Cuvée E Pinot Noir
Composition:
The Cuvée E is a blend to showcase the vintage as well as a wine which drinks earlier than my other bottlings. This is my blend of every vineyard within my pallet of vineyards, with the majority of the clonal selections being Pommard followed by Wadenswil. Predominately de-stemmed fruit, fermented with native yeasts, placed in neutral French oak barrels for eleven months of élevage without any additions, movement or other tomfoolery. This is an honest Pinot noir made from Pinot noir grapes and nothing else!
Impressions:
Textbook Pinot noir color of deep ruby while still being transparent. Purple edges showing youth. Shy yet giving aromatics leaning toward fruit tree blossoms over direct fruit. Entry is lush, yet juicy with nice texture enveloping the mouth. Initial flavors lean toward stone fruits such as black cherries and plums. More flavors of rare, dry-aged beef and kumquat show up during the finish. Nicely balanced acidity with the tannin and ample fruit show perfect balance.
After warming in the glass to normal temperatures, the wine really shows an expressive nose of floral aromas, leaning more toward violets, followed by fresh red and black plums. Texture remains the same but with more flavors in the mid-palate showing raspberries dusted with Chinese five-spice. Warm, comforting finish with a bit of English breakfast tea-like flavors at the conclusion. This is textbook Pinot noir.
750ml Bottle
Composition:
The Cuvée E is a blend to showcase the vintage as well as a wine which drinks earlier than my other bottlings. This is my blend of every vineyard within my pallet of vineyards, with the majority of the clonal selections being Pommard followed by Wadenswil. Predominately de-stemmed fruit, fermented with native yeasts, placed in neutral French oak barrels for eleven months of élevage without any additions, movement or other tomfoolery. This is an honest Pinot noir made from Pinot noir grapes and nothing else!
Impressions:
Textbook Pinot noir color of deep ruby while still being transparent. Purple edges showing youth. Shy yet giving aromatics leaning toward fruit tree blossoms over direct fruit. Entry is lush, yet juicy with nice texture enveloping the mouth. Initial flavors lean toward stone fruits such as black cherries and plums. More flavors of rare, dry-aged beef and kumquat show up during the finish. Nicely balanced acidity with the tannin and ample fruit show perfect balance.
After warming in the glass to normal temperatures, the wine really shows an expressive nose of floral aromas, leaning more toward violets, followed by fresh red and black plums. Texture remains the same but with more flavors in the mid-palate showing raspberries dusted with Chinese five-spice. Warm, comforting finish with a bit of English breakfast tea-like flavors at the conclusion. This is textbook Pinot noir.
750ml Bottle
Composition:
The Cuvée E is a blend to showcase the vintage as well as a wine which drinks earlier than my other bottlings. This is my blend of every vineyard within my pallet of vineyards, with the majority of the clonal selections being Pommard followed by Wadenswil. Predominately de-stemmed fruit, fermented with native yeasts, placed in neutral French oak barrels for eleven months of élevage without any additions, movement or other tomfoolery. This is an honest Pinot noir made from Pinot noir grapes and nothing else!
Impressions:
Textbook Pinot noir color of deep ruby while still being transparent. Purple edges showing youth. Shy yet giving aromatics leaning toward fruit tree blossoms over direct fruit. Entry is lush, yet juicy with nice texture enveloping the mouth. Initial flavors lean toward stone fruits such as black cherries and plums. More flavors of rare, dry-aged beef and kumquat show up during the finish. Nicely balanced acidity with the tannin and ample fruit show perfect balance.
After warming in the glass to normal temperatures, the wine really shows an expressive nose of floral aromas, leaning more toward violets, followed by fresh red and black plums. Texture remains the same but with more flavors in the mid-palate showing raspberries dusted with Chinese five-spice. Warm, comforting finish with a bit of English breakfast tea-like flavors at the conclusion. This is textbook Pinot noir.
750ml Bottle
2021 REVIEW:
Vinous Tasting Notes: "Deeply expressive, the 2021 Pinot Noir Cuvee E blossoms in the glass with a spicy blend of steeped plums, cherries and tangerine zests. This is round and juicy, with red and blue fruit depths elevated by zesty acidity as suggestions of violet pastille emerge toward the close. It tapers off with medium length and fresh, leaving a licorice tinge. "Drink 2023 – 2028”
2019 REVIEW: “The nose is a pure red berry, violet and cherry with hints of tobacco. The palate is a pure bright and juicy black fruit with some tea–like dryness on the finish."
-Purely Domestic Wine Report
2018 Notes: Entry is big with loads of almost Barolo-like flavors such as stone fruit skin and the plum meat near the seed, a real aggressive intensity of flavors. Even some fresh Thai Basil shows through in more of an anise-like flavor. These flavors are usually a sign of potential longevity in a New World Pinot noir.
2016 REVIEW: PD “purely domestic wine report” “The nose is a pure red berry, violet and cherry with hints of tobacco. The palate is a pure bright and juicy black fruit with some tea–like dryness on the finish."Drink 2018 – 2026”
WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
Aromas initially are muted so I recommend decanting vigorously into a large vessel with ample surface area. Set this aside with a cover for half an hour. Pouring a glass shows the nose full present with typical red and black cherries, dusty roses, hot concrete after a warm rain, and dried plums. Entry is big with loads of almost Barolo-like flavors such as stone fruit skin and the plum meat near the seed, a real aggressive intensity of flavors. Even some fresh Thai Basil shows through in more of an anise-like flavor. These flavors are usually a sign of potential longevity in a New World Pinot noir. Ample mouthfeel with more flavors exploding with the introduction of warmer temperatures. Blackberries on chocolate bark with almonds. Roasted plums, on cinnamon toast, as if you made a Tarte Tatin with El Dorado plums in place of apples. Letting the wine open up more with time an interesting umeboshi, or Japanese salt pickled preserved plum flavor is painfully apparent. Salty Danish licorice with chanterelles shows up next, a strangely interesting combination. Finish is something which not only changes with exposure to air but also is one of the longest finishes of any of my wines, which proves that at times blends ARE better than single vineyard wines.