2018 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard

Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the 2018 Pinot Noir Los Alamos saw just a touch of stems (15%) and 18 months in 20% new French oak. Its light ruby color is followed by a perfumed, complex, medium-bodied 2018 with terrific purity of fruit, lots of spice, decayed flowers, and forest floor notes, gorgeous balance, and integrated acidity. It's another beautiful, brilliant effort to enjoy over the coming decade. Not enough can be said about the quality consistently being produced by Gavin Chanin, and he’s produced some of the top wines of 2018. Pulling primarily from sites like Bien Nacido, Los Alamos, and Sanford & Benedict, Gavin’s wines are always exceedingly elegant, with bright acidity, yet they also have depth, length, and a sense of pure class. In addition, they show singular characters. As to the winemaking, the Pinot Noirs generally see a small percentage of stems, and the new oak is kept in the 20% to 30% range pretty much across the board. Unfortunately, quantities are minuscule, so most of these releases are under 200 cases.