2012 Joseph Phelps Pinot Noir Quarter Moon Vineyard

Offering notes of black tea with a touch of cherry blossom, the Quarter Moon Pinot gives less apparent fruit than the Pastorale (though neither is fruity), a more savoury palate, and more sinewy structure. This is a concentrated wine of lean heft that is still accessible, with a focus on tannin, balancing acidity, and a long drying finish. (ECB)

Another rich, intense Pinot, the 2012 Pinot Noir Quarter Moon Vineyard offers plenty of power, but the profile is a bit more savory and mineral-driven than in the Pastorale, with less mid-palate exuberance and plenty of persistence. Hints of rose petal, lavender and cinnamon add the final layers of nuance.

Earthy and ruby-colored as well as crisp and fresh is the 2012 Pinot Noir Quarter Moon Vineyard. With abundant notes of blackberries and raspberries intermixed with a notion of wet pebbles that gives the wine a striking minerality as well as medium to full-bodied flavors, this tight, backward, promising 2012 Pinot will benefit from another year or so of bottle age, and should drink well for 10-15 years.