Reviews

2009 Zero New Oak Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

October 24, 2011: Wine writer Elin McCoy recommends the 2009 Zero New Oak as her Wine of the Week on Zester Daily. She wrote: "... Foursight winemaker Joe Webb, son-in-law to the owners, uses no new oak at all to age this wine. It's made in an old-school way with indigenous yeasts, a percentage of whole clusters, no filtering, no fining, minimal sulfur. The result is pretty, delicate and complex, with spicy strawberry and cherry flavors. It's understated and positively gulpable. ..."

October 9, 2011: The San Francisco Chronicle recommended the 2009 Zero New Oak as a top pick out of 40 Anderson Valley Pinots tasted. Wine Editor Jon Bonne wrote: "The Charles family experimented by using all older barrels for this effort, with indigenous yeast fermentation and some whole grape clusters. The tension here beautifully evokes the old high-acid Anderson Valley profile, with deep cinnamon stick, bright lemon peel and Bing cherry accents."

2009 Anderson Valley Dry Gewurztraminer

May 2011: Wine Spectator awarded our Gewurztraminer 89 points, with Associate Editor Tim Fish rating the wine 90 points

March 2, 2011: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat gave this wine four and half stars (out of five). "A lovely gewurztraminer with notes of peach, nectarine and hazelnut. Oily texture. Lingering finish."

January 2011: Gold Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

August 2010: Gold Medal, Mendocino County Wine Competition, runner-up to sweepstakes white wine

July 11, 2010: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat recommends our first-ever dry Gewurzt, saying "A tasty gewurztraminer with notes of tangerine, grapefruit, lime, herbs and spice. A crisp, tart finish."

2009 Charles Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

August 2011: Wine Enthusiast Magazine rated our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc an Editor's Choice wine, 89 points. This is the third consecutive year that our Charles Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc has been selected as Editor's Choice (every vintage since our first release). The review reads: "A nice Sauvignon Blanc, crisp and vibrant, with polished flavors of citrus fruits, lemongrass, dates and honey. ... crisp and balanced."

April 24 & May 4, 2011: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat gave our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc four out of five stars, calling it "A bright, crisp sauvignon blanc with bold flavors of grass, grapefruit and lime. Balanced. Refreshing." Another review read: "A complex sauvignon blanc with aromas and flavors of lemon blossom, grass and mineral. Creamy texture. Lush."

January 2011: Silver Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2008 Zero New Oak Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

January 2011: Medal winner, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2008 All-In Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

January 2011: Medal winner, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and American Fine Wine Competition

2007 All-In Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

July 2011: PinotFile retasted our 2007 All-In Pinot Noir, writing "Moderate reddish-purple color and clear in the glass. A nicely composed wine that has benefited from time in the bottle. Fruity aromas of fresh berry compote carry over on the palate. Juicy, silky and seamless with plenty of charm. Very good."

January 2011: Chef Magazine recommended the 2007 All-In Pinot Noir in the January 2011 issue, pairing it with a chicken rice bowl. Reviewer Marlene Rossman wrote that the dish "...will shine with this balanced, raspberry-scented Pinot Noir." You can find the recipe here (at the top of page 38).

November 2010: Recommended on Fredric Koeppel's BiggerThanYourHead.net wine blog: "...an understated beauty. Fermented with wild yeast, unfined and unfiltered, it offers a beguiling limpid ruby color that's almost transparent at the rim. Scents of lightly spiced red and black cherries hold undertones of red currants and mulberries with touches of smoke and leather. Lovely balance and integration produce an entrancing mouthful of pinot noir that glides across the palate like satin; a few minutes in the glass add notes of moss and briers, while structure and texture remain subtle and supple. The wine aged in French oak, 20 percent new, the rest two-year-old barrels and older. A pinot noir for devotees of the classic elegant fashion. ... Drink now through 2013 or '14. Excellent."

January 2010: Silver Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

October 2009: 90 points, Burghound. "A pretty and impressively complex nose features notes of ripe red berry fruit, plum and violet aromas that are trimmed in a discreet touch of wood and merge into rich, delicious and pure middle weight flavcors that possess an appealing mouth feel before culminating in a sappy and nicely balanced finish... This should reward 3 to perhaps 5 years of cellar time." -- Allen Meadows

July 2009: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat rated this wine 4 stars, highly recommended.

