2017 Pinot Noir Fraenkle Cheshier Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Pliant, silky and supremely elegant, the 2017 has so much to recommend it. This is an especially sensual, alluring Pinot form Paul Hobbs, but it also has plenty of supporting structure. Although the 2017 is not totally put together just yet, it shows the purity of fruit, sweet tannin and exotic aromatics that are such signatures of this late-ripening Sebastopol Hills site. Super-ripe red cherry, lavender, rose petal, mint and hard candy build into the sensual, inviting finish. This is such a gorgeous wine.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Real fruit purity to this wine with ripe strawberries and cherries. Plenty of spice and hints of mushrooms. Full body, superb, focused fruit and pure tannins, melting into the wine. Exciting. Gorgeous now, but better in 2022.
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Fraenkle Cheshier Vineyard features bold, intense black cherries, wild blueberries and pomegranate notes with suggestions of violets, dark chocolate, menthol and mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant, with very fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. 274 cases produced, to be released in March 2019.
About the producer
Paul Hobbs is one of California wine’s biggest names. Twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker, he joined Robert Mondavi in 1977, worked at Opus One and Simi before setting up his eponymous winery in 1991.