2016 Mas Cavalls Dona Margarita Vineyard Pinot Noir

The wine is named Mas Cavalls after the Catalan name for horse farm, since their equestrian centre lies right below the vineyard. Named after the late matriarch of the Torres family, this 20-acre vineyard is located on the Bohemian Highway, between Freestone and Occidental. Planted with three different clones, this vintage is 48% Dijon 115, 45% Pommard and 7% Dijon 667. The cool breezes and drifting fog come from the Pacific Ocean, six miles away. Planted in the European style of super-high density, with 2,340 vines per acre. The grapes were harvested 6–30 September. After minimal crushing, they fermented in small stainless-steel tanks with no whole clusters. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 49% new, coopered by Remond from the forest of Bertranges, and Marchive and Rousseau from the centre of France. It was bottled, unfined and unfiltered, in August 2017. Deepish cherry red. Lots of spice and still rather youthful in its restrained dark-red fruit, the oak still quite evident. Rather light on the palate, light in texture and flavour, plenty of freshness but not a lot of intensity. I did wonder if this was very, very slightly corked but decided in the end that it probably was not. Just a bit flat. (JH)