2015 Cuvee Cinema Pinot Noir

The 2015 Pinot Noir Cuvée Cinema was fermented using only native yeasts with a ratio of whole berries (60%) to whole clusters (40%) in a stainless steel tank. The total time in tank was 28 days. The wine was then transferred to barrel (30% new) where it remained for 11 months before bottling. It has an attractive bouquet, a little more feral than its peers, mainly red fruit with a subtle savory component. Just a bit diffuse, with a little Brettanomyces? The palate has a light grip and decent acidity, a Pinot made in a lighter style with a Burgundian finish. It lacks a bit of length and vigor, therefore, I don't think it will improve further, and it loses some cohesion in the glass. Tasted blind at the 10-Year-On horizontal in London.

(14% alcohol; both this wine and the Peter Max Pinot were vinified partly with whole clusters): Healthy full, bright red. Still a touch of smoky reduction to the aromas of raspberry, strawberry and earth. Round, fat and spicy but dry, conveying satisfying mouthfilling texture and depth without any undue weight. Boasts rich raspberry and strawberry fruit in a very ripe style but still needs time to unfold. This wine showcases the breadth and textural richness of the vintage, but still has some baby fat to burn off, not to mention an element of smoky reduction. Just a tad warm in the early going. Bigger than the Peter Max but not yet showing the perfume of that wine.

The 2015 Cuvee Cinema Pinot Noir was demonstrating just a touch of reduction, so do not be afraid to introduce this to your favorite carafe. The palate is medium-boiled with sappy red and blue fruit, supple tannins, lovely swagger and style here with a long and sumptuous finish. I adore the manner in which this just shook off its bashful nature and blossomed in the glass, to the point where it might well be the best release from Crystallum this vintage. Go seek, go buy, go drink.