Perfect clear med-light garnet with a ruby core. How could you NOT love a Pinot that looks like this in the glass. Big gritty nose, burnt and anised, sweltering smoky savory sweaty boiled-egg umami wrapped around a green column, stemmy, fat cordial cherry dark chocolate peeking through in all the right places, not a trace of root-beer and the only obesity would be in sumptuous spice clear down at the bottom, puddled on petrichor from summer thunderstorm dust.
I *believe* this might just be my favorite bottling from Presqu’ile Vineyard. Well, until I taste the next one, that is. Pinot is so funny. Heavily incestuous pinot vineyards are even better. Sure, a half-dozen people make a To-Kalon or an Oakville Station, but how many people make a Bien Nacido? A Garys’? A Charles? Go ahead, name a Pinot vineyard 30 people bottle. This blog isn’t about the wine-story, but I told you these people make this stuff in their apartment in L.A., right? And it’s INCREDIBLE PINOT.
In the mouth, tannin attacks almost before fruit, but fruit resides in unctuous gobs of wood-nymphs slithering down your throat, cloaked in bright starched collars of linen, casting cherry in all directions while grating sandpaper against the walls, abrading and agitating the still-green jute-mat structure until it falls seamlessly into place in the tannic finish, forever and ever with the rich-fruit/dense fade. This is one to find, folks.
2014 SWEETZER CELLARS Pinot Noir Presqu’ile Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Santa Barbara County 13.5
Stephen McConnell 