2012 J. Christopher Pinot Noir Lumiere
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Tasting notes
Vivid red. Suave, expansive aromas of raspberry preserves, Asian spices, musky flowers and minerals, plus a subtle touch of smokiness. Juicy and broad in the mouth, showing a distinctly lithe quality to its sweet red fruit and floral pastille flavors. Silky tannins shape the long, focused finish, with the red fruit notes echoing emphatically. Incidentally, the excellent 2011 version of this wine is evolving quite slowly and is showing uncommon heft for the vintage.
Critic scores
Average Score
Josh Raynolds
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2012 Pinot Noir Eola Amity Hills Lumiere includes 10% cluster fruit, although Jay Somer told me that there is no intention to rank it up much higher at the moment. It comes from the northeastern flank of the Eola-Amity hills on volcanic soils with a lot of basalt and sees 20 months in 25% new French oak. It has a clean and precise bouquet with red cherries, kirsch and touches of orange sorbet that gain intensity with aeration - great clarity here and a great expression of "the dirt." The palate is medium-bodied with sappy ripe, slightly saline fruit, a little grainy texture with good density toward the finish that is a little terse and strict, but displays very fine tension. Superb.