The 2021 Pinot Noir CIX Estate was bottled in mid-July 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it slowly unfurls to offer glimpses at cracked black pepper, Ceylon tea, garrigue, and mossy tree bark with a core of pomegranate, fresh blackberries, and kirsch. Full-bodied, taut, and muscular, it has a nice graininess to the tannins and seamless freshness supporting the earth-laced red and black fruit layers, finishing long and lifted. CIX stands for 109 because this was originally called “parcel 109” when Aubert bought it. The Pinot Noir was planted in 2006. (LPB)

The 2021 Pinot Noir CIX Vineyard is fabulous. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2021 possesses striking inner perfume and brilliant fruit. Sweet red cherry, plum, spice and pomegranate build into the heady, sumptuous finish. Goldridge soils over volcanic ash are magical here. What a wine. (AG)

Delivers a deep well of fruit, with lovely inner brightness, as gently mulled raspberry, mulberry and boysenberry fruit notes form a core that has nice underlying energy. Shows light wood spice, black tea, blood orange zest and savory accents that fill in throughout, with a mouthwatering mineral edge underneath it all. Reveals a late echo of wet earth, which caps the seriously long finish. For the cellar. (JM)