2015 Kistler "Cuvée Natalie - Silver Belt" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Another standout, Kistler's 2015 Pinot Noir Silver Belt Cuvée Natalie is a potent, massively concentrated wine. The presence of Swan clone Pinot as a complement to the Calera clone gives the Cuvée Natalie a palpable sense of aromatic lift and a slightly redder profile than the Laguna Ridge. Rose petal, mint, lavender and raspberry jam are some of the many notes that build as this racy, voluptuous Pinot shows off its personality. Deep, pliant and super-expressive, the Cuvée Natalie appears to have a very bright future. (AG)

There are Pinots that impress with their very deep and outgoing fruit and others with their exemplary balance and ageworthy structure, and, every so often, one such as this comes along that earns appreciative applause for both. Make no mistake, there is a wealth of unhidden, very precise, fruit to be had here, and the wine, while quite young, conveys plenty of richness, but it is also fairly tight and in need of no less than four or five years of age. In truth, it is a classic Pinot Noir that we fully expect will not only last for a decade or more but will keep growing more interesting for the whole time, and there is far-ranging complexity and beauty waiting that can only be revealed with patient cellaring.