2016 Sinor Lavallee Black Label Bassi Vineyard San Luis Obispo County Pinot Noir

16.7% alc., 96 cases, $46. An ultra limited production wine that offers a fuller expression of Bassi Vineyard. Clones, blocks, yeasts and barrels are chosen to yield a wine with higher alcohol and lower acidity. This wine is a powerful and rich expression of Bassi Vineyard. Yields 1.65 tons per acre. Last pick of Pinot Noir in this vintage. A blend of clone 667 and 777 with one barrel of 115. All lots inoculated with Assmanhausen yeast. Aged about 20 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Reserved aromas of black raspberry and boysenberry with a bit of vanilla. Mid weight plus in concentration, featuring a plush mouthfeel, a full monty of blackberry fruit and firm, but engaging tannins. This wine reminds me of Meiomi Pinot Noir. When tasted the following day from a previously opened bottle, the seductive texture endured, but there was plenty of oak vanillin overlay. Remarkably, this wine seemed to be in balance from an alcohol perspective. Score: 90. Reviewed March 23, 2019

Winery: Sinor-LaVallee
From article: California Pinot Noir to Swoon Over