This *might* be the first Terlinden Pinot–that wasn’t Summerland–I’ve had on here. I’m in love with his Cordon Syrahs and have enjoyed them over many vintages. I think they are some of the purest examples of true Syrah character in Santa Barbara. And those in the back rows know my feelings about quality, super-expressive Pinot and Syrah winemaking going hand-in-hand. Perfect clear garnet, a nose dull and complicated, brightened by astringency and base nuances we all crave. Dirty-baby-diaper and soggy leaf-rakings chime in with tinny berry to provide a wine not super-expressive on first glance: the dullness is in the details. I also don’t recall drinking one of his wines this young.
The taste tells a story of absolute 1% wine. Nowhere are cloying concentrations from macerations requiring calendar check-marks. Nowhere is the sweetness and explosive, reductive power or oak prominence required of 99% offerings to be successful marketing. Everything is laid down in thin, grasping layers prone to careful dissection. Warm and flat on entry, the concentration defies the color while more steely mineral clamors around the edges. Semi-lush cherry is hidden behind gobs of vegetal and briar, acid etching crevices throughout with bright berry coming in second. Bitter and swollen in finish, copious tannin evicerating all delusions of ripeness the un-washed might have. Final fruit descends onto the palate in grand fashion, making another selective sip mandatory.
2019 CORDON ‘Les Jumeaux’ Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Santa Barbara Co.14.1
Stephen McConnell 