Community Tasting Note

sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Friday, February 14, 2020 - Discounted one off ($24.99) from the big box wine store about 8 months ago. Opened for 2 hours without decanting per winemaker's suggestion that this bottling at this point is still benefitting from air. Fairly muted nose led by earthy minerality, with forest floor, some florals, and light tones of tart cherry and raspberry. Similar on the palate with light tannins, medium body and medium legs. Lightish tannins, powerful acidity, no heat (12.7%). Lithe, well-focused, moderately complex and supremely food-friendly, a great match with stuffed pasilla chilis. Acidity integrated well on day 2, and notes of strawberry and blood orange peeked out. High acidity should keep this drinking well for at least 5 years with possible upside. Perhaps even more than the recently reviewed Piro, this wine has about 9 of its 10 toes in Burgundy; if you insist plushness in pinots most definitively found in KBs, Lynmars and Martinellis, you may find yourself echoing Walter Mondale to Gary Hart in the '84 primaries. But if you can enjoy a lean but by no means dull, crazy well-priced and well-crafted wine, whether you like bigger styles as well (as I do), run don't walk to anyplace selling this wine for any price close to what I paid for it. N.B. The first tasting note mentions Rhys's bottling from this vineyard, which is a really fine wine, but I'm not sure it's any better than this, and it's twice the price. N.B. 2: Halcon's subsequent released pinot is from another good Mendocino vineyard, Oppenlander, which is primarily used, to the best of my knowledge, by the also high quality Phillips Hill. I tasted this at an event Paul did about 9 months ago, but can't now say how that compared to this or if Paul will go back to Bearwallow in the future. 91-92

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