2011 Horseshoe Vineyard Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
One of the most youthful 2011s in the lineup, the 2011 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard has serious amount of pepper to go with a darker slant to its fruit; blackberry, ground herbs, charcoal, smoked earth and licorice are just some of the nuances here, and blind, cool-climate Syrah would be the common guess. Nevertheless, it's all Pinot on the palate and has a medium-bodied, supple, seamless and elegant texture that carries plenty of fruit, fine tannin and good acidity that stays integrated and clean through finish. This is a gorgeous 2011 that readers need to seek out.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard is another of the hugely intriguing wines in this range. It brings together the intensely perfumed, savory notes found in some of the other wines, but here the fruit is rich, deep and marvelously resonant. Dark cherry, menthol, sage, smoke and licorice all build to a huge, explosive finish laced with distinct Syrah-inflected overtones. This should be a fascinating wine to follow over the next decade-plus. The 2011 was made from fully destemmed fruit.
(raised in 57% new oak and made entirely with de-stemmed fruit): Bright red. A highly complex nose displays scents of black raspberry, cola, potpourri, sandalwood and smoky minerals. Smells like a cross between a florist's and a head shop. Juicy red fruit and spicecake flavors of superb intensity are lifted by a sexy floral nuance and firmed by tangy acidity. Finishes with sweet, silky tannins and excellent persistence, trailing a strong rose pastille note.