Walt Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2012

The highly touted 2012 Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is a tour de force in winemaking. It is packed with aroma and flavor beginning with concentrated blueberry, lavender, and mineral tones in the nose. In the mouth, the wine displays full, rich fruit flavors and plenty of deep down spice tones, all backed by broad powerful tannins. Blackberry fruit, subtle complex earth tones and warm, spicy flavors that include cinnamon and nutmeg emerge in the mid palate to round out this full-bodied Pinot’s flavor profile. Walt’s stunning 2012 Blue Jay Pinot Noir has it all, but don’t just take our word for it. Wine Enthusiast (93 points) and Pinot Report (92 points) flipped over this wine, too. We suggest decanting the 2012 Blue Jay Pinot Noir at least one half hour before serving it at cool room temperature (60° F). However, there’s no need to be in a hurry to open the 2012 Blue Jay Pinot Noir as it will improve with time in the bottle for several more years, perhaps even up to a decade or more.

Walt’s 2012 Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is no wispy little Pinot Noir; it has a big mouth feel and yields a whole lot of flavor. Consequently, some serious Pinot Noir lovers will want to savor this wine on its own, while those who normally eschew Pinot Noir with the claim that it doesn’t pack enough punch will be delighted to drink this wine with or without culinary accompaniments. Our tasting panel enjoyed this Pinot Noir with and without food, though we think the 2012 Blue Jay deserves the finest accompaniments one can muster. A traditional Boeuf Bourguignon provides an outstanding complement to Walt’s world class 2012 Blue Jay Pinot Noir. Roast duck prepared with a blackberry or cherry reduction and served over savory wild rice makes for another tasty pairing. Rack of lamb, accompanied by potato gnocchi, sweet peas, pearl onions, and mushrooms, offers another exciting companion. Roast turkey served with a savory onion and sage dressing offers tasty companionship, too. If you believe less is more, consider serving soft cow’s milk cheeses with the 2012 Blue Jay and enjoy!

Walt is an outstanding boutique producer of hand crafted Pinot Noirs from a growing number of California’s premier Pinot Noir vineyards in Anderson Valley, Sonoma, and the Santa Rita Hills as well as Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Walt also specializes in fashioning small batches of Chardonnay.

Walt is owned by Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall. Kathryn Walt Hall has been involved in the wine industry since her family first purchased a vineyard in the 1970s. She and her brother managed the family vineyard from 1982-1992. Kathryn has also enjoyed a distinguished career as a businesswoman, attorney and community activist, and she served as the United States Ambassador to Austria from 1997-2001.

Winemakers Steve Leveque and Megan Gunderson work magic with Walt’s small hand crafted wines. They practice non-interventionist winemaking that naturally allows each individual vineyard site to express its individual character. Taste and see why critics have been wowed by Walt wines.