Row Eleven Wine Company

The roots of Row Eleven stretch back many years touching hundreds of grape growers and winemakers. In 1987, after fifteen years of crushing grapes in the United States and Chile, Winemaker/Founder Richard de los Reyes became interested in making Pinot Noir again.

A vineyard is limited to its own distinct flavors and characteristics. Think of each vintage as a jazz concert, and each vineyard as an instrument. Drums are okay alone, but add guitars, bass, piano and horns and you are cooking. Row 11 prefers vineyards with more than one clone and use multiple vineyards to make wine that is as complex as it is rich, delicious and special.

Row 11 growers are experts and industry veterans. Mel Sanchietti’s family were pioneers in the Russian River Valley. He has wonderful old vines. Dale Hampton and Bob Miller were the first to plant grapes in Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County. They have been advising others how and where to plant grapes for over thirty years. Row 11 takes the best grapes that each man grows. Every bottle they make has over 70 collective years of winemaking and grape grower experience.

2006 Civello Pinot Grigio
$20.00

Civello - on beyond Chardonnay. Change into something different. Civello strives to make white wines that are refreshing, exciting, irresistible and delicious. When is the last time you heard someone say that about Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc? We start with the Pinot Gris grape, known in Italy as Pinot Grigio, which we get from Monterey. Depending on the year, they add the Spanish grape Verdhelo which we get from the warmer Clarksburg area. We add a splash of the German/Alsatian grape Gewürztraminer which we get from California’s coolest counties. Occasionally we add a little Dijon clone Chardonnay from Carneros. Sometimes we even add a little Muscato Fruliano.

Row 11 ''Stratton Lumis'' Chardonnay 2006, Los Carneros
$20.00

The grapes are whole cluster crushed directly to press. The juice is then fermented completely dry in a stainless steel fermenter. Fermentation is between 55F to 70F and lasts for a period of eight weeks. After fermentation, the wine remains on its initial fermentation lees for approximately 60 days. The wine is then racked and inocculated with malo-lactic bacteria. Because of the temperature of the wine, the malo-lactic fermentation takes almost six months. The remaining lees are stirred continually. The wine is chilled to 40F where it rests until bottling.

Tasting notes: A light color is matched by zesty natural acidity which balances the richness and depth this wine has on the finish. Because NO OAK is used in aging, the delicate aromas of pears, lemons and peaches shine through. This wine is the perfect marriage of the best of Chablis and Carneros.

Pinot Noir - 2007, Row 11 Vinas 3, California
$20.00

Row Eleven has a contract with Pinot Noir lovers. They will deliver a luscious red wine, rich in cherry pie aromas with a silky smooth finish, at a great price.

Row Eleven makes three different Pinot Noirs. Vinas 3 is a blend of Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Monterey vineyards. It is about Pinot Noir itself, and less about any particular region or vineyard. Crisper in acid, rich in cherry pie flavors, lower in alcohol. Enjoy New World with a nod to the Old. Vinas 3 makes good on the contract.

Three different appellations, vineyards and clones (Pommard, Dijon and Martini) are blended into one bottle. Though it is crafted for immediate enjoyment, this wine will age for several more years.

Cabernet Sauvignon - 2005, Stratton Lummis, Napa
$28.00

Stratton Lummis Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the very heart of the Napa Valley. It is a blend of Oakville and Rutherford. Because of the price that we sell this wine, we are not allowed to discuss the name of the primary vineyard. The wine has to do its talking for us. Taste it and tell us if you think there is a better Cabernet Sauvignon for the price.

Tasting notes: Both wines share the concentrated perfume of cassis, violets and tobacco complimented by rich French oak. They are full flavored. The 2004 is slightly more elegant, while the 2005 is a little bigger and heavier in tannin.

Pinot Noir - 2007, Russian River Valley
$38.00

The grapes are whole cluster-crushed without stems, to open top stainless steel fermenters. The must is cold soaked for five days. On the fifth day the must is inocculated with two different strains of cultured yeast. The wine is then fermented cold at 65F for 10-14 days with the cap almost continuously submerged. After fermentation has gone completely dry, the wine remains in the tank for a period of another seven days. The wine underwent malo-lactic fermentation for six months and was then aged for 13 months in two to four year old French oak barrels.

Tasting notes: Red cherries, lighter smoke and hints of bacon with all the finesse and elegance expected in Russian River Pinot Noirs. This wine is ready to drink now, or can be enjoyed for many more years.

Pinot Noir - 2006, Santa Maria Valley
$36.00

Our grapes come from four different vineyards. Each vineyard has its own distinct flavors and is fermented separately. All grapes were cold soaked for seven days. Bien Nacido and the majority of Riverbench were fermented whole cluster, no stems in small bins. A portion of Riverbench was submerged cap cold-fermented in an open top stainless steel fermenter. Torres and Sierra Madre were fermented 50% whole cluster with stems in small bins. On the sixth day of cold soaking each vineyard was inoculated with its own yeast strain. The bins fermented at approximately 68F to 85F for 14 to 16 days. The tank fermentation was at 65F. After fermentation the wines were left on their skins another 14 days. Aging was for 16 months in two to three year old French oak barrels.

Tasting notes: Dark cherries mixed with cola, spice and heavy smoke flavors. Enjoyable now, but will be wonderful for the next several years.

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