July  8, 2009: Rusty Gaffney of PinotFile gave this wine his Pinot Geek rating, used for only the "most complete, transcendent wines." Here's the full review: "Massively perfumed with exotic dark berries, dark mocha and spice. Discreetly concentrated and tasty dark fruit with hints of sassafras and oak. The berry fragrances and a citrus lift haunt the lengthy finish. A racy wine that is quite enjoyable now for its silky texture and impeccable balance. This one is kissed by an angel."

2008 Charles Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

November 2010: Recommended on Fredric Koeppel's BiggerThanYourHead.net wine blog: "...exceptionally clean and fresh and invigorating. It's like drinking a deconstruction of a grapefruit without being anything like a snappy, over-eager New Zealand rendition with the tang of the pulp, the slight bitterness of the pith and the oiliness of the rind, combined with a spicy tangerine-lemon element and a brilliance of limestone-like minerality. The wine is juicy and tasty, yet spare and delicate; made all in stainless steel, it radiates purity and intensity. ... Now through 2012. Excellent."

September 2010: 92 points, Editor's Choice, Wine Enthusiast Magazine: "Shows great acidity that really gets the tastebuds whistling, and also deep, complex varietal flavors of Meyer lemons, limes and sweet vanilla, with a green grass component in the background. Very fine and dry, an elegant, sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc of great integrity."

March 24, 2010: 4 Stars, Highly Recommended, Santa Rosa Press Democrat:" A full-bodied sauvignon blanc with notes of grapefruit, herbs, lemon, lime and spice. Lively, with a rich texture. Balanced."

January 2010: Double Gold Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2007 Zero New Oak Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

January 2010: Silver Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

October 2009: 90 points, Burghound. Pinot Noir expert Allen Meadows gave the 2007 Zero high marks, writing: "A fresh and relatively complex nose... with lovely, balanced and pure medium-bodied flavors that possess good concentration and length on the sappy finish and mildly dusty finish. This is really very pretty and fashioned in an understated style..."

July 2009: Rated 4 stars, highly recommended by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

July 8, 2009: PinotFile reviewed the entire 2007 Foursight line-up, calling the 2007 Zero "very tasty." Here's the full review: "A redder profile starring plentiful strawberry aromas with wisps of oak, violets and lavender. Very tasty dark red fruits with some underlying earthiness and forest floor. A solid wine with a fine texture and well-integrated tannins."

2007 Clone 05 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

December 2010: PinotFile named this wine one of its 2010 All-American Pinot selections.

January 2010: Silver Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

October 2009: 91 points, Burghound. Our 2007 Pinots had among the highest ratings as a group in the publication. About the Clone 05, Allen Meadows wrote: "The oak, if not completely invisible, has largely been successfully absorbed and allows the pretty red and blue berry fruit aromas that are nuanced by voilet and spice hints to shine. The detailed, fresh and solidly focused middle weight flavors are delicious as they offer good breadth and a finely balanced, dusty and sappy finish. ..."

December 2009: The Wine Enthusiast Magazine awarded our Clone 05 90 points!

September 20, 2009: The San Francisco Chronicle reviewed their favorite 13 of more than 50 Mendocino County and Anderson Valley Pinot Noirs, and our 2007 Clone 05 Pinot was included in the favorites. They wrote: "The Charles family has quickly left its imprint with its new label. They isolated fruit from their Pommard clone and gave it extra oak. The result is smoky and heady, with allspice and cocoa accents on a dark-fruit base. Finessed tannins make it immediately drinkable."

July 21, 2009: PinotFile called our Clone 05 a sexy, man's wine: "Very sexy nose initially featuring deep berry, especially raspberry, fruit, dark chocolate and cardamon spice. A substantial wine with the most intensity and tannin in the lineup. The hedonistic core of berry and plum fruit shows a touch of grilled meat and oak smoke... this is a well-crafted Man's wine."

