2009 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge Vineyard- USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (2/11/2012)
Cracked open and let it sit for an hour of two. Followed a glass or so over a couple of hours. Somber earthy nose with stem-like aromas. Darker and more somber than the Demuth. Fruit is a little muddled and undefined, but there is a spice and a light celery note that I like. More dense, tannic and muscular than the Demuth. In need of some time, but there is a beauty under there somewhere. Crack a Demuth if you want to satisfy an Anthill jones and leave this one alone.
Tim, Sounds like this wine is a bit more subdued now than it was half a year ago. I’ve noticed that this wine has gotten darker and more concentrated with each vintage.
Thanks, Tim. Peter, that is an interesting comment. I’m going to open a 2005 Comptche soon, so that will be one datapoint. I will say this, the first Tina Marie I ever had, the 2006, was very light ruby, almost a rose. It was terrific, but subsequent have all been darker I think.
Lewis, I asked Web last summer and he agreed with this. IIRC they are going for lower yields, but the last 3 vintages in any case did produce darker wines and also wines with more “amplitude”.
3/12: The lovely perfume is spicy and earthy and complex. Big ripe dark-fruited palate, but avoids overt sweetness, no sense of tooty-fruity, and a copious tannic structure, although well padded today by babyfat. I expect this wine to become stern and grumpy for a few years, but very intriguing and enjoyable to taste now. Outstanding with upside potential, and I have greater confidence here than the sweeter '09 Abbey-Harris Vineyard (gasp).
Tasted the 2009 Demuth, 2009 Comptche Ridge and 2009 Tina Marie last night at the In Pursuit of Balance event in SF. Having a chance to ‘check in’ on all 3 of these back to back, I thought the Tina Marie was drinking the best and showing well. The Demuth was definitely worth the peek as well. I’d hold the Comptche back amongst the 3 here. That said, they all showed very nicely.
I’m pretty sure that the Tina Marie poured yesterday was the 2010 (that’s what was printed in the tasting booklet and it’s their current release). The 2009 Comptche was actually my favorite of the three though I agree it deserves more bottle age.
The Comptche Ridge is my favorite of the Anthill Farms pinot portfolio. I’m holding anything younger than the 2006’s (which are drinking very well right now).
The 2009 AHF Comptche Ridge was lovely after an hour to breathe up. Rather disjointed on the initial pour, aeration brought forth balance and harmony. This wine features sappy fruit (but no sense of sweetie pie) and suave minerality. Outstanding.
By contrast, the 2008 edition opened last Sunday was a little too tooty-fruity sweet on the back end, but still an excellent drink. It too needed some air to show its best.
On day 2, the 2009 AHF Comptche Ridge seemed prune-y and over-ripe and not pleasent. OTOH, the 2009 Demuth is killer, lighter, more agile, just better in every way.