2011 Big Basin Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Pale red. Red berry and cherry pit aromas are complicated by Asian spices and dried flowers. In the mouth, spicy, incisive red fruit and bitter orange zest flavors are firmed by juicy acidity, which adds back-end lift and cut. The floral element builds with air and carries into a long, spice-dominated finish. Give this one some time to unwind.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Elegant and silky, with ripe raspberries, rose petal, underbrush and plenty of spice styled aromas and flavors, the 2011 Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard (harvested on October 2 and aged 19 months in French oak) is medium-bodied, fresh and pure, with a light, deft texture, juicy acidity and a pure, polished profile. Starting out slightly upfront and fruit-driven with air, it blossoms over the evening and has beautiful complexity and loads of class. Enjoy it over the coming decade. Drink now-2013. Based out of the Santa Cruz Mountains, proprietor/owner Bradley Brown fashions a bevy of superb efforts from throughout the Central Coast. Tel. (408) 564-7346; www.bigbasinvineyards.com
The 2011 Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard is wonderfully direct in this vintage. Mint, sweet spices, crushed flowers, licorice and fennel add complexity as the wine sits in the glass. Overall the 2011 is a bit frail and light, but pretty, as so many wines are in this vintage. The 2011 is a bit of a transitional wine that moves in a direction that is more articulately expressed in the 2012.