2018 Jentoft Vineyard Ryan Pinot Noir

The 2018 Pinot Noir Ryan Jentoft Vineyard is another incredible cuvée from Dumol this vintage. Medium ruby, it opens savory with scorched earth, prosciutto, wet leaves and dried herbs over a core of lush black berry fruit. Medium-bodied, it explodes in the mouth, offering bursts of juicy, perfumed, bitters-laced fruits, very finely grained and finishing long and layered.

Moving to the Pinot Noirs, this is easily the finest lineup I've tasted from Andy Smith. These are magical wines that check in at the top of the vintage. The 2018 Pinot Noir Jentoft Vineyard Ryan comes from the Russian River Valley and was all destemmed and spent 15 months in 40% new French oak. This is classic Pinot Noir all the way with its ripe black raspberry, baking spices, forest floor, background oak, and earth. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it's seamless, flawlessly balanced, and has a great, great finish. It's a stunning example of world-class Pinot Noir to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years or so. This was easily the finest set of releases I have tasted from winemaker Andy Smith.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Ryan Jentoft Vineyard has all of the richness and fruit intensity that is such a signature of this site, but with an extra kick of structure in this vintage. Graphite, menthol, dark cherry and dried herbs are some of the many nuances that build. Bright acids and bold tannins add to the wine's distinctive personality. I won't be at all surprised if the 2018 is even more impressive from bottle. There is so much potential here.