Dec 30, 2022
Search This Site:
Dubakella
| Owner(s) | Andy Carini |
| Web site | www.cariniwine.com |
| Link to this site |
Sometimes good Pinot Noir turns up in the most unexpected places. Andy Carini produces Dubakella Pinot Noir from a vineyard in Hayfork, California, about half way between the cities of Redding and Eureka, in Trinity County (see map next page). Hayfork sits about midway between the best northern coastal Pinot regions of California and the better Pinot regions of Oregon. The wine is named for Mt. Dubakella, the tallest mountain you can see from Andy’s winery in Hayfork. It is a Wintu (local Native American tribe) word for “black rock.”
Andy began working with this vineyard just before harvest in 2004. The vineyard is in uncharted grape growing territory, but seems to be a natural fit for Pinot Noir. The vineyard sits at 2,500 ft on a south facing slope overlooking the Hayfork valley (valley floor is 2,200 ft). The soils are rocky loam with veins of limestone throughout. The climate is very Burgundian with a short, but intense, growing season with only two months of the year sure to be frost free (July and August). Summer day to night temperature swings of 50 degrees are the norm! Hot days and almost cold nights. The vineyard is planted to clones 115 and Pommard on 8 acres and is certified organic. Andy says, “On paper everything works and sounds nearly perfect. I am just about to the point where I feel I can state with certainty that in practice it is even better than on paper. As my years working with this vineyard pass, and we fine tune our farming to the site, the wines are proving that this is a place for great Pinot Noir, perhaps one of the very best places in the state for it.”
A new website - www.cariniwine.com - was launched in early 2015.
Articles About Dubakella
Reviewed Wines
NV Dubakella “Six and Eleven” Red Wine
14.3% alc., $20.
Grenache from the Rogue Valley of Oregon (68%) and Pinot Noir
from Trinity County, California (32%) featuring two vintages that were
five years apart (2006 and 2011).
·
Moderately dark reddish-purple
color in the glass. Deep, focused aromas of plum, blackberry,
confected black cherries, dark chocolate, spice and rose petals.
Juicy and spicy with a middleweight core of tasty dark berry and dark
stone fruit flavors backed by modest tannins. Certainly not an everyday
combination, but a freakish combination that works. Good.
Reviewed January 19, 2013
ARTICLE »
2007 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., 400 cases, $30. Aged 46 months in
100% French oak barrels before bottling unfined and unfiltered. Aged over one year in
bottle.
·
Medium reddish-purple hue in the glass. Hard to take your nose out of the glass.
Enticing aromas of perfectly ripe black raspberries and strawberries. Redolent of a bowl of
crushed berry fruits that are sinfully delicious. A little spicy, a little savory, a little mineralinfused:
very unique and unlike any other California Pinot Noir. Crisp and juicy, with
complimentary tannins, and a very long and satisfying finish. A connoisseur’s Pinot that can
be enjoyed now, but has the impeccable balance to age for many years.
Reviewed January 19, 2013
ARTICLE »
2005 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., $30. Sometimes good Pinot Noir turns up in
the most unexpected places. Andy Carini produces Dubakella Pinot Noir from a vineyard in Hayfork,
California, about half way between the cities of Redding and Eureka, in Trinity County. Directly east of
Humboldt County, Hayfork sits about midway between the best northern coastal Pinot Noir regions of
California and the better Pinot Noir regions of Oregon. The wine is named for Mt.Dubakella, the tallest
mountain you can see from Andy’s winery in Hayfork. It is a Wintu (local Native American tribe) word
for “black rock.” Andy began working with this vineyard just before harvest in 2004. The location is
uncharted grape growing territory, but seems to be a natural fit for Pinot Noir. The vineyard sits at 2,700 ft on a
south facing slope overlooking the Hayfork Valley (the valley floor is at 2,200 ft). The soils are rocky loam with
veins of limestone throughout. The climate is very Burgundian with a short, but intense, growing season with
only two months of the year sure to be frost free (July and August). Summer day to night temperature swings of
50 degrees are the norm! Hot days and almost cold nights. The vineyard was planted to clones 115 and
Pommard on 7 acres (there is 2 acres of Pinot Gris) in 1998 and is certified organic. Andy says, “On paper
everything works and sounds nearly perfect. I am just about to the point where I feel I can state with certainty
that in practice it is even better than on paper. As my years working with this vineyard pass, and we fine tune
our farming to the site, the wines are proving that this is a place for great Pinot Noir, perhaps one of the very
best places in the state for it.” Andy’s winemaking style emphasizes as little manipulation as possible. The only
additions to the wine are yeast and minimal sulfur dioxide. There is no watering down, acidification, spinning
cone, copper, color boosters, fining, or filtration. The wine is a true representation of its place of origin and the
vintage. 90% of the grapes are de-stemmed followed by a cold maceration. After inoculation, the fermentations
last between 10-14 days in small 200 gallon open top fermenters. Multiple daily punchdowns are followed by
pressing directly to 100% French oak. Typically, aging is for 18 months
and the wine is bottled directly off its gross lees. Order winery direct at
www.cariniwinecellars.com.
·
A cherry bombast on the nose and an
appealing loamy earthiness to the ornate black cherry and black
raspberry flavors. Lithe and clean with a refined mouthfeel and a
refreshing finish. An impressive wine well crafted and flashing great
charm. The price is ridiculously low considering the effort taken in
farming this isolated vineyard and crafting this unique wine.
Reviewed October 1, 2008
ARTICLE »
2005 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., $30.
·
Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. Still fresh with lively
aromas of black cherries, black raspberries, currants, saddle
leather and shoebox. Delicious dark stone fruit and berry
flavor with accents of tea leaf, dark chocolate, cola, and the
faintest oak. Silk and satin on the palate with well-balanced
dry tannins and a memorable finish. Drinking majestically
now, but will last several more years. A superb, winery-aged Pinot Noir for $30 -
how often have you seen that?
