2012 Bergström Pinot Noir Gregory Ranch

The 2012 Pinot Noir Gregory Ranch Vineyard comes from a cooler site that Josh Bergstrom explained tends to ripen later, i.e. two or three weeks later than the Shea Vineyard. The different expositions also means that different parcels are picked at different times (in 2012 the warmer year meant that it was five days, though it can be longer.) The nose is initially reticent, but it only takes a few swirls for it reveal black plum, cranberry and crushed strawberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a certain strictness and linearity on the entry. This is nicely poised and focused with well-judged acidity, touches of sour cherry lending the second half of this Pinot Noir an edginess that I personally find very appealing and food friendly. Excellent.