2021 Domaine de la Côte "La Côte" Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Cool yet ripe strawberries, together with crushed spices, such as cloves and cardamom. Then mushroom and bark. Full-bodied with a solid structure and layers of firm tannins. Great finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir La Côte is an energetic wine with plenty of aging potential. In the last couple of years, production from this nine-acre vineyard was halved when the team realized wine quality was better from the top portion of the vineyard, where it is shaly and better protected. Fruit from the bottom half of the vineyard is now allotted to the Pinot Noir Estate. Medium ruby and aromatically layered, it offers scents of pomegranate, cranberries and blackberries with nuances of graphite, lavender and amaro. Medium-bodied, its concentrated fruits are supported by powdery tannins and bright bursts of acidity, and it finishes with detailed accents of bitters and botanicals. (EB) 96+