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2007 Schramsberg Vineyards J. Schram - USA, California, North Coast (3.11.2020)
A blend of Chardonnay (84%) and Pinot Noir (16%), mainly from Napa and Sonoma. 12,8% alcohol, 12 g/l dosage and 9,7 g/l acidity. Tasted blind.
Deep lemon-yellow color. Aromas of yaesty French bread, tart green apples, some lemony citrus tones, a little bit of sourdough bread and a savory hint of smoke. The wine is dry, crisp and wonderfully acid-driven on the palate with flavors of tart green apple, some lemony tones, a little bit of creaminess, light mineral notes of tangy salinity, an autolytic hint of brioche and a sweeter touch of ripe white peach, lifted by the dosage. Good sense of structure, thanks to the racy acidity and rich, silky, medium-long mousse. The finish is crisp and steely with medium-long flavors of tart green apples, some lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of pithy grapefruit, light leesy notes of yeast and a hint of bready autolysis.
A very fresh, precise and serious sparkling wine that shows so much more complexity than your run-of-the-mill California bubbly. However, this wine didn’t come across as complex and impressive as the best Schramsberg sparklers (J. Schram 2000, for example) I’ve tasted, being more similar to a good NV Champagne or a middling vintage Champagne. Very enjoyable, but doesn’t really deliver for the price (94,80€) - you can get more rewarding Champagnes for half the price. (90 pts.)
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2016 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (3.11.2020)
The fruit is sourced from the Gamble Ranch vineyard in Oakville AVA, all lots vinified separately. Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels (60% new). 14,5% alcohol, 5 g/l residual sugar, 5,3 g/l acidity.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. Dull, vaguely tropical notes of pineapple, some earthy tones, a little bit of sawdust and a hint of something musty. The wine is broad, very ripe and quite sweet-toned on the palate with brief, dull flavors of earth. The finish is sweet-toned, rather warm and short.
Mildly corked bottle. The TCA flavors are very subtle and struggle to punch underneath all the oak and tropical flavors. However, the overall feel is muted and somewhat musty, so obviously faulty. NR (flawed)
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2016 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (3.11.2020)
(Tasted in a Beringer 2016-1982 vertical as a replacement bottle after the first one was corked). The fruit is sourced from the Gamble Ranch vineyard in Oakville AVA, all lots vinified separately. Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels (60% new). 14,5% alcohol, 5 g/l residual sugar, 5,3 g/l acidity.
Vibrant yellow-green color. Very primary, nuanced and sweetish nose with lush aromas of creamy oak, ripe pear, floral notes of apple blossom, some savory wood spice, light candied notes of gummi bears, a little bit of spicy red apple, a hint of boozy alcohol and a touch of sawdust. Lots of everything here, yet the overall feel isn’t particularly attractive. The wine is broad, full-bodied and oily - well, fat, really - with lush, sweetish flavors of overripe peach, savory oak spice, some nectarine, a little bit of caramel oak, light candied notes of gummi bear, sweet hints of apple sauce and apricot marmalade and a touch of butter. While the wine is already sweet-toned with the super ripe fruit, there seems to be some sugary sweetness as well, from the residual sugar. The wine is all too inadequate in acidity, making the wine feel very heavy and ponderous, lacking freshness and energy. The finish is ripe, sweet-toned and rather warm with long, lush flavors of peach, apple sauce, some caramel, a little bit of butterscotch, light candied notes of gummi bear, a hint of savory oak spice and a touch of sweet cream.
Ho hum. There’s certainly lots of everything here, on top of the abundance of ripe fruit, but the one thing that is missing out here completely is balance. This is just tons of ripe fruit, some - fortunately not overdone - oak influence and even a touch of residual sugar to boost the fruit. Well, the wine feels just sweet, fat and ponderous. I guess this can feel somewhat drinkable if the wine is served chilled straight from the fridge, but the moment it starts to warm up, it becomes just excessively sweet, fat and flabby. I can imagine people who love big, bold and fruity red wines love this, since this drinks like one, but to me, this has nothing to do with classic, balanced and precise Chardonnays. A rip-off at 51,98€. (77 pts.)
