Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard 2020

Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard 2020 is a full-bodied, 100% Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley, California, bottled at 14.8% ABV in a standard 750ml format. This vintage earned 92 points from both Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator, confirming its place among the top single-vineyard California Pinot Noirs in its price tier. What truly distinguishes the Clark & Telephone bottling is its source material: 52-year-old own-rooted vines of the rare Martini clone, an heirloom Pinot Noir selection considered one of the first to grace California's coastlands and now something of a lost treasure in the state's viticultural history.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.8%  |  Origin: Santa Maria Valley, California  |  Vintage: 2020  |  Producer: Belle Glos (Copper Cane Wines & Spirits / Joe Wagner)

Production & Heritage

Belle Glos is the Pinot Noir-focused label from winemaker Joe Wagner, operating under the Copper Cane Wines and Spirits umbrella. The Clark & Telephone Vineyard sits in Santa Maria Valley, one of California's coolest and most fog-influenced growing regions, where the old-vine Martini clone plantings benefit from a long, slow ripening season. Production begins with a 14-day cold soak to maximize color and flavor extraction before fermentation proceeds in a combination of open-top and closed-top stainless steel tanks. The wine then ages in French oak barrels, which lend structure and subtle spice without masking the vineyard's character. Among Belle Glos's vineyard-designate lineup — which includes Las Alturas and Dairyman — Clark & Telephone stands apart for its concentration and the genetic rarity of its vine stock.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Deep ruby red in the glass with scarlet highlights. The nose opens with thick, bountiful aromas of red cherry, raspberry jam, and cranberry, layered with clove, cedar, mace, and holiday baking spices. Milk chocolate emerges as the wine opens further.

Taste: The entry is viscous and powerful, immediately coating the palate with baked strawberry, ripe cherry, and blueberry pie flavors. At mid-palate, kirsch and allspice notes take hold alongside nutmeg and licorice, supported by luscious acidity and medium-grained tannins. The texture is rich and lively throughout, giving the wine a sense of weight unusual for Pinot Noir.

Finish: Warm and structured, with lingering chocolate mousse notes and crushed dark fruit that persist well after the sip. The tannins resolve smoothly, leaving a spiced, slightly savory impression that invites another glass.

How to Drink Clark & Telephone

Serving this wine slightly below room temperature — around 60–64°F — allows its layered aromatics to shine without letting the alcohol dominate. It drinks beautifully on its own, but a few minutes of decanting helps the complex spice notes unfurl.

• Pinot Noir Sangria: The wine's bold fruit and baking-spice character stand up to citrus and brandy without losing their identity.
• Red Wine Spritz: A splash of sparkling water and an orange twist play off the kirsch and allspice, making a refreshing warm-weather serve.
• Mulled Wine: The inherent clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon-adjacent notes mean this bottle needs less doctoring than most when heated with traditional mulling spices.

Best For

• Gifting a Pinot Noir enthusiast who appreciates California's richer, bolder style
• Holiday dinners where the wine's baking-spice profile complements seasonal dishes
• Introducing friends to single-vineyard wines without stepping into ultra-premium pricing
• Building a vertical collection of Belle Glos Clark & Telephone vintages

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Clark & Telephone taste like? It is a bold, fruit-forward Pinot Noir dominated by ripe cherry, raspberry, and baked strawberry flavors, with prominent baking spice, licorice, and chocolate mousse undertones. The palate is viscous and full-bodied with lively acidity and medium-grained tannins.

How does Clark & Telephone compare to Meiomi Pinot Noir? Both brands share a Wagner family lineage — Joe Wagner created Meiomi before it was sold to Constellation Brands — and both favor a richer, fruit-driven style of Pinot Noir. Clark & Telephone is a single-vineyard wine from old-vine Martini clone plantings in Santa Maria Valley, giving it more concentration and complexity than Meiomi's multi-appellation blend.

Is Clark & Telephone good for sipping neat? Absolutely — its layered aromatics, rich texture, and structured finish make it a rewarding pour on its own, especially with a brief decant to open up the spice and chocolate notes.

Where is Clark & Telephone made? The grapes are grown in the Clark & Telephone Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, a cool-climate AVA on California's Central Coast. The wine is produced by Belle Glos under the Copper Cane Wines and Spirits portfolio, led by winemaker Joe Wagner.

What foods pair well with Clark & Telephone? Roasted duck breast works well with the wine's cherry and allspice profile. Mushroom risotto complements its earthy undertones. Herb-crusted lamb plays off the clove and cedar notes. Aged Gruyère echoes its richness without competing. Dark chocolate desserts mirror the chocolate mousse character on the finish.

What sizes does Clark & Telephone come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format for this vineyard-designate wine.

Is Clark & Telephone worth the price? It positions as a premium single-vineyard Pinot Noir, sitting above everyday California Pinot Noirs but below cult-level producers. Dual 92-point scores from Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator, combined with old-vine fruit from a rare clone, provide strong value within its tier.

Why Clark & Telephone?

The 52-year-old own-rooted Martini clone vines at the heart of this wine are genuinely uncommon — most California Pinot Noir vineyards were replanted after phylloxera on grafted rootstock, making this old-vine planting a living piece of the state's winemaking heritage. The 2020 vintage's dual 92-point scores from two of the industry's most recognized publications validate what the vineyard's terroir and age deliver in the glass. Among widely available California Pinot Noirs, few combine this level of concentration, spice complexity, and single-vineyard provenance at a comparable price point. For drinkers who find lighter Burgundian-style Pinots too restrained, Clark & Telephone represents the bold, generous end of the spectrum with genuine substance behind the style.