2012 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 90.1 points

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  7/4/2018 - nefarm Likes this wine: 90 Points

  What is this? Unexpectedly sweeter than any Pinot noir I’ve had before. The first sip will make you check the bottle. It became less sweet with air. A touch savory. Light-medium body with refined to nonexistent tannins. Thought about scoring 89 due to initial sweetness, but what’s in a single point?

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  6/1/2016 - midtownmac wrote:

  Tried drinking first night but couldn't do it. Muted fruit and hot. Much better second night but nothing I would regularly seek out.

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  8/25/2014 - Wine.woot_taster wrote:

  I was not as impressed with it, but that's not surprising given the style that it is and the style I like. It's clearly a well-made wine, very much in line with the RRV "terroir." Light-med. bodied, very food friendly (likely much better with food). Sorry for the short rattage.

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  8/25/2014 - Wine.woot_taster wrote:

  The nose was not huge. What there was was very nice, fresh fruit oriented. This is not a fruit bomb in any sense, but a food wine to be sure.
  
  It was only with the entry I knew I was tasting something special - beautiful fresh berry fruit, remarkably balanced with lots of acid and enough tannin.
  
  From that entry through the middle and into the finish, those impressions held: just enough of everything you want, with an almost textbook perfect structure.
  
  2012 was a year where glorious fruit was to be had, and Sara and Matt were particularly successful in turning it into a wine you will enjoy drinking. This part of the Russian River Valley - as chipgreen notes, literally across Highway 116 from the Green Valle AVA where Iron Horse makes lovely Pinot - is becoming known for outstanding Pinot. At a family wedding held at Vine Hill House after the Tour, we tasted a 2012 O'Connell Estate Pinot (we looked over the vineyards from the lawn where we dined) from the same area. That was all Pommard clone and highly aromatic: another example of how good so many RRV Pinots are getting.... but, back to the Vaughn Duffy!
  
  SWMBO, who is highly critical (though not always as analytical as I am) Pinot lover, liked it very much and was especially struck by the balance.
  
  After 45 minutes or so, it opened up a bit in the nose, but the nose remained restrained. With our grilled Salmon dinner, the wine was as close to perfect as anything other than the old California fresh bright berry style of Zinfandel that created the pairing.
  
  If you like the wines I tend to like, buy this. There's not much of it, and it's very, very good.
  
  I'm usually skeptical of wine label descriptions of wines, especially from new wineries. This one, zippy energy and red berry concentration, just nailed it!
  
  Will Matt and Sara continue to make wines this good? I don't know, but I can tell you I'll be keeping an eye on their wine!

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