Fall Release Wildrose Vineyard Aidan Pinot Noir
2012

Winemaker’s Notes

As befits this mild, generous vintage our 2012 Aidan release is a touch softer than previous years, probably most comparable to the 2006 vintage. It beautifully displays the best of our coastal district’s breezy freshness and fruit purity. The most observant among you will notice we have changed the wine’s appellation designation to Sonoma Coast to better reflect the vineyard’s cool coastal site and recent wine style. It’s more vibrant and cherry-scented than is typical of the RRV, more earth and liveliness than round softness. There’s plenty of spiced fruit and savory richness here with a tangy rhubarb, herb-scented core and fresh tarragon and tobacco complexity. Common to most of our 2012 Pinots, there’s more savory character here than previous vintages and slightly less overt fruit and it’s the wine’s full mouth-coating tannins and bright acidity that really allow the wine to glide along the palate to its clean, precise finish. Really a delicious bottling that’s ready to drink on release.

Aromatically beautiful and bursting with fruit purity: bing cherry, fresh raspberry and balsamic strawberries. Then savory complexity: sage and bergamot, freshly-turned earth, pine needle freshness. Quite solid in the mouth, full of fruit and spices, generous and layered, even chewy. Prickly rosehip tartness with air then tighter and focused, more linear. Long in the mouth. Drink between 2014 and 2020.

Andy Smith