2000 Lucia Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (2)

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  1/4/2005 - whostler wrote:

  This opened up with a very slightly bricked and very slightly cloudy garnet color. This had the typical Garys’ party on the nose, transforming with air from Pinot stink upon opening through a phase that offered hints of espresso and dark chocolate, then settling into high-toned red fruit with some overtones of rose petal. On the palate it opened up with a sensation of frizzante, more likely due to the notably high acid than dissolved CO2. The fruit was primarily red raspberry with some red cherry showing as well. The indications of oak on the nose were not echoed on the palate and although there was a touch of heat it was not problematic and likely due to a slightly higher serving temperature. There is still a surprising amount of grip remaining and the strong stemminess I noted from this wine in 2003 has mostly integrated. The end result is a complex, multi-dimensional wine with excellent balance and flavor although some more bottle time is indicated to fully resolve the tannins and stems.
  On the second night the nose has more fruit on it and the raspberry flavors have receded, leaving pure, sweet red cherry fruit behind and perhaps the merest occasional hint of dark chocolate but no more. Structurally there is still plenty of acid and the tingling sensation, while the tannins have softened while the stem flavors are still noticeable at the same level as the night before.
  Recommended and a very nice way to start my Pinot drinking for the year.

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  9/1/2003 - whostler wrote:

  Served during our Labor Day party. I was talking to a non-wine geek guest about wine and she expressed an interest in Central Coast wine. Any excuse to pull out a bottle of Pinot, right? I had seen an interesting post on this wine from Joe Davis of Arcadian that indicated it had been made with very ripe fruit that was allowed to hang. It was also made with whole cluster fermentation.
  The color was just a little on the darker side but very typical Pinot coloration with translucence and a hint of “dustiness”. Also a very typical Pinot Noir nose. On the palate, again varietally correct with a nice hint of cherry fruit, perhaps sour cherries. No syrah wannabes here! Oak was not really evident one way or the other, which is to the good. Tannins were very resolved and I would say there is no need for further cellaring. There were two things that detracted from my enjoyment. The first was high acidity that was on the edge of going out of balance into shrillness – but didn’t. I’m not a low-acid type; I think it’s needed, but Pinot Noir too often goes in the other direction to over-acidic. The second was a note which I might not have been able to give a name to absent the information I had. I felt there was a stemmy quality and given the whole cluster fermentation that’s not at all surprising. Some chilling and some air time helped to bring both of these elements under better control but did not eliminate them.
  Make no mistake; this is very well made wine with excellent Pinot Noir typicity and exhibiting a lot of finesse. Burgundy lovers of a certain style may enjoy this wine very much. It’s just not pushing my personal hot buttons.

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