$150/bottle under the original label
Sourced from the same producer as Lot 328 SoCo Chardonnay I am, again, prevented from mentioning much about this wines provenance. What I can tell you is that this Pinot Noir is sourced from an estate vineyard in Fort Ross/Seaview AVA (we are prevented from using Fort Ross/Seaview AVA on the label, hence the Sonoma Coast appellation) and retails under its original bottling for around $150/bottle. The vineyard sits at around 1200-1500-feet of elevation and the wine is raised in 50% new French oak.
The result is a powerfully structured Pinot Noir that will require a few more years in the bottle to crack open. The bottled wine has garnered 94-, 95- and 96-point scores from Vinous, The Wine Advocate, and The Wine Spectator (not necessarily in that order).
Why do they have two barrels of 2019 sitting around? It's simple: there are a lot of mid-90's scoring, $60-80 luxury Pinot Noir's on the market and even the $150 blue chips have to trim their sails on occasion.
Deep garnet in the glass with shades of ruby - dark for a Pinot Noir from this area. The bouquet features a full array of ripe red and black fruits, from strawberry and cherry kirsch to blackberry tart wrapped in chocolatey oak. As things open up toasty rose petals, forest floor and caramel notes complex the bouquet. Rich and fleshy on the palate, seamless with taught acidity and plenty of plush tannins to carry all the fruit richness and depth. Finishes long and lingering with chocolatey fruit and a spicy top note.
Overall, this is spectacular, muscular, dense Pinot Noir. It shows well now and is nicely delineated already, yet the taught acidity and powerful structure surely indicate great things to come.
100% Pinot Noir, 100% Estate fruit
50% new French oak - top artisan cooperage
15.2% alc.
40-50 cases