Surprisingly youthful pale green color. Fresh, somewhat spicy and slightly sweet-toned nose with aromas of ripe pear, some quince, light creamy oak tones, a little bit of vanilla, light lactic notes of apple-flavored yogurt, a hint of greengage and a touch of very sweet and borderline overripe apricot. The wine is broad, full-bodied and noticeably ripe on the palate with a somewhat fat overall feel. Voluptuous flavors of sweet nectarine, some oaky notes of vanilla and rich creaminess, a little bit of greengage, light apple jam tones, hints of sweet toasty spices and a touch of banana. The medium acidity doesn’t feel high enough to make the wine fresh, but it somehow keeps the overall feel in balance. The finish is round, very ripe and somewhat warm with lush flavors of apricots, some pineapple, a little bit of creamy oak, light vanilla tones, a sweet hint of Golden Delicious apple and a touch of tropical fruit candy.
Pros: this isn’t a heavily buttery Cali Chard. Cons: almost everything else. Well not exactly, since this isn’t a bad wine per se, just a rather flabby and ponderous crowdpleaser. The fruit department here feels like the grapes were picked two weeks after they should’ve been picked, and the modest, soft acidity only emphasizes this perception. With its soft acidity and almost candied tropical flavors drenched in sweet vanilla oak, this is a very soft, accessible and - for the lack of better word - pleasant Chardonnay, but also one that feels like a winemaker’s wine that bears very little relation to good, balanced and precise Chardonnays that emphasize freshness and sense of place. All varietal qualities and any sense of place are obliterated by the excessive ripeness here. This is a somewhat enjoyable and tasty for what it is, but already one glass of this is starting to taste quite ponderous due to the high alcohol and lack of acidity. The wine is surprisingly youthful for its age and it might actually continue to improve for another decade or so, yet I doubt I’d enjoy this wine even if it gained some tertiary complexity. This just isn’t my kind of wine. (84 pts.)
Quite deep, coppery golden yellow color. At first the nose is very sweet with candied aromas of gummi bears and other fruit jellies, then taking a step to the side, revealing more evolved aromas of caramel, some bruised apple, light browned butter tones, a little bit of pineapple, a (pleasant) hint of cooked vegetables and a touch of hot resin. The wine is evolved, complex and somewhat tertiary on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and layered flavors of savory spices and bruised apple, some floral tones, light tertiary notes of chopped nuts and browned butter, a little bit of dried pineapple, oaky hints of creaminess and sweet, toasted notes and a touch of extracted bitterness, emphasized by the high alcohol. The medium-to-moderately high acidity feels just high enough to keep the wine balanced and somewhat structured - but this might be because the wine has lost some of its baby fat over the years. I can imagine the wine must’ve been noticeably fatter in its youth. The finish is moderately warm, complex and very evolved with layered flavors of savory spices and extracted woody bitterness, some wizened apricot tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light sweet notes of honeyed richness and a hint of beeswax.
A big and developed but not heavy nor blowzy Napa Chardonnay. Quite a bit on the ripe side, but the wine seems to be still quite balanced despite the somewhat modest acidity and quite voluptuous fruit. I guess age has benefited the wine; the fruit hasn’t faded away, but the overall feel is slightly lighter and leaner compared to the younger Beringer Chardonnays, letting the acidity come a bit more to the fore. All in all, a surprisingly nice, enjoyable and harmonious Chardonnay with some age. You would never confuse this style of wine with a white Burgundy, but never mind that - this is a fine effort in its own genre. (90 pts.)
Moderately deep bronze color with a pale, colorless rim. Big, sweet-toned nose with oxidative aromas of syrupy Tawny Port, some chopped walnuts, a little bit of browned butter, light toffee tones, a hint of smoke and a touch of crème à la vanille. The wine is dry, aged and moderately oxidative on the palate with flavors of tart green apples, creamy notes of panna cotta, some nutty notes, a little bit of savory wood spice, light saline mineral tones, a hint of smoke and a touch of browned butter. While showing good complexity, the overall feel is just rather tired, as the oxidation is starting to take over the taste. The body feels only medium, as the wine seems to have thinned out over the years, letting the acidity take the lead, making the overall feel surprisingly precise and structured. The finish is nutty, long and very evolved with tertiary flavors of bruised apple, walnuts, some cooked cream tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, sharp oxidative nuances of rancio and a hint of dull wood spice.
