Peake Ranch, John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir

Peake Ranch, John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot NoirA barrel sample, the pale to medium ruby purple colored 2018 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard opens with a pow! on the youthful nose, giving up aromas of violet, lilac, fresh blueberry and boysenberry jam with cinnamon, orange peel, macerated strawberries, baked rhubarb and dried red cherry plus dried leaves and dusty earth accents. Medium bodied, it offers oodles of perfumed, purely defined fruits with grainy textured tannins and lip smacking

and mineral salt accents adding appeal to a satisfyingly juicy if (even at barely over 14% alcohol) very slightly warm finish

This is also quite spicy if perhaps not quite as elegant as that of the Brûlées though there is just as much depth

Slightly more rustic than its peers for now

spice cake and chargrill

and the house style is unmistakable

of this "Wine of the World" comes from America

it will be a candidate for perfection down the road

One of the finest vintages ever made by Alain Vauthier is the 2003 Moulin St

Because the underlying tannins seem phenolically mature

Powerful but not overly full in the mouth

and the oldest of the two is the 2016 Aconcagua Costa "Las Pizarras" Pinot Noir

(from very old vines situated in Clos du Village and En Combe)