it really shines on the dinner table.
@chipgreen thanks for the review
@chipgreen Our synthetic corks are just one example of our dedication to sustainability! And no corked bottles.
/giphy scientific-gurgling-wheel

(bought last time, all out, restocking)