Kinda unsung, tiny production member of the whole extreme north SLO Coast wine-producing region, with pinots and rieslings stellar of quality and not super-expensive. Their Riven Rock estate vineyards make beautiful wines, and the rieslings age gloriously. The true dorks know a visit to Paso Robles is not complete without visiting these Cambrian wines. Dark clear purple in the glass, a nose pulling slightly alcoholic nuances across lavish deep berry and the kind of funk only cold-climate Pinot can express. As opposed to some Derbyshire or San Simeon Creek versions, this one feel modern and ripe throughout, clean of bouquet; shy, even: black cherry in small numbers alongside vegetal angst.
In the mouth, a likewise clean palate-attack: gobs of steely focus and acidic wonder in a body feeling too youthful to fully appreciate. The dryness approaches near-bitter as nubian wonders feel shuttered in fresh-release depth. But the glory is *there*, buried in pure pinot splendor, though brittle in areas across middle and finish. The gasping shrillness feels a bit unbalanced, and some areas grasp at off-flavors, but my experience with these wines show a historic level of greatness–long-term. A beautiful pinot, though not going to capture the belle-glos crowd, or even SRH or SLH lush-fests.
2019 CUTRUZZOLA VINEYARDS ‘Gloria’ Pinot Noir SLO Coast San Luis Obispo Co. 14.3
Stephen McConnell 