This Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir has a deep garnet, crushed cranberry color which illustrates the depth of this cool climate Pinot Noir. Right out of the glass this wine is perfumed with elegant dark fruit from ripe Bing cherry to black raspberry notes. The wine is subtly spiced with integrated cinnamon and clove spices and backed with mocha notes. On the palate, the wine carries through consistently with the aromatics and displays the ripe and juicy cherry and raspberry fruit notes with balanced acidity and generous vanilla and toasted oak notes revealing silky tannins that linger. The wine finishes with in a Burgundian style referencing the earth tones of the Pommard clone 4 that makes this wine memorable.
Vineyard and Winemaking Facts
The Insider Pinot Noir was carefully crafted from grapes grown by a notorious producer with vineyards in the Petaluma Gap area of the Sonoma Coast. The grapes were harvested at night under the lights and hand-picked. At the winery, the grapes were destemmed and transferred to open top fermenters where the grapes were cold soaked for 48 hours prior to commencing fermentation. The fermenters were pumped over 3 times per day and once per day with a tub and screen and remained on the skins for 14 days after which it drained and gently pressed to 1.6 bars. After combining all lots together, we racked the wine into second-year burgundy,
Francois Frerres, medium toasted French oak barrels as fermentation was complete and then our secondary malo-lactic conversion took place. Once malo-lactic was complete we made our first racking into tanks to combine all lots and then back into the same barrels for aging for a total of 18 months. The wine was racked once more before its final rack for bottling (these racking weâre in 6-month intervals).
The name âThe Insiderâ comes from the confidentiality agreement we had to sign in order to purchase the grapes from the vines of a well-known winery producing world-class wines. With our insider connections and knowledge, we are able to offer you a wine of exceptional quality and pedigree at a price that will amaze.
Food Pairings
This wine pairs well with five-spice roasted duck breast and French lentils. While standing up to a filet mignon, the profile is nice with fresh line-caught Yellow Tail or Bluefin Tuna off the grill and served with an eggplant, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomato frittata. If you love Burgundy, this wine needs nothing more than a wine opener, a glass, and good company.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Appellation: Sonoma Coast
Winemakers: Richard Bruno & Chris Condos
Alcohol: 14.79%
Total Acidity: 6.23g/L
pH: 3.57
Residual Sugar: 0.13g/L (dry)
Aging: 18 months in second-year burgundy, Francois Frerres, medium toasted French oak barrels
Production: 2,614 cases
2018 Vinum Cellars Monterey Pinot Noir
90 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
This wine displays a vibrant, ruby plum color. The aromas are deep with Bing and Rainer cherries while backed with vanilla and slight caramelized raw sugar notes. The palate is intense with wild raspberry, blackberry, and bramble. These flavors are backed by intense earthy notes from black pepper to mushroom followed by toasted oak and clove. The finish
overall expresses ripe berry and leather with a silky envelope of toasted vanilla.
Vineyard and Winemaking Facts
This wine is from a single vineyard (Arroyo Loma) Pinot Noir grown by veteran Central Coast grape grower Steve McIntyre and is comprised of three Dijon Clones: 115, 667, and Pommard 4. The vineyard is sustainable and farmed organically, but not certified. This wine was fermented in open-top fermenters and received a 72-hour cold soak period followed by gentle 30-minute pump-overs, three times daily. The wine was finished in 2-year-old Francois Frerre burgundy barrels for a period of 18 months.
Since 1997 Vinum Cellars has been committed to producing quality wines from single vineyards in premium coastal and cool climate growing areas within California. Today our home is in a restored 1880 farmhouse which is depicted on the front label of this bottle.
Owners: Richard Bruno (Vinum), Chris Condos & Suzanne Hagins (Horse & Plow)
Founded: 1997
Location: Napa, CA
Vinum Cellars was founded in 1997 by first generation, California family winemakers Richard Bruno and Chris Condos in the Napa Valley financing their dream on credit cards. Their focus was then, and remains searching Californiaâs coastal vineyards and special microclimates in search of the best vineyards grown by the stateâs best growers. The long-term partners consider their humble roots in the development of products and mandate that each wine offer considerable high quality-to-price ratio. What this means is each wine is literally hand-crafted from single vineyards and made with a small lot philosophy. From Coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Vinum makes varietal wines from single vineyards and appellations throughout California. Currently, the Vinum Cellars team is working with over 14 grape varieties from El Dorado and San Benito Counties to Napa Valley.
