Dec 30, 2022
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Blagden
| Owner(s) | Catherine Blagden |
| Web site | www.blagdenwines.com |
| Link to this site |
Winemaker Catherine Blagden and assistant winemaker Thomas Brocker are both University of California at Davis graduates who have worked with Greg LaFollette on several small Pinot Noir and Chardonnay labels before launching their own label in 2006. Catherine has an impressive resume that includes working on many small artisan labels such as Tandem, Dunah, Londer, Halleck, Sapphire Hill as well as starting the Soliste label and launching a Sonoma Coast project for Luna. She has spent a harvest at Flagstone in Cape Town, South Africa and Domaine Dujac in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are sourced from one of the Sangiacomo Family Vineyards Roberts Road Vineyard located in the Petaluma Gap. A Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced. Blagden can afford to hold the wines for release until they are ready. In early 2015, her current releases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were from the 2008 vintage. The wines are made in a custom crush facility in Santa Rosa, California.
Articles About Blagden
Reviewed Wines
2016 Blagden Placida Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., $pre-release.
·
Moderately light garnet
color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with aromas of blackberry, blueberry-pomegranate and hints of floral
goodness and oak. The mid weight core of botanical-infused black cherry fruit has welcome juiciness.
Elegantly composed, with a suave texture and a strikingly long black cherry infused finish.
Score: 92.
Reviewed February 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2016 Blagden Sangiacomo-Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., $Pre-release.
·
Moderate garnet color in the
glass. Welcoming aromas of dark red and black fruits with an appealing
freshness. Mid weight plus flavors of black cherry, black raspberry,
exotic spices, and a dusting of toasty oak presented in a wholesome
and coordinated fashion. Nuances of loam and floral perfume add
interest. Beautifully balanced, with integrated tannins, and a long finish
replete with black cherry goodness.
Score: 93.
Reviewed February 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2016 Blagden Sangiacomo-Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
14.2% alc., pH 3.56, TA
0.57, 120 cases, $42. Release spring 2019. Robert Young clone 17. Barrel fermented with native yeasts,
inoculated for 100% malolactic fermentation, aged 16 months in French oak barrels, 20% new.
·
Moderately
light golden yellow color in the glass. The nose leads with aromas of lemon oil, warm biscuit, vanilla and malt.
Righteous, ripe fruited flavors of lemon, pineapple, yellow peach, and kiwi. Engaging and expansive on the
palate in a Caliesque style.
Score: 92.
Reviewed March 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2015 Ayiana Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., pH 3.72, TA 0.60, 175 cases, $38. Release
March 2019. Label designed in honor of Mom Cynthia H. Grace who succumbed to lung cancer
in 2012 and loved hummingbirds. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentation in open-top fermenters
after a 5-day cold soak, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 10 months in French
oak barrels, 25% new.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Subdued, but pleasant aromas of
black cherry and black raspberry with overtones of aged barrique. Bold in a mid weight plus style,
with flavors that echo the aromas. Initially a bit reserved and rustic, reaching new heights with
time in the glass. A dash of toasty oak is the background and a bit of tannin shows up on the finish. More
enjoyable when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle showing better tannin
and oak integration.
Score: 92.
Reviewed February 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2015 Blagden Sangiacomo - Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., pH 3.77, TA
0.50, 125 cases, $48. Release March 2019. Clones 115, Swan and 777. 100% de-stemmed, native
fermentation in open-top fermenters after a 5-day cold soak, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged
11 months in French oak barrels, 20% new.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of crushed dark red
and black berries along with a bit of toasty oak soar from the glass. Mid weight plus in style with plenty of black
fruit stuffing. The wine carries the weight of fruit and alcohol well. Plush and polished on the palate, with
noticeable length to the finish.
Score: 92.
Reviewed February 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2013 Blagden Sangiacomo - Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., pH 3.77, TA
0.50, 200 cases, $58. Released March 2018. Winner of 11th Annual International Women’s Winemaking
Competition. Clones 115, Swan and 777. 100% de-stemmed, 5-day cold soak, native fermentation in open-top
fermenters, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 38% new.
·
Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Pleasant aromas of black cherry, floral perfume and a hint of vanilla.
Expansive flavors of black raspberry and boysenberry are framed by sleek tannins creating a comforting
mouthfeel. More ripeness and extraction in this vintage compared to the 2012 bottling. There is a light imprint
of toasty oak.
Score: 91.