This wine feels like it is just too old for its own good. It’s not dead yet, but long past its prime and quite geriatric at the moment. The overall impression is surprisingly balanced, as the body doesn’t come across as fat as with younger Private Reserve Chardonnays and thus the acidity feels quite high, making the wine enjoyably structured. However, the fruit department is getting slowly overrun by oxidation, making the taste feel somewhat dull and tired. High time to chug down any last remaining bottles. (82 pts.)
Intense, deep golden yellow color with a pale rim. Very evolved, sweet-toned nose with rich aromas of beeswax, some wizened peach, light toasty oak tones, a little bit of candied ginger, hints of chopped walnuts and roasted almonds and a touch of maple syrup. Contrasting the sweet nose, the wine feels very dry, tertiary and moderately oxidative on the palate with a medium body and rather bitter flavors of dry old wood, wizened apples, some beeswax, light bitter notes of burnt sugar, a little bit of chopped nuts, a hint of smoke and touch of charred exotic spices. High in acidity. The finish is dry, thin and quite bitter with old flavors of smoke, savory spices, some roasted nuts, a little bit of browned bottle and a tired hint of wizened yellow fruits.
This wine is already another foot in the grave. The wine still retains a little bit of fruit and complexity, so it has not fallen completely apart, but the overall feel is quite tired and marked by quite oxidative characteristics. It’s not going to take long before the wine can be written off as “oxidized”, so I heartily recommend to drink any remaining bottles. 1996 was the most evolved vintage in our Beringer Chardonnay vertical of 2016-1982, yet this wine wasn’t as oxidized as 1996 Sbragia Chardonnay. (79 pts.)
Quite deep and very evolved amber color. Noticeably aged and rather oxidative nose with aromas of smoke, sharp aldehydic notes of Amontillado Sherry, some burnt sugar, a little bit of green almond, light roasted hazelnut tones, a hint of sorrel and a touch of lemon zest. Getting quite oxidized, apparently. The wine is dry, old and medium-to-moderately full-bodied on the palate with flavors of sharp, nutty rancio, roasted spices, some tangy notes of aldehydic salinity, a little bit of earth, light notes of raw potato and a hint of burnt sugar bitterness. The fruit has faded away, but the obvious ripeness and high alcohol still lend a touch of sweetness to the taste. The acidity feels high, but without any fruit the acidity is sticking out a bit. The finish is short, quite warm and rather dull with old, tertiary flavors of aldehydic salinity, some bruised apple, light bitter notes of burnt sugar and a hint of roasted spices.
Meh. Already getting rather oxidized. The sharp, Sherry-like streak of aldehydic tang combined with the lack of fruit don’t really make the wine feel particularly enjoyable. There’s very little pleasure to be found here anymore. Most likely the wine has been on a decline for more than 10 years now, seeing how very little remains. Based on this wine and almost-as-oxidized Private Reserve Chardonnay, it’s quite safe to say that Beringer didn’t make particularly ageworthy Chardonnays in 1996. Leaving the wine unrated, because it’s already getting undrinkable.
Concentrated, quite deep and surprisingly youthful neon-green color. Intense, sweet-toned and somewhat concentrated nose of orchard flowers and rose petals, peach, some poached pear, light waxy tones, a little bit of exotic spice, a hint of honeyed richness and a touch of crème à la vanille. The wine is broad, quite oily and somewhat warm on the palate with a full body and a taste that is remarkably youthful for a 25-yo Viognier. Vibrant flavors of exotic spices and spicy red apple, sweet notes of wizened apricots, some honeyed tones, a little bit of beeswax, light floral notes of apple blossom and other orchard flowers, a hint of dried golden apple and a touch of browned butter. However, with some air, the wine starts to slowly fall apart and develops some metallic undertones. The moderately high acidity feels quite high for a Viognier, keeping the wine very nicely in balance. The finish is developed, complex and remarkably youthful for the age with lengthy flavors of wizened apples, some floral spice, light nutty notes of chopped almonds, a little bit of buttery richness, an evolved hint of beeswax and a touch of dried apricots.
