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by Fred McMillin
for February 24, 1998
This Wine Is Not For the Birds
Prologue
August 1995—In spite of the problems created by the wettest Napa weather on record, our main concern is the
birds. If you don't take proper precautions here in Jamieson Canyon, you can lose your entire crop to them.
...Ken Nerlove, co-owner, vineyard manager, marketer, former banker, Elkhorn Peak Cellars.
The Rest of the Story
Happily, the birds did not get Ken's '95 Pinot Noir, but my panel did. Last year the Elkhorn won best Pinot
Noir of the Year Under $30. Now they tasted the '95 and found the same smooth, black cherry flavors with a finish
that's forever. With a total production of under 2,000 cases annually, Elkhorn is our Boutique of the Week, but
it surely isn't our Boutique of the Weak.
The Wine
'95 Pinot Noir, 100% Fagan Creek Vineyard
in the Jamieson Canyon, Napa Valley
Winery—Elkhorn Peak Cellars, Napa, CA.
Production—525 cases
Oak—15 months in French
Phone—(707) 255-0480
Price—$26 range.
Postscript
Highly-respected wine critic Jerry Mead has a word about the Jamieson Canyon in southeastern Napa Valley. "Don't
forget the name 'Jamieson Canyon.' It is east of, and nearly parallel to Napa Carneros...very cool and ideal for
Pinot Noir."
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About the Writer
Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently
teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for
American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates
of Commendation awarded to American wine writers. |
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More articles by
Fred McMillin
Welcome to WineDay, the electronic Gourmet Guide's daily update. Monday
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take you through the weekend
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