2011 Lutum Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 90.6 points

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  10/19/2018 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Prior bottle was almost 10 months ago and my notes remain consistent. Red berry and red cherry on the nose, along with vanilla and floral qualities. Medium bodied with red berry and red cherry upfront, somewhat rounder red raspberry through the middle and tart red berry/red cherry in the back. Right before the finish all the elements come together quite well and the wine takes on a purity and completeness that I wish could be extended across the whole bottle. Given where the fruit and acidity are today, feels like this wine could continue to evolve positively over the next 12-18 months as the fruit and acidity continue to come together. I'll be interested to compare this to the 2012 and 2013.

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  12/22/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Prior bottle was nearly a year ago and while the wine continues to show well, it hasn't evolved much in that time. More of a red berry/cherry note on the nose (as opposed to raspberry) to go along with the floral (rose) and mineral notes. Remains close to medium bodied with red berry and red cherry upfront, hint of deeper raspberry through the middle and then tart red berries and tart red cherry towards the back. After being open for nearly four hours, starts to take on some polished roundness through the middle, even some plushness towards the back. Acidity and fruit both retain enough definition for this wine to continue to improve. I plan to try the 2012 tomorrow and based on how that shows, I'll assess when to have a mini-vertical of 2011-2013.

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  12/30/2016 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Raspberry, minerals and floral notes on the nose. On the lighter side of medium bodied (13% ABV) and quite well balanced at present. Raspberry upfront, backed with red cherry and deepens nicely towards the middle before adding tart red cherry and acidity towards the finish. Good integration between mid-body and finish where it shows mineral notes and lengthening acidity and tartness. This is an acidity driven pinot and relies on nuance and prettiness rather than power and depth. It doesn't have quite the complexity or completeness of the 2012, but given the similar overall flavor profiles, that's probably a vintage driven difference. A bit more cellar time should see this wine open up just a touch more through the middle and integrate just a bit more overall. Given where the fruit and acidity are at present, no immediate rush/need to drink.

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  3/30/2015 - yossarian.livez wrote:

  Green and stemmy. Not a pleasant drink right now. Didn't open on day 2 either. Finish is short and it simply isn't balanced with a thin midpalate and somewhat harsh finish. The worst showing from Chanin's wines I can remember, and all this after I heard him say that in general they were eschewing whole cluster, but after tasting this there is 0% chance this that is not a universal truth. It's unpleasant now, but if the stems fold it it'll surely improve. Shocking really. Hold em if you got em. Maybe 3 years?

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