I had no expectations for a 25-yo Cali Viognier - well, perhaps I expected it to be completely dead, if something - but instead this wine turned out to be the most youthful wine in our Beringer 2016-1982 vertical! The wine is unbelievably youthful for its age, down to its vibrant, neon-green color! You can taste it has some age on it - and the wine actually falls apart relatively quickly, becoming quite dull, lifeless and metallic in an hour or two - but upon opening the wine feels like it has just emerged from a time capsule. Furthermore, the wine certainly shows the oiliness and rich apricot flavors typical of the variety, but at the same time it retains surprisingly bright and fresh streak of acidity that makes the wine feel surprisingly precise and structured for a Viognier. An exceptional Napa white and among the best wines in our tasting. Based on how remarkably good the 1995 wines were, I guess this must’ve been a wonderful vintage for Beringer whites. (93 pts.)
Deep and quite dark golden yellow. Sweetish and very complex nose with bold, layered aromas of honey, canned pineapple, some developed nutty tones, a little bit of browned butter, light honeydew melon tones, a hint of ripe cloudberry and a touch of caramel. Lovely! The wine is ripe, broad and oily on the palate with a full body and complex, somewhat sweet-toned flavors of exotic spices and chopped nuts, some baked apple, a little bit of toasty oak spice and understated nuances of old wood, light mineral notes of cool stones, developed hints of beeswax, browned butter and butterscotch and a touch of overripe nectarine. Lots of everything going on here. The acidity feels moderately high, i.e. not high enough to lend good freshness to such a rich wine, but high enough to keep the wine very nicely in balance. The finish is remarkably long and wonderfully complex with dry yet very ripe aftertaste of chopped nuts, exotic spices and marzipan, some tangy notes of salinity, a little bit of savory old wood, light bitter undertones, a hint of cooked cream and a touch of butterscotch.
A beautiful, complex and wonderfully evolved Napa Chardonnay that is in a terrific shape right now. The wine doesn’t feel young anymore, but neither does it feel as aged as it actually is; had this wine been served blind, I would’ve guessed closer to 15 years! The wine is lush, opulent and quite weighty, but it doesn’t feel heavy nor flabby and both the nose and the taste offer tons of pleasure. This is a hedonistic Chardonnay, but only in the good way. It might be hard to find a suitable pairing for such an overwhelming wine, but seeing how beautifully the wine drinks on its own, I don’t see this as much of a problem. All in all, a very lovely effort. I doubt the wine can continue to improve much or at all from here, but I don’t suspect it will fall apart anytime soon either. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)
Developed, luminous pale bronze color. Developed, waxy and somewhat sweet-toned nose of bruised apples, some wizened apricots, light floral tones, a little bit of toasted nuttiness, a hint of rich creaminess and a touch of vanilla custard. Quite attractive aged Chardonnay aroma. The wine is full-bodied, ripe and rather concentrated on the palate with quite lush flavors of creaminess, spicy red apples, peanut butter, some vanilla, a little bit of canned pineapple, light apricot marmalade tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of butterscotch. Despite the big body and obvious ripeness, the wine is surprisingly high in acidity, lending it good sense of balance and freshness. The finish is ripe, sweet-toned and juicy with flavors of caramel, some waxy tones, a little bit of canned pineapple, a hint of peach marmalade and a touch of vanilla.
A beautiful, harmonious and balanced Napa Chardonnay that is wonderfully vibrant and fully alive despite its 25 years of age. The combination of evolved, tertiary tones, ripe and concentrated fruit and nice backbone of acidity make this one very attractive California white. Tasting this alongside Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 1995, this wine came across slightly more evolved and subtly less complex. Although the wines were very similar to each other, I’d say the Private Reserve 1995 managed to be slightly more impressive - by a very small margin. All in all, this was a great and harmonious effort. (93 pts.)
Luminous coppery-orange color. Aged, tertiary nose with aromas of caramel and beeswax, Tosca pie, some bitter almond oil, a little bit of butterscotch, light fruity notes of orange marmalade and wizened peach, old wine notes of mothballs and antique furniture and a touch of Tawny port. The nose feels somewhat unpleasant at first, showing signs of old bottle stink, but slowly blows the funky notes off and starts to feel enjoyable. The wine is bone-dry, lean and medium-bodied on the palate with a thinned-out feel to it. Very tertiary flavors of cloudberries, savory old wood, some apple peel bitterness, light burnt sugar tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, a hint of quince and a nutty touch of sharp rancio. Surprisingly high in acidity. The finish is tertiary and bone-dry with flavors of burnt sugar bitterness, roasted nuts, some smoke, light green apple tones, a little bit of dry white smoke, a sharp hint of rancio and a funky touch of old furniture.
