Shocked to find 2017 on a list, as it’s one of their cheapest Pinots. The price is NOT why I choose it–basically every time I go there. Number one: it is a favorite of mine for 30 years, and two, it’s the closest place from where I live to buy it. This would be–of course–Nepenthe’s stunning Pinot list in Big Sur.
Rosy-ripe and showing its age, the nose still reflecting some of that AV angst and brashness, but a little latex and graphite working through the early leathery pages of tertiary. A slight menthol burns through the chubby cherry, which is literally the LAST thing you notice after all the texture in the bouquet.
In the mouth, the youthfulness of classic AV has dissipated considerably, leaving mellow, distinct berry and smoooooth velvet to enjoy. It’s bright. It’s cheery. It’s also gruntingly grungy and piquantly spicy. One of the quintessential BANG-FOR-THE-BUCK wines produced in California. There is NO WAY a pinot lover–even an international one–can NOT love this wine. And I have a 30-year, absolute 100% PERFECT batting record on those introductions.
This wine is distributed very uniquely in California and beyond: though decent production, they don’t, just, sell their wine to *anyone*. There’s a couple places in SF to get it, a couple in Sac, and as you get closer to Mendo, it becomes easier to find, culminating on EVERY winelist in Mendocino, Ft. Bragg, Eureka, Hopland and most of Sonoma Coast. If you can’t find it, best bet is subscribe to their wonderful newsletter (the ONLY wine newsletter I receive–think about that for a minute) and order it. Oh, and get the Gewurztraminer. Oh, and get the Cab. Oh, and get the Edzelwicker. Fuck it, just get everything.
2017 NAVARRO VINEYARDS ‘Methode a l’Ancienne’ Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Mendocino 13.3
Stephen McConnell 