2018 Etude Pinot Noir Forté Fiddlestix Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Very bright and spicy with dried strawberry, white pepper and hints of chocolate and coffee. Full-to medium-bodied with lightly chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. So delicious now, but better in a year or two.
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Average Score
James Suckling
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Forté Vineyard is a selection from specific blocks of the property that see more time in barrel. Not surprisingly, the Forté is a powerhouse. Dark fruit, chocolate, licorice and spice build in an ample, sturdy wine. Both Fiddlestix Pinots are impressive in 2018.
The "Forte" label is a smaller bottling of "the most expressive" wines from the Fiddlestix Vineyard. It also gets another couple of months of aging—14 months total in French oak, 25% new. Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir Forte-Fiddlestix Vineyard has a beautiful earthiness on the nose, featuring notes of moss-covered tree bark, fertile loam and black truffles over a core of Morello cherries, mulberries and black raspberries. The medium to full-bodied palate offers a plush texture and oodles of freshness to support the delicate red and black berry layers, finishing long with impressive poise. 407 cases were made.