Let me just start out by saying this is a really interesting, dynamic wine. It comes from the Sonoma Coast AVA, which is quite a broad AVA. Parts of that AVA are super-cool, parts are a good bit warmer. The Putnam Vineyard in particular is located near Annapolis, which is only a few miles from the Pacific Coast. One expects Pinot Noir from this area to be a bit wiry and lighter in color. When you pour this wine into the glass, it's surprisingly dark, probably because of the small cluster Dijon clone grapes (clone 777 and 155) that make up most of the blend. These are clones of Pinot Noir that will give a wine intense saturation of color. Then when you taste the wine you really get an impression of the cool climate. It has mostly red fruit flavors: plum, raspberry and wild strawberry come to mind, and there's a decidedly spicy note on the finish, which might well be from some stem inclusion in the fermentation, or which also might be a product of the cool climate. At 14.2% alcohol, it's neither bombastic, nor is it sparse. What it is, is a great example of a complex, pleasure-delivering Pinot Noir from a very cool region. That's a challenging assignment, and I'll give this wine a solid A. (94 Points)
Friday, March 13, 2020
Review: Tongue Dancer 2017 'Pinot de Ville' Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard Sonoma Coast ($65)
Let me just start out by saying this is a really interesting, dynamic wine. It comes from the Sonoma Coast AVA, which is quite a broad AVA. Parts of that AVA are super-cool, parts are a good bit warmer. The Putnam Vineyard in particular is located near Annapolis, which is only a few miles from the Pacific Coast. One expects Pinot Noir from this area to be a bit wiry and lighter in color. When you pour this wine into the glass, it's surprisingly dark, probably because of the small cluster Dijon clone grapes (clone 777 and 155) that make up most of the blend. These are clones of Pinot Noir that will give a wine intense saturation of color. Then when you taste the wine you really get an impression of the cool climate. It has mostly red fruit flavors: plum, raspberry and wild strawberry come to mind, and there's a decidedly spicy note on the finish, which might well be from some stem inclusion in the fermentation, or which also might be a product of the cool climate. At 14.2% alcohol, it's neither bombastic, nor is it sparse. What it is, is a great example of a complex, pleasure-delivering Pinot Noir from a very cool region. That's a challenging assignment, and I'll give this wine a solid A. (94 Points)
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