Joe Webb, see you at Falltacular in a couple of days.
2010 Foursight Pinot Noir Zero Charles Vineyard- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (2/16/2017)
As I’m working my way through a 6 bottle vertical of Foursight Pinot and tonight we hit on this “zero”, intriguing. It’s zero as in no new oak, okay I’m ready. Historically I’ve struggled with differentiating between stem and oak influences in Pinot. Good test here.
Medium depth of color, 50% opaque. Nose is red berries. Palate is terrific, raspberry and tart red currant with a large dose of spicy red pepper. Mild earth tones. Excellent. So that spice isn’t from oak? Where then, stem inclusion? Very lively.
Brig nice to meet you at Falltacular. I am glad you liked the wine and hope you got to try the '14’s on Saturday. The '14’s were just released (Usually in May) so there young but a vintage were very happy with the vintage. The '14’s were 50% whole cluster.
The 2010 was 30% whole cluster inclusion and I think some of the stem tannin/flavor is exactly what your picking up on and that can mimic some characters that new oak adds. That vintage the wines were on the skins and stems for nearly 4 weeks to gain as much complexity as the grapes had to offer.
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