2012 Cristom Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Deep red. Hugely aromatic bouquet evokes ripe red fruits, incense and Asian spices, along with a bright mineral overtone. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering sweet raspberry preserve, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out with air. Delivers a suave blend of power and elegance, finishing with harmonious tannins and remarkable clarity and length. (JR)
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
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The 2012 Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard, which is often the first and last fruit to be harvested because part of the vines lack sunshine late in the afternoon. It has a well-defined and very natural bouquet with ebullient red berry fruit intermixed with rose petals and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, wonderful focus and superb tension right to the finish. This feels a little more compact and backward than Cristom's other 2012, but there is clearly breeding and sophistication here.