About

For nearly three decades we've had the opportunity to roam Carneros, seeking the best Pinot Noir vineyards for our various bottlings. In the last twenty years these have included numerous small non-commercial amounts of select individual vineyard wines for our wine library. We watch how these wines age and how the expression of terroir is nuanced by the specifics of each growing season. We liked the results so we decided to go public with our venture into showcasing the outstanding plantings of the Carneros appellation.

Ira and Shirley Lee first planted their vineyard on Los Carneros Avenue in 1969 following closely the other modern viticultural pioneers of Carneros. Louis Martini got things rolling by planting Pinot Noir at Stanly Ranch in the ’50s, and Andre Tchelitscheff followed suit with 80 acres of Pinot at BV-5 in 1962. A year later the “larger-than-life” Rene di Rosa established Winery Lake Vineyard and brought his promotional talents to proving the quality of Carneros as pinot country. Rene and Ira Lee worked closely together to make the pristine rolling hills safe for future vineyard development by creating Keep Carneros Green to fend off unwanted suburban sprawl. Now with many of Carneros’ gently rolling hills carpeted with Pinot Noir vines the quality and character of Lee Vineyard still stands out after more than thirty-five years.

Saintsbury has made Pinot Noir from Lee Vineyard since the 1982 vintage and the vineyard continues to be one of our most important suppliers of great pinot. With this long experience we felt it was the perfect time to present Lee Pinot Noir on its own: one special vineyard, one spectacular terroir.

The 2008 Saintsbury Lee Vineyard Pinot Noir has brooding aromas of ripe plums, spice box, tobacco, rose hips and hawthorn. Chocolate-laced briary black fruit flavors are supported by fine tannins and lively acidity. Lee has a wonderfully intriguing array of complex flavors that will evolve nicely for years to come.

Reviews

92 pts. Vintage: 2009
Wine Spectator August 31, 2011

Tight, trim and spicy, with aromas of soy, wild berry, black cherry, mineral and cedar. Young and closed, but all the right things are in place, fanning out nicely on the finish, where this gets more detailed. Drink now through 2018.

89 pts. Vintage: 2007
Burghound.com 4th Quarter, 2009

From Carneros fruit bottled at 14.5%. A ripe and fresh nose of crushed herb, cranberry and ripe raspberry merges into rich, round and delicious middle weight flavors that possess a supple and solidly complex finish. There is an appealing sense of energy and I like the balance.

93 pts. Vintage: 2007
Wine Spectator Insider June 3, 2009

Shows wonderful richness, density, depth and concentration, with pure, ripe, sharply focused wild berry, blackberry and black cherry fruit that has great structure. Best from 2010 through 2016.

88 pts. Vintage: 2006
Burghound.com October, 2008

Intense ruby. An expressive and equally intense nose offers up dark red pinot fruit and subtle spice and vegetal notes that merge seamlessly into round, rich and pure flavors that possess good detail though the finish is youthfully austere at present and will need a few years to round out.

90 pts. Vintage: 2004
Wine Enthusiast Magazine October 2006

87 pts. Vintage: 2004
International Wine Cellar May/June, 2006

Good bright dark red. Cherry, rhubarb and a floral note on the nose. Juicy but dry, with moderately ripe cherry, spice and menthol flavors. Finishes firmly tannic, with a suggestion of greenness.