Our basic winemaking philosophy is to work with great grape growers to develop the best fruit in the vineyard. We pick the grapes at optimal ripeness and gently process the fruit. We are very experimental with yeast strains and use different cultures for each variety. Our whites are barrel fermented slowly and aged Sur Lies in small French Oak barrels. With our reds, skin contact is optimized by the use of small open-top fermentors, hand punch downs, and extended maceration before pressing. Our belief in the use of older French Oak barrels allows the varietal fruit of our wines to be expressed. We are committed to experimenting and learning new winemaking methods while preserving an old-world approach.
As an environmentally conscious company, Vinum Cellars works only with sustainable growers to create Eco-Friendly products. The packaging choices were made specifically to minimize their carbon footprint. Some of those features are: Domestically produced lightweight, Eco-Series glass; labels and cartons using only non-toxic, water-based inks, and each of these suppliers recycles 100% of the waste created by manufacturing our packaging.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations.
2018 Vinum Cellars Mixed Pinot Noir - $35 = 19.43%
Quite the coincidence, I just opened a bottle of the Insider (blue label) last week!
I purchased a mix pack from a friend. Not sure if he has any left or where it was from as I have never seen these locally. I did not take any notes but I have my impressions which I will refrain from sharing until the Rats come out from their dark places.
I can say that I would like to have more of the Insider PN and this offer contains another to try as well.
Volunteer RAT checking back in.
As mentioned earlier, I obtained this bottle of 2018 The Insider Pinot Noir
from another wine friend, an assorted 4-pack and tried it last week so this is totally from memory:
After work I popped this open (from the wine room, so about 63 degrees), grabbed some venison sticks and aged white cheddar for a midnight snack,
chugged right from the bottleâŠha ha, noâŠ.did a small pour as usual to test. I got some smoke up front so right away I thought âflawedâ, then I thought hey need some BBQ to go with that fire pit.
I poured a half glass, turned on Jimmy, let the cat outâŠback to the wine! The smoke was nearly gone : )
The flavors were coming through fabulously
It was chewy and fruity and delicious. I kept going back to it for it was changing with every sip. It was fairly complex, layered with vanilla, leather, pipe tobacco and I like that in a wine. Medium finish but thatâs all I can remember.
The next day, after corked and refrigerated was almost as good
I would definitely buy this but also curious as to what itâs partner in the offer tastes like? Possibly better than any mystery case?!!
CHEERS
@ttboy23 Relative to others here, I am a wine novice I am sure. Are you viewing the smoke flavor as intentional or unintentional (a flaw) after all is said and done?
@bdb unintentional I believe. Iâm also thinking it picked up something from the oak. It wasnât bad just differentâŠand then, just like smoke, âpoofâ, it was gone. Or maybe like an ex-girlfriend in a country songâŠ
And another thingâŠthe alc at nearly 14.8 was not notable, IMO
@bdb@ttboy23 ex-girlfriend in a country song? found this Randy Travis verse: âYou think itâs disgraceful that they drink three-dollar wine. But a better class of loser suits me fine.â
@bdb@InFrom@pmarin@ScottW58@ttboy23 as mentioned above oak can impart a smokiness which in a way actually makes it intentional. But not flawed. Itâs different from the smoke you get from fire grapes. My humble. 12 bottles to SC, sounds right up my brideâs alley.
The Insider seemed too intriguing to pass on. Plus holidays coming & most everyone likes Pinot.
My kids also want me to put a mixed case together for them for a Christmas present under the guise of, âwe donât know much about wine but you doâ
"Blending In with Bottles 3X the Price
In a lineup of $50+ Pinot Noirs from the best sites on the North Coast, The Insider didnât stand out at all. Before its humble price tag was revealed to us, we pegged it as another high-end example of terroir-driven Sonoma Coast vibrancy and depth. But as Wine Enthusiast wrote, âThis is a value-driven wine that over delivers on its price point.â
In a way, we were right: Despite its price, The Insiderâs origins are anything but humble. The Sonoma Coast vineyard source belongs to one of Californiaâs oldest winegrowing families, and its bold Pinot Noir has been bottled by the likes of Auteur, Sojourn Cellars, Saxon Brown, and Ramâs Gateâeach for $50+.
