2012 Ceritas Pinot Noir Escarpa Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Pinot Noir Escarpa Vineyard is another super-distinctive wine. The old vines planted in 1978 confer notable darkness and power. Dark red and purplish fruit, cloves and incense are some of the notes that race across the palate as this deep, powerful Pinot shows off its considerable pedigree and class. This is a pretty big wine for Ceritas, but all the elements fall into place effortlessly.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright ruby. Intense mineral- and spice-accented red berry aromas show excellent clarity and a sexy floral pastille quality, plus a touch of blood orange in the background. Suave and seamless in texture, displaying palate-staining raspberry and rose pastille flavors. Finishes extremely long, with superb clarity, power and smooth, fully absorbed tannins. (JR)
The 2012 Pinot Noir Escarpa is the richest and most layered of these Pinots. Sweet tobacco, dark cherries, leather and earthiness take shape in the glass as the wine opens up. A masculine, broad-shouldered wine, the Escarpa is quite imposing, even when rendered in the laid-back Ceritas style. The firm tannins are going to need time to meld together, but I expect the 2012 will always retain some of its wild, gamy, earthy character. There is no shortage of personality. Sadly, 2012 is going to be the last vintage for a while, as the vineyard is being replanted.
About the producer
Created in 2005 by John Raytek, Ceritas is one of California’s most exciting producers. The project is focused on making single-site wines from Northern California’s coastal regions, largely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.