Reviewed February 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2012 Blagden Sangiacomo - Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., pH 3.55, TA
0.60, 220 cases, $48. Released March 2017. Clones 115, Swan and 777. 100% de-stemmed, 5-day cold soak,
native fermentation in open-top fermenters, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 11 months in
French oak barrels, 35% new.
·
Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Despite being several years old, this
wine benefits from time and was more appealing when tasted a day after opening. Aromas of black cherry,
spice and barrique lead to a light to mid weight styled wine featuring black cherry and blueberry fruit flavors.
Silky, with good t n’a balance, and elegant composure. There is more oak imprint than I prefer.
Score: 90.
Reviewed February 23, 2019
ARTICLE »
2016 Blagden Placida Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., $pre-release. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with aromas of blackberry, blueberry-pomegranate and hints of floral goodness and oak. The mid weight core of botanical-infused black cherry fruit has welcome juiciness. Elegantly composed, with a suave texture and a strikingly long black cherry infused finish. Score: 92. Reviewed February 23, 2019 ARTICLE »
2016 Blagden Sangiacomo-Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., $Pre-release. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Welcoming aromas of dark red and black fruits with an appealing freshness. Mid weight plus flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, exotic spices, and a dusting of toasty oak presented in a wholesome and coordinated fashion. Nuances of loam and floral perfume add interest. Beautifully balanced, with integrated tannins, and a long finish replete with black cherry goodness. Score: 93. Reviewed February 23, 2019 ARTICLE »
2016 Blagden Sangiacomo-Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
14.2% alc., pH 3.56, TA 0.57, 120 cases, $42. Release spring 2019. Robert Young clone 17. Barrel fermented with native yeasts, inoculated for 100% malolactic fermentation, aged 16 months in French oak barrels, 20% new. · Moderately light golden yellow color in the glass. The nose leads with aromas of lemon oil, warm biscuit, vanilla and malt. Righteous, ripe fruited flavors of lemon, pineapple, yellow peach, and kiwi. Engaging and expansive on the palate in a Caliesque style. Score: 92. Reviewed March 23, 2019 ARTICLE »
2015 Ayiana Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., pH 3.72, TA 0.60, 175 cases, $38. Release March 2019. Label designed in honor of Mom Cynthia H. Grace who succumbed to lung cancer in 2012 and loved hummingbirds. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentation in open-top fermenters after a 5-day cold soak, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 10 months in French oak barrels, 25% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Subdued, but pleasant aromas of black cherry and black raspberry with overtones of aged barrique. Bold in a mid weight plus style, with flavors that echo the aromas. Initially a bit reserved and rustic, reaching new heights with time in the glass. A dash of toasty oak is the background and a bit of tannin shows up on the finish. More enjoyable when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle showing better tannin and oak integration. Score: 92. Reviewed February 23, 2019 ARTICLE »
2015 Blagden Sangiacomo - Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., pH 3.77, TA 0.50, 125 cases, $48. Release March 2019. Clones 115, Swan and 777. 100% de-stemmed, native fermentation in open-top fermenters after a 5-day cold soak, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 20% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of crushed dark red and black berries along with a bit of toasty oak soar from the glass. Mid weight plus in style with plenty of black fruit stuffing. The wine carries the weight of fruit and alcohol well. Plush and polished on the palate, with noticeable length to the finish. Score: 92. Reviewed February 23, 2019 ARTICLE »
2013 Blagden Sangiacomo - Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., pH 3.77, TA 0.50, 200 cases, $58. Released March 2018. Winner of 11th Annual International Women’s Winemaking Competition. Clones 115, Swan and 777. 100% de-stemmed, 5-day cold soak, native fermentation in open-top fermenters, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 38% new. · Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Pleasant aromas of black cherry, floral perfume and a hint of vanilla. Expansive flavors of black raspberry and boysenberry are framed by sleek tannins creating a comforting mouthfeel. More ripeness and extraction in this vintage compared to the 2012 bottling. There is a light imprint of toasty oak. Score: 91. Reviewed February 23, 2019 ARTICLE »
2012 Blagden Sangiacomo - Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., pH 3.55, TA 0.60, 220 cases, $48. Released March 2017. Clones 115, Swan and 777. 100% de-stemmed, 5-day cold soak, native fermentation in open-top fermenters, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, and aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 35% new. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Despite being several years old, this wine benefits from time and was more appealing when tasted a day after opening. Aromas of black cherry, spice and barrique lead to a light to mid weight styled wine featuring black cherry and blueberry fruit flavors. Silky, with good t n’a balance, and elegant composure. There is more oak imprint than I prefer. Score: 90. Reviewed February 23, 2019 ARTICLE »