2011 ‘Los Alamos Vineyard’ Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir comes from two sections of Los Alamos Vineyard, clones 777 and 115. The grapes were handpicked on September 5, and crushed into an open-top tank. The grapes started fermentation naturally after a four day cold soak and were pressed eight days later when the wine was dry. This wine was punched down twice daily by hand. I aged this wine in French barrels (20% new) for 11 months and bottled it unfiltered to preserve its vibrancy.
2011 will go down as a very challenging year for California. However, sites that escaped exposure to wine during flowering, and later frosts, produced beautiful fruit. These sections of Los Alamos Vineyard were two that did just that.
Tasting Notes
I bottled this wine earlier than normal because I thought it showed great freshness and energy. There is a beautiful core of hard spice surrounded by fresh crushed red fruit.
Scores:
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous.com- 95 points, July 2013
Sweet, perfumed and utterly impeccable, the 2011 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard stands out for its fabulous harmony. It is a rare wine that is both aromatically expressive, yet also radiant on the palate. All the elements meld together in this drop-dead gorgeous Pinot from Gavin Chanin. Hints of autumn leaves, sweet red berries, licorice and dried flowers wrap around the finish. Drinking window: 2013 - 2021
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar- 92 points, Nov/Dec 2012
Vivid red. High-pitched aromas of fresh red berries, rose and allspice, with a mineral topnote. Juicy and precise, offering intense strawberry and bitter cherry flavors complemented by deeper anise and cola nuances. Pure and energetic on the subtly tannic finish, which clings with impressive authority and length.
Scores:
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous.com- 95 points, July 2013
Sweet, perfumed and utterly impeccable, the 2011 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard stands out for its fabulous harmony. It is a rare wine that is both aromatically expressive, yet also radiant on the palate. All the elements meld together in this drop-dead gorgeous Pinot from Gavin Chanin. Hints of autumn leaves, sweet red berries, licorice and dried flowers wrap around the finish. Drinking window: 2013 - 2021
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar- 92 points, Nov/Dec 2012
Vivid red. High-pitched aromas of fresh red berries, rose and allspice, with a mineral topnote. Juicy and precise, offering intense strawberry and bitter cherry flavors complemented by deeper anise and cola nuances. Pure and energetic on the subtly tannic finish, which clings with impressive authority and length.
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