2014 Big Basin Vineyards Coastview Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir

13.6% alc., 100 cases, Allocated to mailing list. Vineyard is located in the Gabilan Mountains on the east side of the Salinas Valley, six miles south of Calera’s Mount Harlan AVA. Decomposed quartz and limestone over base rock. The vines, perched at 2,200 to 2,400 feet elevation, are 17 years old. Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, Pisoni and Swan selection. Vines are farmed organically. Aged 15 months in 75% new French oak barrels. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Seductive aromas of black cherry, cardamom spice, and a hint of stem. Light to mid weight in style, yet highly flavorful, with well ripened flavors of plum, cherry and black raspberry accented with spice and forest floor. Intense mid palate audacity, carrying over to a generous cherry-driven finish. While the juicy acidity is nicely integrated, the tannins are a bit unwieldy at present (but will moderate with more time in bottle). The intriguing texture is hard to adequately describe. While tasting, I wanted to swallow this one. Score: 93. Reviewed February 1, 2017

Winery: Big Basin Vineyards
From article: Big Basin Vineyards: Whole Cluster Goodness Again