You canât put this bona fide family name on your bottle for anywhere near The Insiderâs $25 retail price, so Vinum owners Richard Bruno and Chris Condos simply didnât. They contracted super-premium grapes, eschewed the super-premium labelâopting instead to call this The Insiderâand delivered one of the top Pinot Noir bargains of the year for friends and family.
In the glass, the ruby-hued 2018 boasts an aromatic bouquet worthy of Burgundy stemware that costs more than the bottle. Cinnamon drops decorate lively raspberry and black cherry notes, which are delivered in silky waves and mouth-filling lushness. Like its $50+ siblings, The Insider is generous and structured, finishing with earthy complexity reminiscent of the CĂŽte de Beaune.
Racy acid vibrancy and incredible fruit purity come from cool nights and fog-shrouded mornings in the Petaluma Gap, where this dazzling Pinot was grown. The grapes were hand-picked at night to preserve freshness, eventually coming to rest for a full 18 months in artisanal Burgundian barrels, crafted by François FrÚres.
A high-end approach without a high-end price sums up Vinum Cellars in a nutshell. Owners Richard and Chris founded Vinum in 1997 with the goal of seeking out the best possible grapes throughout California. Their long-term relationships with growersâplus a series of tight-lipped NDAsâhave allowed them to score luxury-level grapes and deliver them at a remarkable price.
Case in point is the 2018 The Insider, every bit as savvy a pickup as the name suggests, and incredibly so at this price. "
2018 The Insider Pinot Noir
90 Point ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Vineyard and Winemaking Facts
Food Pairings
Specs
2018 Vinum Cellars Monterey Pinot Noir
90 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Vineyard and Winemaking Facts
Food Pairings
Specs
Whatâs Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$270.00/Case for 6x 2018 The Insider Pinot Noir + 6x 2018 Vinum Cellars Monterey Pinot Noir at Vinum Cellars
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Oct 13 - Monday, Oct 17
Vinum Cellars Mixed Pinot Noir
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $144.99 $12.08/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 The Insider Pinot Noir
2018 Vinum Cellars Monterey Pinot Noir
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations.
2018 Vinum Cellars Mixed Pinot Noir - $35 = 19.43%
Quite the coincidence, I just opened a bottle of the Insider (blue label) last week!
I purchased a mix pack from a friend. Not sure if he has any left or where it was from as I have never seen these locally. I did not take any notes but I have my impressions which I will refrain from sharing until the Rats come out from their dark places.
I can say that I would like to have more of the Insider PN and this offer contains another to try as well.
@ttboy23 OK thanks for the (redacted) review. hoping for full comments and more rats later.
@pmarin @ttboy23 Would love to have your thoughts as we were unable to secure bottles for lab rats. Thanks.
Volunteer RAT checking back in.
As mentioned earlier, I obtained this bottle of
2018 The Insider Pinot Noir
from another wine friend, an assorted 4-pack and tried it last week so this is totally from memory:
After work I popped this open (from the wine room, so about 63 degrees), grabbed some venison sticks and aged white cheddar for a midnight snack,
chugged right from the bottleâŠha ha, noâŠ.did a small pour as usual to test. I got some smoke up front so right away I thought âflawedâ, then I thought hey need some BBQ to go with that fire pit.
I poured a half glass, turned on Jimmy, let the cat outâŠback to the wine! The smoke was nearly gone : )
The flavors were coming through fabulously
It was chewy and fruity and delicious. I kept going back to it for it was changing with every sip. It was fairly complex, layered with vanilla, leather, pipe tobacco and I like that in a wine. Medium finish but thatâs all I can remember.
The next day, after corked and refrigerated was almost as good
I would definitely buy this but also curious as to what itâs partner in the offer tastes like? Possibly better than any mystery case?!!
CHEERS
@ttboy23 Relative to others here, I am a wine novice I am sure. Are you viewing the smoke flavor as intentional or unintentional (a flaw) after all is said and done?
