2017 West Slope Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
Better, the 2017 Pinot Noir West Slope offers more vibrancy and purity as well as terrific ripe strawberry and raspberry fruits, notes of candied orange, violets, and spice, medium to full body, and a rounded, mouthfilling texture. Coming from Carneros and destemmed and brought up in 80% new oak, it’s another ripe, sexy wine from this team.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2017 West Slope Pinot Noir comes from vines on the estate planted in 1990—these are the only original Pinot Noir vines on the property, as the rest were previously planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Pale to medium ruby, it features cranberry sauce, warm blueberries, tangerine peel, dried black tea leaves, cinnamon stick and rhubarb with notions of dusty earth, violet and woodsmoke. Light to medium-bodied, the palate explodes with flavors of sweet, ripe berries and oodles of spice checked by earthy notions, framed with softly grainy tannins and great freshness and finishing very long and layered. 145 cases produced.
Attractive aromas of spiced biscuit and fine-ground espresso sit across violet flowers and ripe blueberries here. The palate has a very succulent and attractively fresh, smooth-honed feel with espresso flavors dressing ripe plums and dark cherries. Smooth, silky texture. Give the oak time to settle in a little. This has plenty to come. Try from 2022.
About the producer
Donum is a leading estate in Northern California. Based in Carneros, the property’s focus is crafting single-site Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley and Sonoma Coast. The estate is also dotted with one of the finest sculpture collections in the world.