2014 Appassionata Fortissimo Pinot Noir

Auslieferung bis zum Frühjahr 2026!
Delivery until Spring 2026!

Oregon; 100% Pinot Noir sourced from 11 different plots with very different expositions on volcanic clay terroirs in the Dundee Hills; 12.8% alcohol; tasted with Timothy Malone, the winemaker and Robert Bertheau, consultant wine-maker; matured for 18-20 months in French oak barriques, 25% of which were new; no fining or filtering; bottled 22-24 months after vinification and held for 10 years, guaranteeing provenance; just 98 cases made). One of three Appassionata wines with different aging profiles – this the wine for long-aging and the latest to be released. A wine constructed to age. The first vintage was 2005, a wine that has still to be released. The natural acidity is the crucial factor here. Overall, a pretty easy vintage with early bud-break, warm and generally dry conditions, a generous yield and no significant difficulties during the harvest. With more fruit on the vines the longer hang time in fact produced less potential alcohol – and this comes in at 12.8%. This is gracious and poised with great intensity and a massive sense of vertical lift. Despite the bottle age already this is defined by the youthful brilliance of the bright crunchy red berry fruits. We have a little aged armchair leather, a hint of black tea leaf with a whiff of smoke – Russian caravan tea perhaps. There’s a slightly bloody gamey note too that is redolent of the 2013. And a rich but subtle nuttiness. This is truly excellent and better still than the 2013. Soft on the entry, caressing in the mid-palate and long and rippling on the finish as the tannins engage and break up a little the smooth exterior. There’s still a fair bit of tannin, with a lovely granularity guaranteeing an almost infinite aging potential. A special and unique wine that is sapid and iron-rich on the extraordinarily long and tapering finish.
98/100 Colin Hay; The Drinks Business