Best ever Dave Phinney wine for Decanter (tied with the $125 PLG Reserve Pinot), at 96 points:
Welcome to Cherrytown — dark cherry, cherry pit, cherry wood spice, and candied cherry dusted with cinnamon, infused with clove, and laced with candied rose petals. Toasted cedarwood adds depth to the medium-bodied palate, which is framed by velvety tannins and a long, stony, mineral finish. This Pinot is remarkably consistent with the 2022 vintage I reviewed, showcasing Dave Phinney’s characteristically opulent style. It delivers both the hedonism of Phinney’s hallmark ripeness and the freshness that defines the region’s naturally high acidity.
The Wine Enthusiast rates this Phinney’s single best wine ever, saying:
This is a bold yet intriguing complex bottling from a vineyard on the western edge of this cool appellation. Aromas of juicy cherry, pepper and rose petal balm make for an exciting nose. Firm tannins grip the palate, where enticing wild strawberry, eucalyptus leaf and peppercorn flavors manage to stay light on their feet.
And Vinous agrees, rating this Phinney’s best Pinot (or wine) ever at 95 points:
The 2023 Pinot Noir Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard has a very focused presence and speaks clearly of place. Black tea, incense, black cherry, crushed rocks and cola tones build in layers of plush yet measured fruit. Deep mineral tension emerges from the thick grape skins that develop in this marginal, wind-battered site. The 2023 is a broad-shouldered, concentrated, structural wine that expands in every dimension across the palate, wrapping up with a classically built, upright finish. Iodine and marine notes surface on the close.
Phinney says:
An endearing pour of a brooding crimson core with flashes of vermilion and neon pink as the glass swirls. Aromatics spill in double time with notes of muddled strawberry, “Pinot crunch”, cranberry, pomegranate, orange peel, and the coastal hills of lavender and sagebrush surrounding our vineyard. Without missing a beat, the palate flaunts rich and concentrated flavors of black cherry, ripe strawberry, fennel and a kiss of Maldon salt, kept in check by the layers of acid that dominate wines from the region. A multitude of sensations culminates with mild tannins and an energized finish that seems to perpetually exist.
Along with his hard-to-find L’Usine Annapolis Ridge Pinot Noir at $140 (more on that one later), this is Phinney’s supreme Pinot Noir achievement so far.
