2006 Gundlach-Bundschu Winery Estate Pinot Noir
Mission Codename: The Old New Perfection
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Wine Spies favorite, Gundlach Bundschu, to raid the secret stash of their Library 2006 Pinot Noir. Procure all remaining cases for our GunBun-loving Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Gundlach-Bundschu
Wine Subject: 2006 Estate Pinot Noir
Winemaker: Jeff Bundschu
Backgrounder: It is no secret that The Wine Spies love Gundlach Bundschu wines. This unique Sonoma Valley winery recently celebrated it’s 150th anniversary, making it one of the oldest and most well-respected wineries in the state. We love them for their people and for their wines, both of which are a delightful mixture of old-world and audacious.
Today’s wine is a superior example of Pinot Noir, delivering bold yet balanced character, great flavors and a beautiful mouth feel.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Ruby red with perfect clarity through its heart. This wine shows off perfectly concentrated color, right out to it’s glinting ruby edges. It shows a soft, tight surface that, when swirled, settles quickly, leaving behind skinny legs that take a moment to appear before they march steadily down the glass
Smell – Big, bright red cherry, with lush raspberry, young blackberry, fresh earthen spice, subtle espresso, a hint of oak and flinty gunpowder
Feel – Round and tender at first sip, then ultra-plush tannins gradually show up, adding a gentle grippiness as it coats the mouth – drying the tongue, cheeks and the top of the palate
Taste – Rich, complex and balanced, with delicious Bing cherry, red plum, young strawberry and soft herbs, with mild hints of leather, earth, gunpowder and soft flint
Finish – Mouthwatering and flavor-filled, with plush fruit, soft spice with highlights of white pepper that all lead to a soft dryness that encourages you to take another big mouth-full
Conclusion – We had the great pleasure to feature GunBun’s fantastic 2005 Pinot Noir last year. Today’s wine, their 2006, is a remarkable wine that seems to improve upon the previous vintage. This wine invites experimentation, tempting you to take small sips and large gulps for a deliciously varied experience with the wine. With a softness that makes the wine lush and pleasurable on the palate, the wine is so lovely in the mouth. Flavors and aromatics are in harmony, offering your senses a delightfully well-rounded and deeply delicious drinking experience. This wine gets a BIG wine Spies recommendation today!
Mission Report:
When we first infiltrated the Gundlach-Bundschu Winery in 2008, we came to recognize the passion that is apparent in each sip of their wonderful wines. Today, Gundlach-Bundschu is a Wine Spies favorite.
Below, you will find a recap of my first mission to Gundlach-Bundschu. First, however, I would like to provide you with an update on recent happenings at the Gundlach-Bundschu Winery.
Agent Green, our newest Wine Spies agent, heads up environmental initiatives for The Wine Spies. Green is keeps our operation in balance with the environment, and is always on the lookout for wineries that are employ or promote sustainable and renewable practices.
One of the wineries that caught Agent Green’s attention of late was, you guessed it, Gundlach-Bundschu. News of the planning and installation of an innovative new floating solar array was leaked to him by one of our moles at the winery, and Green even managed to intercept the following press release:
GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU INSTALLS FLOATOVOLTAIC™ SOLAR ARRAY
California’s oldest family-owned winery becomes first in Sonoma with floating solar-energy system
SONOMA, Calif. (December 2, 2008) – Gundlach Bundschu Winery capped off its 150th anniversary this year by installing two solar arrays on its Sonoma estate, including the first Floatovoltaic™ installation in Sonoma County, which was completed today.
Designed by Thompson Technology Industries (TTI) and installed by SPG Solar, Inc. of Novato, Calif., the 30-kilowatt Floatovoltaic system provides 100 percent of the power used by the winery’s water reclamation system. (A series of ponds and man-made wetlands filters all the winery waste water, ultimately recycling 70 percent for use in the vineyard.) This array consists of 162 Sharp solar panels on pontoons that float on one of the ponds, generating enough power to fully power the pumps, monitors and other electrical needs of the entire water reclamation system. Energy costs for water reclamation previously ran around $650 per month, but are now expected to range between $0 and $200 a year.
The second solar array at Gundlach Bundschu, which went live on November 20, 2008, is an 80-kilowatt ground-mounted system that provides 60 percent of the winery’s energy needs. Comprised of 450 Kyocera panels, it is expected to save the winery $15,000 annually. Evidence of its commitment to sustainability, Gundlach Bundschu pulled out 1.3 acres of five-year-old Dijon 667 pinot noir vines in July – an annual equivalent to $70,000 dollars’ worth of bottled Gundlach Bundschu wines – to install the system.
Sixth-generation vintner and Gundlach Bundschu President Jeff Bundschu is happy with this progress and will continue to actively look at every aspect of his business to promote conservation and eco-system health while producing the highest-quality wines.
“In addition to our existing practices in the vineyard and winery, including eliminating pesticides, using biodiesel, recycling water, reducing packaging and using recycled materials, the solar program is another important step in my family’s goal to become carbon neutral,” Bundschu said.
The winery plans to eventually receive 100 percent of its energy needs from solar, according to Bundschu.
Celebrating its Sesquicentennial in 2008, Gundlach Bundschu is the oldest family-owned winery in California, currently run by the sixth generation of the Bundschu family. The 320-acre estate vineyard was christened Rhinefarm in 1858 by Jacob Gundlach, who started the winery with son-in-law Charles Bundschu. This remarkable site at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain Range is located literally at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley appellations. Gundlach Bundschu is open for tasting from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
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Sixth-generation vintner and president Jeff Bundschu is continually, actively looking at every aspect of his business to promote conservation and eco-system health while producing the highest quality wines. “In addition to our existing practices in the vineyard and winery—eliminating pesticides, using biodiesel, recycling water, reducing packaging and using recycled materials—the solar program is another important step in our family’s goal to eventually become carbon neutral.”
Agent Green says, “Jeff Bundschu, you are my hero!”
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Gundlach Bundschu Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.
