2010 Tendril Wine Cellars Pinot Noir White Label

Encountered not long after it had been sulfured in preparation for bottling, the Tendril 2010 Pinot Noir White Label nevertheless acquitted itself admirably, though I have scored it to allow for the possibility of a short-term bounce-back. Luscious pure cherry and cassis are tinged with stone and iodine on a palate remarkably silken, even subtly creamy in texture for so youthful a wine and one from such a generally high-acid and relatively lean vintage. More predictable given its vintage is the lovely sense of levity projected here. The tank of berry skin, crunch of seeds, and a note of raw ginger all add to the energetic ping on a mouthwateringly persistent finish. There is a slightly detached sense of the barrel here by way of caramelized resin, but it may well integrate. I suspect this will remain lovely for at least 6-8 years. Tony Rynders – for an account of whose winemaking for Cornerstone as well as for his small clients Bomb, Carden Cellars, Saffron Fields, Sitar, and Swiftwater Cellars, see the separate accounts in this report – started his own label as well as his consulting business when he left Domaine Serene in 2008 after a decade’s service. Rynders will soon plant a vineyard of his own near Carlton, and is already a partner in a vineyard project in Walla Walla. His Pinots are entirely destemmed and enjoy a long cold soak. He acidified the wines that I tasted on this occasion, and chaptalized the 2010s among them, in this and other respects expressing the opinion that being judicious is the critical quality determinant rather than drawing any lines in the sand. The young wines are thoroughly settled before going to barrels, 40% and 70-75% of which, respectively, are new for his White Label and Tight Rope cuvees, which as my notes suggest, I found slightly disadvantageous for the youthful Tight Rope cuvees. Tel. (503) 858-4524