I opened this tonight under circumstances where I was fully prepared to just barely tolerate it, as my previous Bevan pinot, another vineyard, same release letter, was not my style at all.
It came out sort of the wrong color, thought I smugly, a little too dark and brownish in a way that represents great Zinfandel but overripe pinot. First sip, yeah, it seems a little large and I bet the oak and alcohol and roastedness and lack of complexity because of overripeness will soon emerge…
Nope. An excellent, huge, quite fresh wine. Gets pretty addicting to tell the truth.
So I opened yet another newly arrived 2012 Rhys Family Farm for comparison, and the Bevan was the clearer and fresher of the two, the loaminess and the Rhysness (stems? I dunno) of the Family Farm making it seem muddier next to the Bevan.
None of this is to diss the Rhys, I still love that wine, but the Bevan shines with rich clear purity. Especially in comparison to the other Bevan pinot. Huh!!!
I was at total the other day and spied this bottle, unfortunately it was $70+ dollars and my own pre conceived notion was that I have never had a great Pinot from a Napa Cab producer.
Curious to try it, but about $20 more than I want to spend…
George - thanks for sharing! I really like Russell’s wines though I have had a few push too far for may palate. But when he hits it right, for me, there aren’t a lot out there I enjoy more. And in my experience they have generally aged gracefully
Also, my notions going into a bottle I have limited experience with are so often wrong that it doesn’t even merit a mention
So Jeff, I know you were probably making a joke, but are you telling me that you don’t hesitate at the $70 level with the little voice inside your head that says… ‘think about this a little more on a $70 flyer’…
Especially when it’s 15% alcohol in PInot?
Then try this one —> 2013 Ancillary Cellars Pinot Noir Sun Chase
Same vineyard, Napa Cab producer, $20 less.
Or this one → 2013 Fogline Vineyards Pinot Noir Sun Chase, $28 less.
Thank you for the note, I love making pinot. Three of the 2013’s have captivated my heart.
Brian,
Sunchase is an odd duck. The farming is fabulous, the soil is amazing, but there are challenges. I struggle with many of the vineyard designated wines from Sunchase. That said I have not had Ancillary or Fogline.