Reviewed January 19, 2013
ARTICLE »
2005 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
15.25% alc., 500 cases, $45. (Barrel sample)
·
This wine
has a little more stuffing and is even more polished than the 2004. Again, the balance is impeccable. It
is still young and not giving all it has. This will improve considerably with time.
Reviewed April 9, 2007
ARTICLE »
2004 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 300 cases, $33
·
The aromatics exhibit shy but
fine red and dark fruits with a hint of spice. Sumptuous spiced cherry, plum and oak flavors are in
harmony and enticing. From start to finish, this is a very clean and balanced wine. Not terribly
complex, and nothing hair-raising, but thoroughly satisfying.
Reviewed April 9, 2007
ARTICLE »
NV Dubakella “Six and Eleven” Red Wine
14.3% alc., $20. Grenache from the Rogue Valley of Oregon (68%) and Pinot Noir from Trinity County, California (32%) featuring two vintages that were five years apart (2006 and 2011). · Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Deep, focused aromas of plum, blackberry, confected black cherries, dark chocolate, spice and rose petals. Juicy and spicy with a middleweight core of tasty dark berry and dark stone fruit flavors backed by modest tannins. Certainly not an everyday combination, but a freakish combination that works. Good. Reviewed January 19, 2013 ARTICLE »
2007 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
14.9% alc., 400 cases, $30. Aged 46 months in 100% French oak barrels before bottling unfined and unfiltered. Aged over one year in bottle. · Medium reddish-purple hue in the glass. Hard to take your nose out of the glass. Enticing aromas of perfectly ripe black raspberries and strawberries. Redolent of a bowl of crushed berry fruits that are sinfully delicious. A little spicy, a little savory, a little mineralinfused: very unique and unlike any other California Pinot Noir. Crisp and juicy, with complimentary tannins, and a very long and satisfying finish. A connoisseur’s Pinot that can be enjoyed now, but has the impeccable balance to age for many years. Reviewed January 19, 2013 ARTICLE »
2005 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., $30. Sometimes good Pinot Noir turns up in the most unexpected places. Andy Carini produces Dubakella Pinot Noir from a vineyard in Hayfork, California, about half way between the cities of Redding and Eureka, in Trinity County. Directly east of Humboldt County, Hayfork sits about midway between the best northern coastal Pinot Noir regions of California and the better Pinot Noir regions of Oregon. The wine is named for Mt.Dubakella, the tallest mountain you can see from Andy’s winery in Hayfork. It is a Wintu (local Native American tribe) word for “black rock.” Andy began working with this vineyard just before harvest in 2004. The location is uncharted grape growing territory, but seems to be a natural fit for Pinot Noir. The vineyard sits at 2,700 ft on a south facing slope overlooking the Hayfork Valley (the valley floor is at 2,200 ft). The soils are rocky loam with veins of limestone throughout. The climate is very Burgundian with a short, but intense, growing season with only two months of the year sure to be frost free (July and August). Summer day to night temperature swings of 50 degrees are the norm! Hot days and almost cold nights. The vineyard was planted to clones 115 and Pommard on 7 acres (there is 2 acres of Pinot Gris) in 1998 and is certified organic. Andy says, “On paper everything works and sounds nearly perfect. I am just about to the point where I feel I can state with certainty that in practice it is even better than on paper. As my years working with this vineyard pass, and we fine tune our farming to the site, the wines are proving that this is a place for great Pinot Noir, perhaps one of the very best places in the state for it.” Andy’s winemaking style emphasizes as little manipulation as possible. The only additions to the wine are yeast and minimal sulfur dioxide. There is no watering down, acidification, spinning cone, copper, color boosters, fining, or filtration. The wine is a true representation of its place of origin and the vintage. 90% of the grapes are de-stemmed followed by a cold maceration. After inoculation, the fermentations last between 10-14 days in small 200 gallon open top fermenters. Multiple daily punchdowns are followed by pressing directly to 100% French oak. Typically, aging is for 18 months and the wine is bottled directly off its gross lees. Order winery direct at www.cariniwinecellars.com. · A cherry bombast on the nose and an appealing loamy earthiness to the ornate black cherry and black raspberry flavors. Lithe and clean with a refined mouthfeel and a refreshing finish. An impressive wine well crafted and flashing great charm. The price is ridiculously low considering the effort taken in farming this isolated vineyard and crafting this unique wine. Reviewed October 1, 2008 ARTICLE »
2005 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., $30. · Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. Still fresh with lively aromas of black cherries, black raspberries, currants, saddle leather and shoebox. Delicious dark stone fruit and berry flavor with accents of tea leaf, dark chocolate, cola, and the faintest oak. Silk and satin on the palate with well-balanced dry tannins and a memorable finish. Drinking majestically now, but will last several more years. A superb, winery-aged Pinot Noir for $30 - how often have you seen that? Reviewed January 19, 2013 ARTICLE »
2005 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
15.25% alc., 500 cases, $45. (Barrel sample) · This wine has a little more stuffing and is even more polished than the 2004. Again, the balance is impeccable. It is still young and not giving all it has. This will improve considerably with time. Reviewed April 9, 2007 ARTICLE »
2004 Dubakella Trinity County Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 300 cases, $33 · The aromatics exhibit shy but fine red and dark fruits with a hint of spice. Sumptuous spiced cherry, plum and oak flavors are in harmony and enticing. From start to finish, this is a very clean and balanced wine. Not terribly complex, and nothing hair-raising, but thoroughly satisfying. Reviewed April 9, 2007 ARTICLE »