Acid hits the palate immediately but stops just short of too much. Resin, caramel, and a sherry-like nuttiness up front that fades and allows bright ginger, lemon curd, and underripe pear to pull through. Touches of minerality, searing acidity, surprisingly long on the palate. The sherry-like bit blows off after a bit, not entirely, but goes from almost off-putting when first opened to balanced and a note of quality after about 15 minutes. Wild yeast funkiness.
The real interesting bit here is the transition between the sherry-like note up front and the lemon-curd/ginger/pear finish. It's so significant it is almost startling at first. Almost like taking a sip of an entirely different wine.
On day two this wine showed much more balance and control. The sherry bit upfront showed more as brioche, and the intense ginger spiciness relaxed and showed more as ripe green apple. A bit of nuttiness still remains, as does lemon curd. The acid seems significantly less abrasive on the second day.
Overall: Pretty unique. Not as aromatic as I thought, rich enough to stand up to the acid, which is intense but has mellowed in the year since I've first tasted it. I expect wonderful things from this vintage in another 5 years. Bright, incredibly smooth and very long on the palate. A fun one for sure.
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5/12/2018 - DCJako Likes this wine: 90 Points
Acid hits the palate immediately but stops just short of too much. Resin, caramel, and a sherry-like nuttiness up front that fades and allows bright ginger, lemon curd, and underripe pear to pull through. Touches of minerality, searing acidity, surprisingly long on the palate. The sherry-like bit blows off after a bit, not entirely, but goes from almost off-putting when first opened to balanced and a note of quality after about 15 minutes. Wild yeast funkiness.
The real interesting bit here is the transition between the sherry-like note up front and the lemon-curd/ginger/pear finish. It's so significant it is almost startling at first. Almost like taking a sip of an entirely different wine.
On day two this wine showed much more balance and control. The sherry bit upfront showed more as brioche, and the intense ginger spiciness relaxed and showed more as ripe green apple. A bit of nuttiness still remains, as does lemon curd. The acid seems significantly less abrasive on the second day.
Overall: Pretty unique. Not as aromatic as I thought, rich enough to stand up to the acid, which is intense but has mellowed in the year since I've first tasted it. I expect wonderful things from this vintage in another 5 years. Bright, incredibly smooth and very long on the palate. A fun one for sure.
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