Cristom Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, USA

克里斯頓露易絲園黑皮諾干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：5369

Cristom’s 2010 Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard – due the differences in inclination and exposure – is often in part the first and in part the last Cristom vineyard picked, and it was both this year, coming in on October 16th and then again on the 29th. Fresh and confitured cherries are infused with their pits; blond tobacco; and crushed stone. Firm in feel and gripping in finishing intensity, this is another 2010 that reminds me of many 2011s in its energy as well as specifically in notes of sassafras and ginger. It is likely to need more time than its stable mates to unfold. But there is fine structure and energy to support more than a decade’s aging. Steve Doerner – for much more about whom, and about this estate, see my Issue 202 introduction – reported from 2011” the lowest brix in our estate’s (20 year) history, lower even the cool vintages from the ‘90s” and he chaptalized to the greatest extent, typically bringing the wines up by nearly a point in alcohol, to around 13%. Some wines were acid-adjusted (adding tartaric to compensate for the high malic that was going to turn lactic) and – unlike most other strong protagonists of this approach that in the Willamette is above all associated with him – Doerner backed off a bit on the share of whole clusters and stems that went into the fermenters. As a measure of the Cristom team’s confidence in the 2011 vintage, they not only rendered from this vintage a four-barrel “Signature Cuvee,” but also an “estate blend” utilizing a barrel from each of their vineyard sites. As usual, though, with one exception it is the Cristom Pinot Noirs of three calendar years prior that were presented to me to taste there this summer. It’s no wonder that the team here is keen on a 2010 vintage in which they managed to achieve power and structure, as well as in which flavors clearly developed superbly before must weights climbed significantly. Doerner refers to a certain “delicacy” in the wines; maybe, but tasting the 2010 vintage Pinot collection here left me not just exhilarated but pretty nearly wrung out! Tel. (503) 375-3068