2016 Finn Pinot Noir

The 2016 Pinot Noir Finn is dense, pliant and super-expressive, with superb depth and all of the textural resonance that makes Russian River Pinot so undeniably alluring. Bright red cherry, plum, dried rose petal and spice all develop with time in the glass. The 2016 is even more impressive from bottle than it was from barrel. Best of all, it will drink well with minimal cellaring.

Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Finn bursts forth with vivacious notions of red cherries, pomegranate and rhubarb plus nuances of violets, dried herbs, underbrush, mossy bark and black tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is firmly textured with ripe grainy tannins and possesses lovely freshness, which coaxes the elegant earthy flavors to a nice, long finish.

Unquestionably the top wine, as well as one of the top handful of wines in the vintage, the 2016 Pinot Noir Finn is, as always, a blend of the Estate (55%) and Occidental Roads (45%) vineyards. It has a huge attack, a big, full, deep mid-palate, building tannin, and extraordinary notes of red currants, underbrush, leafy herbs, and sous bois. With lots of concentration, lots of acidity, and lots of tannins, it’s an awesome effort that needs to be forgotten for 3-5 years and enjoyed over the following decade. Hats off to winemaker Andy Smith for this blockbuster effort. I still remember tasting with Andy Smith while I was writing The Rhône Report and I was thrilled to be able to sit down and go through all of his wines on this occasion. Stylistically, Smith makes a fresh, vibrant style of wine, yet I never find them lacking for depth and or texture. Looking at the Chardonnays, these are made in a reductive, age-worthy style and the clear majority have distinctly Burgundian profiles. These are beautiful wines that, at least to my palate, surpass the quality of the Pinot Noirs, which are slightly more variable. Nevertheless, the top Pinot Noirs are certainly up with the crème de la crème of the region. While Andy favors a tight, age-worthy style of Chardonnay, the Pinot Noirs are made in a slightly more forward style. In addition to the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, DuMOL also produces a handful of world-class Syrahs, as well as one of the top examples of Viognier coming out of California. Both the 2015s and 2016s reviewed here are terrific wines, with the 2016s showing slightly more balance and elegance, but you can’t go wrong with either vintage here.