2018 West Block Pinot Noir

The predominant south to southwestern exposure and steep slope of this most western block at the Estate is defined by its exposure to the afternoon sun and warmer temperatures. This special wine illustrates the impact of aspect on Pinot Noir, resulting in wines with structure, depth and power.

This West Block has all of the hallmarks of our west-facing blocks in a sunny but not completely hot year, punctuated by spice, moderately firm structure, and an angular finish that seems to beg the question, “Just how long will this last?” Because it seems like maybe forever. The nose jumps with cinnamon, clove, dark red fruit, blue fruits, and a kind of Dr. Pepper soupçon. A very good start. The palate is dense, and it seems like it is holding something back upon the open, but the character slowly reveals itself. It is spicy, soft, rich and exceedingly pleasant. A graham cracker crust cherry pie comes to mind with creme Chantilly, and a dusting of cocoa powder as the wine continues is progression. The crisp, angular finish shows a flash of acid and tannin working together to preserve this gem. They’ll keep up the good fight for another 8 years, but I’d for sure try this now to get a sense of it.