2013 Sandhi Pinot Noir La Cote
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Tasting notes
The 2013 Pinot Noir La Cote comes from a fringe site on the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation that’s about as close to the Pacific Ocean as it gets. It offers a more rounded, medium to full-bodied style as well as a singular bouquet of framboise, olive tapenade, rose garden and game. Fleshy, rounded, and layered, with lots of stem character and moderate acidity, drink it anytime over the coming decade. These Sandhi releases, which were purchased locally in Colorado, stay true to the Sandhi profile of lively, fresh wines.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2013 Pinot Noir La Côte is quirky and exotic, with distinctly high-toned aromatics and a slighly austere personality, especially through the mid-palate and finish, where the fruit is a bit muted today. Orange peel, white pepper, iron, chalk, rose petal, game and cranberry open up in e beguiling but infant Pinot that needs time. It will be interesting to see how much the 2013 develops in bottle, and specifically, if it gains a bit more volume or remains clenched.
Reminiscent of the Domaine de la Cote releases with its salty, olive tapenade, underbrush, rose petal and strawberry and framboise-driven bouquet, the 2013 Pinot Noir la Cote has outstanding purity and freshness in its medium-bodied, supple, rounded and layered profile. Distinctly different than the other Pinot's here, it has an almost gamy profile and a more soft, approachable texture, and I suspect the pH is quite a bit higher as well. Give it a year or so in the cellar and drink bottles through 2023.