2018 Lorna-Marie Pinot Noir
At Patton Valley we have a tendency to shy away from boastful comments about ourselves and hoisting ourselves up with farflung accolades, preferring to let the wines speak for themselves. That said, this is a special wine, with all of the hallmarks of something that will be remembered with fond wistfulness by those that drink it young, and reverence by those that save it. This is one of our very best and, as such, it gets the name Lorna-Marie. Let’s shout about it for once.
The Lorna-Marie Pinot Noir bottling represents the very best and most complex barrels of any given vintage at our Estate. Named for the mothers of two of our owners, the Lorna-Marie is an annual tribute to their beauty, grace, perseverance, strength, and magic.
We farm our site organically to allow the fruit produced here to thrive without having to choke on chemicals. It is a hands-on approach to farming that keeps us very busy amongst the vines. In the winery we are hands-off, fermenting under native yeasts, and bottling without filtering or fining. This approach gives our site, our fruit, and our resultant wines the singular spotlight.
This is a fantastic wine. There, we got that out of the way; you may skip to the end if you like. In many ways it is both unlike, and exactly like many other Lorna Marie vintages, which is probably what makes this such a perennially compelling wine. 2018 was a vintage that is difficult to exactly get a handle on. It was perfect until it wasn’t, but only near the end, but then that very odd end provided a kind of extended denouement to the growing season that is going to make this a wine that will last, develop slowly, and reward the patient - or the forgetful. It is like many other vintages in that it is, of course, from the best bits of our vineyard, and handled in such a way that the wine is both reserved yet showy, both gentle and firm, and both brainy and desirable. Just enough oak, for example, to suggest spices without reminding you of that first step into a candle store during the holidays. Lorna Marie always hints at her beauty rather than shouts about it, and the 2018 is no different.
The nose has floral elements like geranium and rose, spices like nutmeg, mace, and clove, with vanilla bean and candied mushrooms, but a deep, underlying thread of cherry, raspberry, and a swirl of whipped cream on those fruits in a pie. Broad, but soft, inviting tannin welcomes the palate first, with black and purple fruits quickly coating and soothing. The fruit opens to a textural tension that is exciting, and the notes from spice, earth, and bakery kind of pepper the event with histrionic shouts and huzzahs, causing you to grasp around for what you were thinking about. A second sip reveals more of the same, and more depth, too, with the whole thing weaving itself into a frustratingly delicious experience for those dead set on deconstructing the wine. For those of you more inclined to have a good sit in your favorite chair, pop off your hush puppies, pour a big glass, and take it all in, this wine will provide you with occasion after occasion of beguiling repose for an easy 7-15 years.
