Full Review

Lawer Estates

Lawer Estates
2019 Betsy’s Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Knights Valley, Sonoma

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.5% RS: 0.05%
92 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$42

Lawer Estates
2019 Betsy’s Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Knights Valley, Sonoma

Pair this wine with:
Beef Cheese Pasta Pork

Category: Pinot Noir

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.5% RS: 0.05%
Dusty garnet color. Aromas and flavors of chocolate covered cherries, praline, and cola with a supple, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a sleek, medium-long finish evoking notes of cherry vanilla syrup, creme brulee with chocolate fudge drizzle, orange marmalade, and marinated beets with soft tannins and no oak flavor. A lovely balance of sweet and savory make this Pinot both interesting and satisfying.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity, Juicy & Smooth, New World, Non-Oaky & Savory
Aroma Aroma: chocolate covered cherries, praline, and cola
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with notes of cherry vanilla syrup, creme brulee with chocolate fudge drizzle, orange marmalade, and marinated beets
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Baked Ham, Meat Loaf, Lasagna
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A lovely balance of sweet and savory make this Pinot both interesting and satisfying.

The Producer

Lawer Family Wines

The Producer
1255 Lincoln Ave
Calistoga, CA 94515
USA
1 703-909-2975

Their Portfolio

93 Lawer Estates 2017 Betsy’s Vineyard, Syrah, Knights Valley 14.9% (USA) $42.00.
96 Lawer Estates 2018 Barrel Select, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 14.9% (USA) $115.00.
96 Lawer Estates 2018 Barrel Select, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 14.3% (USA) $115.00.
92 Lawer Estates 2019 Betsy’s Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Knights Valley, Sonoma 14.5% (USA) $42.00.
93 Lawer Estates 2019 Barrel Select, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 14.6% (USA) $115.00.
93 Lawer Estates 2019 Barrel Select, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 14.6% (USA) $115.00.
89 Lawer Estates 2022 Betsy’s Vineyard Rosé, Syrah, Knights Valley 13.4% (USA) $25.00.
89 Lawer Estates 2022 Betsy’s Vineyard, Knights Valley 13.2% (USA) $25.00.
93 Lawer Estates 2018 Vineyard 600, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga 14.6% (USA) $80.00.
89 Lawer Estates 2019 Betsy’s Vineyard, Syrah, Knights Valley 15.2% (USA) $50.00.
90 Lawer Estates 2019 Betsy’s Vineyard, Petite Sirah, Knights Valley 14.9% (USA) $42.00.
91 Lawer Estates 2019 Vineyard Select, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley 14.6% (USA) $115.00.
92 Lawer Estates 2021 Betsy’s Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Knights Valley 14.9% (USA) $42.00.
91 Lawer Estates 2021 Barrel Select, Pinot Noir, Knights Valley 14.9% (USA) $65.00.
90 Lawer Estates 2021 Cannon Block, Chardonnay, Knights Valley 14.3% (USA) $36.00.
90 Lawer Estates 2021 Cannon Block Unoaked, Chardonnay, Knights Valley 14.3% (USA) $30.00.
86 Lawer Estates 2021 Betsy’s Vineyard, Viognier, Knights Valley 14.2% (USA) $32.00.
90 Lawer Estates 2023 Cannon Block, Chardonnay, Knights Valley 14.3% (USA) $36.00.
BR Lawer Estates 2023 Cannon Block Unoaked, Chardonnay, Knights Valley 14.3% (USA) $30.00. - Bronze Medal

Pinot Noir

Wine Glass Burgundy.jpg
Serve in a Burgundy Wine Glass
Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most fascinating red varieties. While many red grapes produces wines of power and youthful intensity, a wine made from Pinot Noir is often more refined with higher acidity and lower levels of tannins. The spiritual home for Pinot Noir is Burgundy, where it is produced in many styles, from very light to examples that can age for two to three decades.

Pinot Noirs tend to have aromas and flavors red cherry fruit, while some offer notes of wild strawberry, plum or even floral notes such as carnation and red roses. As tannins in Pinot Noir are not as pronounced as in a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, most Pinot Noirs can be enjoyed upon release, which is usually two to three years after the vintage.

Burgundy works extremely well for Pinot Noir, as it is a cool climate; a warm or hot climate would not bring out the perfumes of the variety. Thus growers in several countries have planted Pinot Noir in their coolest regions, looking to emulate Burgundy. These include the Willamette Valley in Oregon; Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills in California (among others); Central Otago in New Zealand; Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys in Chile and the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden in Germany (where the grape is known as Spatburgunder). The concept of terroir – a wine is the producet of its specific environment – is most often associated with Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noirs tend to pair well with poultry (duck a l’orange is a classic match), game birds and even certain types of seafoods (as tannins are low), such as salmon, tuna and halibut.