The winery says:
A near-perfect growing season kicked off with consistent winter rains followed by cool spring weather. Bud break arrived late with a smaller fruit set mostly due to significant rain during bloom in May for a slightly below average crop yield. A slow and steady summer growing season with no heat spikes and little rain during harvest set the stage for ideal maturity and balance. In this vintage we were able to achieve full phenolic flavor development along with ideal ripeness, making for an exceptional vintage. As always, we harvested in the early morning hours during the coolest part of the day to preserve flavor and balance. Grapes were hand-sorted and gently de-stemmed, then tank fermented and barrel-aged for 11 months in neutral French oak barrels, with a small portion in new barrels from select coopers.
TASTING NOTES Intense aromas of sour cherry, raspberry, and fresh crushed red rose petal burst from the glass, complemented by fresh pine forest floor. Medium-body on the palate and structured with youthful tannins, this mouthwatering, fruit-forward Pinot Noir, weaves together bright flavors of cherry, raspberry coulis, and boysenberry with a lively floral and white pepper finish.
I tasted this beside the 2021 Sangiacomo Pinot at $65 and the $80 5 Clones – and maybe it was the somewhat less oaky and more pure fruit profile here, but I slightly preferred this one.
