2016 Donelan Pinot Noir Barbed Oak Vineyard Cushing's Block
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In a completely different style compared to the Tripp's Block Pinot Noir, the 2016 Pinot Noir Cushing's Block comes from the Barbed Oak Vineyard in Bennett Valley and is a mix of Calera, Swan, and Pommard clones. It offers a ripe, exotic bouquet of plums, macerated black cherries, blood orange, sage, and spices. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and ripe, it nevertheless stays pure and beautifully balanced, with considerable elegance. It benefits from a decant and, like Tripp's Block, it will keep for over a decade.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2016 Pinot Noir Cushing's Block emerges from Barbed Oak Vineyard in Bennett Valley and is the deepest of the three Donelan Pinots. Pliant and inviting, with lovely top notes, the 2016 is super-expressive today, not to mention a real beauty. All the best elements of the Donelan house style are deftly balanced in this impeccable, absolutely delicious wine.
Pinot Noir yields were very low this year due to poor fruit set, and clusters/berries were very tiny this year. This vintage also marks the inclusion of 20% Swan clone fruit, in addition to the primarily Calera clone fruit. The 2016 Pinot Noir Cushing’s Block aged for 18 months in 30% new oak and saw 20% whole cluster. Medium ruby in color, it has a lovely, broody nose of rose petal, crushed black cherries and blackberries, pomegranate, kirsch, and underlying notions of bitter chocolate and moss-covered bark—a dense, dark nose. Medium to full-bodied, it packs in the wonderfully sweet ripe fruits in the mouth with earthy notions, framed by firm, fine, grainy tannins and good freshness to lift the long, very flavorful finish. 222 cases were made.