A very old and quite tertiary yet still somewhat pleasant Napa Chardonnay. The wine is at first rather dull and lean with a somewhat funky streak of bottle stink, but manages to get its game together for a small while. There seems to be a very small drinking window for this wine once the bottle is opened, since it isn’t that pleasant immediately after opening but it also starts to fade away quite quickly. For the moment when the wine has blown its bottle funk yet hasn’t started to fade away, it shows great complexity and freshness with still a smidgen of fruit. This is very old and tertiary, yes, but there’s pleasure to be had, if you happen to be there at the right moment. The score reflects how the wine performs at its best; this is not a great transcendental old Chardonnay, but one that is on its decline already, yet not fully dead. (87 pts.)
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1963 Casa do Douro Porto Vinho Generoso Lágrima Colheita - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3.11.2020)
The label says “Vinho Generoso Lágrima 1963”, i.e. I suppose this is a Colheita Porto made from white grapes. Produced by purchasing 1963 Ports in bulk from numerous shippers and growers and blended together into a single batch of 1,000,000 bottles (although I wonder whether it is possible shippers would’ve held back one million bottles of worth of 1963 white Port?). Bottled in 2004. 19,5% alcohol.
Slightly hazy coppery-mahogany color with a pale golden rim. Rich and moderately evolved nose of syrupy sweetness, some bruised apple, light nutty notes of Tawny Port, a little bit of cooked rose hips, a hint of caramel, a creamy touch of butterscotch and a lifted volatile whiff of nail polish. The wine is full-bodied, moderately warm and wonderfully complex with lush, sweet flavors of maple syrup, some bruised apple, light baking spice notes of cinnamon and clove, a little bit of dried pineapple, a hint of toasty nuttiness and a touch of Sultana raisins. Soft, medium acidity. The finish is very long, quite concentrated and slightly sticky with sweet flavors of syrupy molasses and maple syrup, some Tawny Port nuttiness, light notes of dried dates, a hint of Sultana and a volatile touch of nail polish.
A rich, nuanced and delicious white Colheita. Not a structured powerhouse nor an exceptionally complex Tawny, but instead a very tasty and harmonious effort where nuances prevail over intensity. When I learned this was not a regular Colheita but actually possibly a white Colheita, it made so much more sense, as the wine had quite a bit of emphasis on the “lighter”, more yellow-toned elements in contrast to the somewhat darker-toned flavors more typical of a regular Colheita. Very enjoyable and thoroughly tasty, although a bit on the soft and sticky side - perhaps with a bit more acidity and slightly lower sweetness the wine might’ve come across as even more harmonious. Nevertheless, a lovely effort. (94 pts.)
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2016 VINIV Mysteri - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3.11.2020)
A wine made from Sauvignon Blanc (80%) and Sémillon (20%) from Graves region; vinified in Pauillac, Médoc, making this wine eligible only for an AOC Bordeaux appellation. Aged for 8 months in a neutral barrique of 3rd use and bottled in June 2017. Alc: 13,5%.
Pale and quite neutral whitish-green color. Youthful, lively and zippy nose with nuanced aromas of ripe gooseberries, some peachy fruit, light creamy oak tones, a little bit of white peach, a hint of sappy herbal greenness and a touch of quince. The wine has medium-to-moderately full body with a broad mouthfeel, quite high acidity and rich, creamy texture. Flavors of spicy red apple, leesy creaminess, some fresh nectarine tones, a little bit of ripe gooseberry, light steely mineral tones, a subtly sweet hint of ripe white peach and a touch of creamy oak. The acidity keeps the wine nicely in balance, although the rich mouthfeel seems to soften the freshest edge off the acidity. The finish is long, quite fresh and enjoyably nuanced with flavors of leesy creaminess, some grassy herbal tones, a little bit of white peach, light creamy oak tones, a hint of ripe gooseberry and a touch of stony minerality.
A nice, quite rich and enjoyably balanced Bordeaux Blanc. Three years ago the wine still exhibited some noticeable oaky elements, but they’ve integrated very nicely with the fruit, leaving behind only creamy richness suggesting of barrel aging. Although not as wonderfully electric and nuanced as the 2015 vintage, this is still a pretty lovely effort. The overall style is still quite youthful and I can imagine the wine will continue to improve for many more years. (91 pts.)
