2019 Golden West Pinot Noir Golden West Vineyard

2019 Golden West Pinot Noir Golden West Vineyard

2019 Golden West Pinot Noir Golden West Vineyard Complex layers of aroma and flavor. Black raspberry, forest floor, Allspice and velvet theater drapes from the nose of this 2019 wine. Wild mushroom, limestone, suede and earth engulfs the palate that is full, elegant and precise as a rare Swiss timepiece.

93 James Suckling: Very attractive aromas of sweet and sour fruit with cherries, strawberries and some orange peel. It’s medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins and a delicious chocolate and coffee undertone to the fruit at the end. 40% whole cluster. Handmade pinot.

90 Jeb Dunnuck: Coming from the talented team at K Vintners, the 2019 Pinot Noir comes from a mix of clones, spent a full 40 days on stems, and was aged 12 months in 15% new French oak. It reveals a medium ruby hue as well as perfumed cherry and raspberry fruits interwoven with notes of flowery incense, baking spices, and dried forest floor. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, and balanced, it has some firmer tannins (there’s 30% stems), a layered, building mouthfeel, and terrific length. A terrific Pinot Noir, it will keep for 4-6 years, and I suspect it will be even better this time next year.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now adopted (and extensively studied) in wine regions all over the world. The variety’s elusive charm has carried it to all manner of vineyards.

These extend from western Germany (as Spätburgunder) and northern Italy to Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. California, Oregon and New Zealand are arguably the greatest centers for the grape outside its home territory. However great Pinot Noir is made in all of these territories.

The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of red berries and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples). Many of the more complex examples show hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, suggest leather and violets, sometimes recalling Syrah.