@bdb unintentional I believe. Iâm also thinking it picked up something from the oak. It wasnât bad just differentâŠand then, just like smoke, âpoofâ, it was gone. Or maybe like an ex-girlfriend in a country songâŠ
And another thingâŠthe alc at nearly 14.8 was not notable, IMO
@bdb @ttboy23 ex-girlfriend in a country song? found this Randy Travis verse:
âYou think itâs disgraceful that they drink three-dollar wine. But a better class of loser suits me fine.â
@bdb @pmarin @ttboy23 One of the great country voices, that Randy.
Speaking of three-dollar wine, did you see this obit today?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2022/09/14/fred-franzia-charles-shaw-wine-two-buck-chuck-dead/10378207002/
@ttboy23 Well done!
@bdb @InFrom @pmarin @ttboy23
The man made a whole lot of something from nothing! RIP
@bdb @InFrom @pmarin @ScottW58 @ttboy23 as mentioned above oak can impart a smokiness which in a way actually makes it intentional. But not flawed. Itâs different from the smoke you get from fire grapes. My humble. 12 bottles to SC, sounds right up my brideâs alley.
Double the pinot profile per package? Perf.
/giphy kooky-gorgeous-grasshopper
If anyone buys in MD/DC/VA I might be interested in 1/3 or 1/2 of a case. I live in Baltimore but am down in NoVA periodically.
The Insider seemed too intriguing to pass on. Plus holidays coming & most everyone likes Pinot.
My kids also want me to put a mixed case together for them for a Christmas present under the guise of, âwe donât know much about wine but you doâ
Richard and I used to work together at Folie a Deux. Based on his winemaking ability Iâm in and look forward to enjoying these wines.
Cheers,
Scott
Still two day shipping, helped me push the buttonâŠ
From Wine AccessâŠ
"Blending In with Bottles 3X the Price
In a lineup of $50+ Pinot Noirs from the best sites on the North Coast, The Insider didnât stand out at all. Before its humble price tag was revealed to us, we pegged it as another high-end example of terroir-driven Sonoma Coast vibrancy and depth. But as Wine Enthusiast wrote, âThis is a value-driven wine that over delivers on its price point.â
In a way, we were right: Despite its price, The Insiderâs origins are anything but humble. The Sonoma Coast vineyard source belongs to one of Californiaâs oldest winegrowing families, and its bold Pinot Noir has been bottled by the likes of Auteur, Sojourn Cellars, Saxon Brown, and Ramâs Gateâeach for $50+.
You canât put this bona fide family name on your bottle for anywhere near The Insiderâs $25 retail price, so Vinum owners Richard Bruno and Chris Condos simply didnât. They contracted super-premium grapes, eschewed the super-premium labelâopting instead to call this The Insiderâand delivered one of the top Pinot Noir bargains of the year for friends and family.
In the glass, the ruby-hued 2018 boasts an aromatic bouquet worthy of Burgundy stemware that costs more than the bottle. Cinnamon drops decorate lively raspberry and black cherry notes, which are delivered in silky waves and mouth-filling lushness. Like its $50+ siblings, The Insider is generous and structured, finishing with earthy complexity reminiscent of the CĂŽte de Beaune.
Racy acid vibrancy and incredible fruit purity come from cool nights and fog-shrouded mornings in the Petaluma Gap, where this dazzling Pinot was grown. The grapes were hand-picked at night to preserve freshness, eventually coming to rest for a full 18 months in artisanal Burgundian barrels, crafted by François FrÚres.
A high-end approach without a high-end price sums up Vinum Cellars in a nutshell. Owners Richard and Chris founded Vinum in 1997 with the goal of seeking out the best possible grapes throughout California. Their long-term relationships with growersâplus a series of tight-lipped NDAsâhave allowed them to score luxury-level grapes and deliver them at a remarkable price.
Case in point is the 2018 The Insider, every bit as savvy a pickup as the name suggests, and incredibly so at this price. "
The smokiness is addressed by the winemaker here:
https://us.nakedwines.com/products/richard-bruno-vinum-monterey-pinot-noir-2018
fwiw
@kaolis Wow, NOW you showâŠ
thanks!