2016 Big Basin Vineyards - Lester Family Vineyard Pinot

2016 Big Basin Vineyards - Lester Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (92 pts) @bigbasinvineyards @scmwine · 🙋‍♂️ Have you tried wine from Santa Cruz Mountains❓· ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Pinot Noir from a single vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA of California. The vineyard is south facing to catch the sun, but then moderated by the cool air and fog from the Monterey Bay just 3 miles away. Vine age is 18 years old. Soils are Sandy clay loam. The winemaking is minimal intervention. Hand harvested, 💯 whole cluster, and native yeast fermentation. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels with 25% new oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered· 👁 Medium- ruby color· 👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of floral, violets, ripe red currant, red cherry, herbal, menthol, lavender, stemmy, oak, and cinnamon· 👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium- chalky tannins, medium alcohol, and medium body. A medium length finish of stems, violets, and lavender· 🔔 My first wine from Big Basin Vineyards and I am impressed. This is extremely well put together, the wine comes in at 13.3% ABV and feels even lighter than that. I seriously just want to smell this wine, the slight minty/menthol notes work with the lavender and violets. This wine could be a perfume. Oak adds a slight spice on the palate. A great example of whole cluster fermentation to lift the aromatics while not stomping on the ripe red fruit notes. Exceptional 🙌