Interesting comparison of two nice California Pinots tasted side-by-side:
2022 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir Fort Ross Winery, Sonoma Coast - moderately light garnet color. Pretty aromas feature red cherry and a nice hint of minerals. The palate is light and lively, with a faint herbal touch complementing the cherry and now strawberry fruit. Everything about this is light on its feet and deft. Pretty, not profound, ready to drink, not the most intricate wine out there but distinctive and very easy to drink. Rated 89.
2022 Angles Pinot Noir Congress Springs Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains - Deeper color but not all that dark. The aromas are more powerful, more black fruit than red, cherries and blueberry, along with something pleasingly earthy. The palate is richer than the previous, but no more than medium in body. While not a ‘big’ wine, there are layers to the texture and a longer finish. Nicely round, there is still good refreshing lift to remind you that this is a mountain wine. Rated 90.5, a point or two of improvement possible over the next few years.
We had this with duck and 4 of 5 tasters preferred the Angles… if it had been salmon on the table that could have been different!