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2014 Cantina Terlan Lagrein Riserva Gries - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (3.11.2020)
Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 12 months in a combination of large old oak botti (50%) and barriques (50%) of which 1/3 were new. 13,5% alcohol.
Dense, fully opaque and still very youthful, saturated purple color. Youthful, almost primary nose with slightly reductive aromas of sweet bilberries, some blackcurrant, light meaty notes, a little bit of sappy herbal character, a hint of something inky and a lactic touch of blueberry yogurt. The wine is dry, fresh and crunchy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and intense, juicy flavors of blueberries, sour cherries, some inky tones, a little bit of crunchy crowberry, light sappy herbal tones, a subtly bitter hint of astringent chokeberry and a touch of savory spices. Wonderfully silky yet firm mouthfeel with bright, high acidity and very soft and gentle tannins. The finish is long, dry and subtly grippy with dry flavors of bilberries and crowberries, some sappy herbal spice, a little bit of crunchy blackcurrant, light inky tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a lactic touch of blueberry yogurt.
I served this blind and many people guessed Rhône Syrah, Jura red and Piemontese red blends - all great guesses and also showing what styles of wine this has something in common. I’ve often found the Cantina Terlan Lagrein wines age remarkably slowly and often showing a slightly lactic streak of blueberry yogurt, so I was hoping that aging this wine a little bit longer, I would get at least some developed characteristics. Alas, no. Apparently 4 years of waiting in my cellar wasn’t nearly long enough: the wine is still remarkably youthful and almost primary with its saturated purple color, almost primary fruit aromas and still slightly unintegrated, lactic streak of MLF character. Nevertheless, the style is just wonderful with its bright, crunchy fruit and fresh, high acidity. Apparently these wines need +10 years in a cellar - not to soften any tannins or make the wine unwind, but to just let them break away from their primary-fruited childhood - but they do seem to drink quite wonderfully almost whenever. Terrific value at 19,50€; if you have any bottles left, let them lie in wait. This wine is still miles and miles away from its peak. (90 pts.)
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2017 Birichino Pinot Noir Saint Georges - USA, California, Central Coast (3.11.2020)
A blend of fruit from two vineyards: more dlicate and floral fruit from the Besson Vineyard at the base of Santa Cruz Mountains and more concentrated, darker-toned fruit from a vineyard planted in the 1800s in the Chalone AVA. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, about 2/3 of the fruit was destemmed and the remainder vinified as whole bunches. Fermented in stainless steel and vats, aged in concrete and older oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Translucent, dark ruby red color with a pale, almost colorless rim. Ripe and very attractive nose chock full of Pinosity. Aromas of ripe cranberries, raw meat, some peppery spice, light sweet notes of Maraschino cherries, light floral notes of violets, a hint of ripe pomegranate-driven red fruit and a touch of rose hips. Very lovely, has a slightly Burgundian and slightly Martinborough feel to it. The wine is lively, fresh and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of crunchy cranberries, peppery spice, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of fresh red plums, light sweeter notes of very ripe raspberries, a hint of earth and a tangy touch of salinity. Although the wine is both sweet-toned with the ripeness of the fruit and tart with the high acidity, the overall feel is of remarkably pronounced umami savoriness here. Remarkably high acidity with ripe and textural tannins that gently lend a little bit of bitterness and mellow grip to the mouthfeel. The finish is long, nuanced and very savory with rich yet quite dry flavors of ripe cranberries and tart lingonberries, meaty umami, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of roasted game, light bloody tones, a brambly hint of raspberry and a touch of peppery spice.
A beautiful, vibrant and noticeably savory Pinot Noir with a very pronounced umami component and unmistakable, perfumed Pinosity. Its savory qualities and impressive structure pointed to Burgundy, but the somewhat sweeter, sunnier fruit character took me away from there, making me ultimately guess Martinborough Pinot. I was surprised to learn this was actually a California Pinot, but only up until I saw the label, because I was familiar with the producer and know that Birichino make wonderfully fresh, precise and serious wines. Terrific stuff that is still very youthful, albeit drinking beautifully already now. Definitely a Burgundy lover’s Cali Pinot. Drink or keep. (91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
