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The Wine Spectator
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The Magnificent 30 Vision Cellars Edward Lee McDonald, known as Mac, traces his thoughts about winemaking back to his rural Texas roots and a sip of red Burgundy. The proud son of a moonshiner, Mac founded Vision Cellars, with his wife, Lil, in 1997, after spending 35 years working for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. McDonald's Pinot portfolio keeps growing, and the wines keep getting better. Early efforts aimed for higher acidity, but of late the wines are richer and fleshier. Despite that shift, they remain medium-bodied in color and weight, giving them a measure of delicacy and finesse. All of the Pinots are exceptionally well-made, fragrant and complex. McDonald has a fondness for his Chileno Valley Vineyard in Marin County, the wine from which features an austere style. I prefer the richer 2004 Garys' Vineyard, from Santa Lucia Highlands, and the Cole Ranch Pinot, from Mendocino, along with McDonald's 2004 Sonoma County bottling, which reflects his skill at tasting and blending. McDonald and Lil recently purchased their first vineyard, in the Russian River Valley. The success of Vision Cellars is a measure of McDonald's fascination with Pinot Noir, the good fortune of securing top vineyards and his dedication to keep improving. "Every year I learn something different," says McDonald, who each year also seems to find another Pinot vineyard to his liking. It's a vision thing. Selected Releases Score Wine Price Cases copyright 2006, www.winespectator.com |