2011 Ceritas Pinot Noir Costalina
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Pinot Noir Costalina is just as fabulous from bottle as it was from barrel. Wonderfully alive and vibrant in the glass, the 2011 graces the palate with freshly cut flowers, sweet red cherries, crushed rocks and savory herbs. Intense, saline notes abound in this gorgeous, vibrant Pinot. Sweet floral and spice overtones from the 35% whole clusters add attractive lift in a superb Pinot that impresses for its crystalline purity and total sense of harmony. In 2011, John Raytek did not make his vineyard-designated Pinots, all the best fruit went into the Costalina. What a gorgeous wine this is.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A striking, drop-dead gorgeous wine, the 2011 Pinot Noir Costalina possesses superior depth, density and richness for the year. Juicy dark cherries, tobacco, mint, licorice and savory herbs all flesh out in the glass. Mid-weight and utterly impeccable, the 2011 is impressive in its balance and overall sense of harmony. In 2011, Raytek did not make his vineyard-designated Pinots, all the best fruit went into the Costalina. This is one of the finest wines of the vintage. Don't miss it!
(made from a blend of fruit grown in the Escarpa and two Occidental area vineyards): Vivid ruby. Smoke- and spice-accented aromas of candied cherry and dark berries, with a bright mineral overtone. Taut and precise, offering fresh black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of allspice. Shows impressive structure but there's nothing hard-edged going on. Closes on a juicy note, with subtle tannins and appealingly sweet length. (JR)
A striking, drop-dead gorgeous wine, the 2011 Pinot Noir Costalina possesses superior depth, density and richness for the year. Juicy dark cherries, tobacco, mint, licorice and savory herbs all flesh out in the glass. Mid-weight and utterly impeccable, the 2011 is impressive in its balance and overall sense of harmony. In 2011, Raytek did not make his vineyard-designated Pinots, all the best fruit went into the Costalina. This is one of the finest wines of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021. Proprietor John Raytek is one of this country’s most promising young winemakers. His professional resume includes a stint as sommelier at the Little Nell in Aspen. Later he was assistant winemaker at Copain and also spent time at Rhys. Raytek is married to Phoebe Bass, whose family owns the Porter-Bass Vineyard, but adds he gets no preferential treatment when it comes to buying fruit! The 2011 Chardonnays and Pinots are both dazzling. I tasted the 2011 Chardonnays from tank just prior to bottling. Raytek ages his Chardonnays for 12 months in oak (with no lees stirring) followed by 5-8 months in oak, a style of elevage preferred by a number of top estates in California and Burgundy. The Pinots are all made with some amount of whole clusters, usually around 40-45%, but they are totally integrated and virtually impossible to detect in the wines. I also had a chance to re-taste the 2010s from bottle. Those wines were just as fabulous as they were from barrel, if not a little better. Simply put, I can’t recommend these wines highly enough. Tel. (707) 473-9482
About the producer
Created in 2005 by John Raytek, Ceritas is one of California’s most exciting producers. The project is focused on making single-site wines from Northern California’s coastal regions, largely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.