We had this wine a few nights ago at Pullman Kitchen in Santa Rosa with a perfectly prepared roast chicken with spinach parmesan pancakes. Yum, make that two yums as the Ceritas was really open for business that night. I always decant Ceritas wines (white and red) as they are often wound pretty tight. This was PnP at the restaurant.
Very aromatic nose of cherries, raspberries, earth and black tea. Flavors of black fruit, black cherry, black raspberry, herbs (stems?) some cinnamon spice with a backbone of refreshing acidity and ripe tannin. Delicious and perfect with the chicken dish. The 2014 Costalina is bigger boned than most Ceritas pinots but is in no way ponderous or flabby. The acid balances the fruit perfectly.
This wine will improve with more time, it was excellent from when it was opened and got even better over the next couple hours. The Costalina pinot is often a nice contrast to the brooding single vineyard Ceritas Pinot Noirs and the 2014 is a good example.
As good as John is with his Chardonnay program (and they are excellent), I feel his Pinot Noirs are every bit as good.
Tom