Tandem Winery; '06 -'07 case of 750s van de Kamp Pinot Meurnier

Both sold out! Only 65 cases of '06  & 46 cases of  '07   

2007 van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Meunier 

The van der Kamp family has been making wine from this highest vineyard on Sonoma Mountain for over four decades and Greg La Follette has been making wine from these grapes for a dozen years across four labels. The small block of Pinot Meunier at the base of the “Red Shoulder” block has always been a small but significant part of the Tandem van der Kamp Pinot noir bottling and added a spicy lift to our Peloton red wine blend. More recently it has also been included in the 2006 Auction Block Pinot bottling. Needless to say, we hold this tiny corner of Sonoma Mountain in very high regard and are pleased to bring you our now second varietal bottling of the van der Kamp family’s Pinot Meunier.  

Tasting notes: Fresh raspberries and Salmonberries lead off the nose into a zingy pepper spice followed by an almost meaty quality. Even in listing these attributes, this is all very delicate, laced finely with toffee and hints of hard Christmas fruit lollies. On aeration, the fruit aroma intensifies, indicating either decanting or medium-term binning. On the mouth, initial impression continues the finesse in its echoes of the meaty, succulent qualities up-front, followed by the fruit flavors that lift and enhance the more foresty aspects. This wine begs for food in its short-term aging outlook, especially the Christmas goose!  

2006 Van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot noir 

The Van der Kamp family has been making wine from this highest (1,400ft) vineyard on Sonoma Mountain for over four decades. Martin has now turned vineyard management to son Ulysses, who does most of the pruning with his own hands. The Tibetan prayer flags that flutter through the vineyard (as well as in our winery as a gift from Martin to us) are fitting symbols of the rich and vibrant life that this family leads in respecting and tending to the land, to each other, and to their wine community. We are grateful to be a part of this van der Kamp winegrowing community, and are proud to bring to you this pure expression of unique terroir on which our friends raise their children, grandchildren, and wine. 

Tasting notes: As wild and feral as the site at the top of the mountain can yield! Aromas are of smoked venison, roasted meats, dark-roasted coffee and dark, almost tropical yet still berry-like fruits and a kind of visceral, exciting muskiness. On the palate the excitement continues with dark tones and roasted chicory and exotic, darkly spicy fruits. The palate is downright hedonistic with textural lushness and seductively rich and layered tannins. The plush presentation absolutely caresses your tongue, as only Pinot noir in its most sexy state can do. Enjoy for many, many years to come as this will be an extremely long-lived, hale and hearty wine.

Vinter supporting the Jimmy Mancbach Memorial Scholarship Foundation

In 2007 we lost a great friend of the wine industry, Jimmy Mancbach. His love of wine and enthusiasm for living life to the fullest will truly be missed.

Even in his passing, Jimmy's spirit of generosity lives on in the form of The Jimmy Mancbach Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The foundation realizes his dream of creating a scholarship for up-and-coming fine wine professionals. Jimmy wanted to provide a rare opportunity for those young wine enthusiasts to work with some of America's greatest winemakers with whom he had developed strong relationships throughout the years.

The annual recipients will travel to specially selected wineries during harvest, where they will work with some of the most talented and celebrated winemakers and viticulturists in the wine industry. There they will carry forth Jimmy's passion, integrity and love for great wine and food.