2014 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
2014 was "a flashy vintage," Jim Maresh recalls. It was the warmest growing season on record at the time, although high temperatures in 2015 set new records. "This was back when I did not subscribe to the al dente pick," he continues. "Before that, I felt like if it’s a big, hot year you should hang and make a big, rich wine. My thoughts on that have changed." 2014 was also the year he began to notice the climate changing. "All of a sudden, the principles from 2005 to 2010 vintages no longer applied because there was a climate shift," he notes. Medium ruby-garnet in color, the 2014 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard unfolds dramatically on the nose: a mélange of wild berries gives way to pure wafts of violet, iodine and charcuterie, like a camera coming into focus. At 14.2% alcohol, it’s one of the more powerful iterations of Maresh Vineyard. It balances highly concentrated, ripe yet layered flavors with mouthwatering acidity and ultra-silky tannins. It gains detail and expression as it airs in the glass and will continue to develop gracefully over the next 10-15 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Thick and sweet, despite the low alcohol. Slightly angular with a certain richness and quite a lot of acidity – two elements that are not quite integrated. But there is pure Pinot fruit here. (JR)
Dark red. Intensely perfumed, spice-accented strawberry, cherry liqueur and incense aromas show excellent clarity and a bright mineral overtone. Taut, nervy and focused in the mouth, offering alluringly sweet red fruit, blood orange and rose pastille flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with air. An impressively persistent finish is framed by subtle tannins and emphatically echoes the floral and mineral notes. This wine's interplay of power and finesse is really impressive.
The 2014 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir has a beautiful bouquet with wonderful precision. The vine age does show through here (44-years-old now) with crisp detailed red berry fruit that just exudes Pinoté. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very well-judged acidity, touches of truffle and undergrowth tincturing the red berry fruit that fans out wonderfully towards the long and satisfying finish. This is a great Pinot Noir from an estate that seems to have thrived in 2014.