2018 Mail Road Wines Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel
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I was able to re-taste the 2018 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Vineyard alongside a small set of other library wines and the upcoming 2023 releases, and I found its performance to exceed my impressions from last year. Alluring, balanced aromas of candied cherries, rose petals, dried sage and bergamot introduce a silky, enveloping palate with pronounced richness yet impeccable balance. The finish is soaring and saline-driven yet tenacious and grounded, concluding with extremely fine, chalky tannins and remarkable persistence. While I'm always a bit hesitant to draw comparisons to Burgundy, this wine immediately struck me as comparable to something originating from Vosne-Romanée, albeit with a distinctly oceanic quality that defines the Sta. Rita Hills. If this performance is indicative of its continued trajectory, this wine should be effortlessly beautiful at 20 years old.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
More mulberry, candied violets, orange blossom, and incense notes emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard, a rich, concentrated, incredibly impressive effort from Matt Dees. Medium to full-bodied, and balanced, with ample tannins and acidity, it's certainly brilliant now, given its purity and elegance, yet a solid 3-4 years of bottle age will put it in its sweet spot.
A dazzling wine, the 2018 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Vineyard possesses magnificent richness to match its statuesque personality. The flavors are rich, bold and ample, and yet the 2018 retains so much nuance and vibrancy. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite and spice build into the huge, resonant finish. What a wine. The 2018 was done with 6% whole clusters and was aged in a combination of one and two-year-old barrels.
The 2018 Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir is a powerful, dark, massively constituted wine. Black cherry, graphite, lavender, cloves and new leather infuse this dramatic, potent Pinot Noir with tremendous character. Quite simply, the 2018 is a stunning wine in the making.