This stuff just gets prettier and prettier, and I’m down to my last few bottles from a case I have enjoyed lo these many years. This was Riesling-god Graham’s second Pinot vintage–still in hock like the 2013–and it was $25 bucks. Shortly thereafter he switched to vineyard-designates in a Burg bottle and doubled the price–making the wines in a far more classic SRH style. But here we have serious weingut character. Young, it was vegetal and wiry; today it glows with ripe polish and leathery nuances.

Light amber-garnet, dirty rose in the nose with vestiges of herbal spirit apparent throughout. Intoxicating to smell: all gorgeous patina rubbed down into perfectly-flowing balance and plenty of pure Pinot beauty.

In the mouth, it hits leathery and clean, bruised cherry and pithy floral competing with velvet and wet canvas for a foggy, cool composition. Acid still machinates the core, the spicy spectre of briar and vegetation checking all the boxes one would assume at age 7 on an entry-level Pinot. Raspy fruit glows past-middle, turning worn tannic at finish. An absolute stunner here today and I’m going to stretch the next few bottles out as long as possible.

2014 TATOMER Pinot Noir Santa Barbara Co. California 13.5

www.tatomerwines.com/