I Am Sure: A Must-Have Pinot
This Pinot took hold of me a week ago and hasn't let go—I don't want it to.
When a new wine hits me so profoundly I have to re-taste it. I could stick with my first impression but I feel I owe it to our Pinot followers: if I'm going to go nuts about a virtually unknown wine, I better make damn sure, right?
I am sure.
This is the earliest in a calendar year that I've designated a Pinot part of our year-end Collector's Case (coming late 2022), and it is an easy choice for one of my top 10 Willamette Valley Pinots from the spectacular 2018 vintage. I've been transfixed by it since the first sip and I never wavered through tasting a second bottle over four days.
A mere 75 cases were made of which 20 are available. As the winemaker wrote: "So, how does it taste? I suggest you drink it last, because it is a hard act to follow."
$64.95 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case* order ($71.95 regular)
Day one is pure Pinot fireworks: black fruits burst, red fruits shimmer, a slow burn of incense and an echo of black tea. The slightest bit of air brings out the texture, a spool of weighty silk beginning to unravel—it's this weighty and wavy texture that totally rocked me first time around and even more so on the second go.
And it just keeps getting better. Between day two and three the aromas are dive-in-able. I honestly don't know how to put into words the way the gorgeous texture and electric verve come together—each compliments the other to yield a perfect trifecta of delicious fruit, savory accents, and a delicately commanding feel. - Marcus