Year's Best Rhones, Best Buys, This is big and oaky, with a thick wrapping of chocolaty fruit on the considerable tannins. Despite its size, it retains a cool feel, the acidity flowing through it like a breeze. An ambitious wine, it needs time and steakhouse fare.
Reviews
An admirably fresh, cool and airy mix displays notes of lavender, oak, red berries, cassis, spice, wet stone and discreet game nuances along with just enough herbal character to notice. There is good richness to the mouth coating and muscular broad-shouldered flavors that possess good delineation and excellent energy before culminating in a dusty, balanced and palate coating finish that delivers excellent length though the herbal character does resurface. This slight vegetal element is admittedly subtle and may very well dissipate with age but for the moment it's sufficiently noticeable that it is a concern.
Cellar selection. Already impressive, this wine shows great fruit for the vintage as well as structure. Ripe with black cherries and berries, it has all of Pinot Noir’s rich juiciness, but hints of smoke add complexity as well. Structured and a shade dark, it needs time to mature. Drink from 2017.