2006 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir

February 28, 2009: The Pinot Report gave this incredible wine 91 points! There seems to be a pattern here...

January 2009: Our Pinot Noir was awarded a Double Gold Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

December 5, 2008: The San Francisco Chronicle named our 2006 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir a Top 100 Wine of 2008! The article reads: "Great winemakers seem to give all the credit to their vineyards. But as we closed in on the Top 100 Wines for 2008, the winemaker's craft never seemed more important. ... 2006 Foursight Wines Charles Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($46) Kristy Charles moved back to Boonville after a successful wine-industry career in part to run a vineyard with her family and fiance. This inaugural effort is earthy and focused, in the traditional Anderson Valley style, with a mix of Bing cherry, blueberry and rhubarb. It's an auspicious debut, with plenty of delicate red fruit and a savory, smoky, nori-like nuance." - Jon Bonne

November 15, 2008: Wine Spectator called our 2006 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir a recommended recent release from Mendocino County.

October 2008: The Wine Enthusiast gave our Pinot 90 points, saying "A lovely Pinot Noir, dry and crisp, with a silky texture that provides a fine alternative to heavier reds. Shows modest cherry skin, raspberry, red currant, anise and cola flavors that disappear in a swirl of Asian spices. ..."

September 30, 2008: Wine Spectator: Foursight Wines is named one of the most promising new faces in Pinot Noir. "...we've sifted through the newcomers to profile some of the most promising. While there is a unique story behind each project, one thing is clear about the producers in this group -- they have a lot of previous wine experience. ... Most of their wines are made in small quantities, but are worth searching for."

August 15, 2008: The San Francisco Chronicle, 2 1/2 stars: "Wine marketing pro Kristy Charles moved back home to Boonville last summer not only to become executive director of the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association, but also to help with this new vineyard founded by her parents Bill and Nancy Charles, and her fiance, Joseph Webb. Their inaugural effort is earthy and focused, very much in the Anderson Valley style, with a mix of Bing cherry, blueberry and rhubarb. It's a straightforward, promising debut, with plenty of delicate red fruit, and a savory, smoky, seaweed-like tinge for nuance."

August 2008: Chris Sawyer wrote a review of our Pinot in Patterson's The Tasting Panel Magazine "The exciting debut release from the Charles family, this marvelous wine features ripe flavors of fresh plum, black cherry, savory herbs, cocoa, and plenty of structure. Complex and elegant!"

July 31, 2008: The Wine Spectator, 91 points were given to our 2006 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir! "Ripe and fleshy, with a generous mix of ripe plum, wild berry and black cherry fruit that's well-centered, gaining body and complexity on the finish" - James Laube

July 2, 2008: WineSpectator.com Forum: "Just had my first opportunity to try these wines. Exciting things are happening here in Mendocino county. This is a first release - the quality of the pinot is remarkable given the vagaries of the vintage. ...2006 Foursight Pinot Noir Charles Vineyard: Nice ruby-garnet color. This wine is restrained and reticent at first, but after about an hour blossoms into a silky mouthful of cherry, wild berry, and that signature Anderson Valley cola note. Really precise, the flavors come at you in well-defined waves. Youthful, exuberant, and wild. Tasty stuff. 92 pts, good now, will get better over the next 3-5 years." Chum Lee

June 9, 2008: PinotFile, Vol. 6 Issue 60. Foursight Wines 2006 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir: "Moderately light crimson color. Red fruits, savory herbs and forest floor aromas. Red fruit-driven with cherry, cranberry and cola flavors. ... A 2007 barrel sample was tasted at the Festival and it was a knock-out with a terrific core of cherry fruit. Stay tuned to this producer, join the mailing list, and look for big things in the future."

June 2008: Critics Challenge International Wine Competition, Silver Medal. Both our wines received silver medals at this competition, where they went up against 1,700 other entries from 16 countries.

June 2008: Connoisseurs Guide to CA Wine called our 2006 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir "hedonistic," with "sweet, slightly candied cherries with a dollop or two of rich oak. It is supple and smooth and easy to taste..."

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