2016 Earth Smoke Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The deep sous-bois and cherry notes of the 2016 Earth Smoke Pinot Noir are nicely balanced by a sense of mentholated freshness. It's medium-bodied, silky and rich, yet lithe and lively, an intriguing juxtaposition of character studies. Savory earth and herbal notes linger on the intense but elegant finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Tim Jackson MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Own-rooted, mixed-clone planting on 20% active lime soils. Hand destemmed. One month on skins. 16 months in mostly used, 225- to 500-litre barrels. Pale garnet. Marked, herbal aromatics, with beetroot touches to rose and earth. Wild strawberry. Crisp acidity with delicate, fine tannins, herb mid-palate scent and a rose floral finish. A surprisingly jammy edge to the fruit, but fairly long and flinty. (TJ)
The 2016 Earth Smoke Pinot Noir comes from a more sheltered site at a lower elevation than the Angel Flower, and the vines are a little more vigorous and ripen a little later. It has a well-defined bouquet with slightly more red fruit than the Angel Flower, although overall, we are still talking about dark berries, wet forest floor and pressed iris aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite saline and almost briny in the mouth, and nicely structured, although, as with the Angel Flower, I would like a little more luminosity on the finish.