2020 Beau Marchais Clos de Pepe VIneyard Est Pinot Noir
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Gorgeous stuff, with vibrant plum, mulberry, iron, violets, and spice, the 2020 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard Est has a thrilling texture, medium to full-bodied, ultra-fine tannins, and one heck of a great finish. It's a “wow” Pinot Noir for sure. All destemmed and aged in new oak, it can be enjoyed any time over the coming decade. It brings a beautiful mix of richness and elegance, which isn’t easy to pull off. First produced in 2019, Beau Marchais is a collaboration between California-based Adam Lee (Siduri and Clarice) and Southern Rhône superstar Philippe Cambie. Due to widespread smoke issues in the Santa Lucia Highlands in 2020, Adam opted to only release two Pinot Noirs from the Sta. Rita Hills (which wasn’t affected by smoke) in 2020. The wines are brilliant and well worth seeking out. With the passing of Philippe Cambie in 2021, the 2021 releases will be the last wines produced under this label.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2020 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard Est is brighter and more vibrant than the Pinot that emerges from the western side of the property. Crushed rocks, red berry fruit, mint, orange peel and white pepper are all laced together in this intense, finely chiseled Pinot from Adam Lee and Philippe Cambie. I would open this well in advance or cellar it for a few years to allow some of the more angular contours time to soften.
While there won't be any releases from Santa Lucia due to smoke, they were able to release their Clos Pepe Pinot Noirs. The 2020 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Est Vineyard saw 25% stems, 48 days on stems, and aging all in new barrels. Lots of mulberry, chocolate covered strawberries, and plum fruits as well as notes of orange blossom and spice emerge from the glass, and it's a rich, full-bodied, textured beauty that packs one heck of a mid-palate. With ripe tannins and an expansive, supple texture, drink this hedonistic, sexy Pinot Noir on release and over the following 7-8 years.