2015 Knox Alexander Pinot Noir

The 2015 Pinot Noir Knox Alexander is from the Bien Nacido and Le Bon Climat vineyards and spent 18 months in new oak. This light ruby/translucent colored effort is a dead ringer for a Côte du Nuits with its tart cherry, forest floor/mossy nuances, spice box, and earthy aromas and flavors. Vibrant, juicy and slightly tart on the palate, with good acidity and solid overall balance, it's not for those looking for new world aromas and textures but is going to appeal to the Burgundy lovers out there, and it should age gracefully as well.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Knox Alexander is absolutely gorgeous. Silky and perfumed, with terrific freshness, the Knox Alexander has too much to offer. Sage, mint, hard candy and red cherry fruit are all fused together in this super-expressive Pinot. A dollop of whole clusters adds aromatic intensity without dominating the balance, while the 100% new French oak is already very nicely integrated. The Knox Alexander is a selection mostly taken from the Block 11 at Bien Nacido, one of the northern-facing parcels on the ranch.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Knox Alexander is excellent, wafting from the glass with notes of griotte cherry, sweet soil, toasty new oak and currants. On the palate, the wine is supple and generous, more velvety and seductive than the Isabelle, with an ample core of fruit, juicy acids and fine structuring tannins.