2017 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Isabelle

Six different vineyards. Open-top fermenters. Aged in new French oak. Light to mid cherry, darker than their Santa Maria Valley Pinot 2018. Lots of dried fruits in the aroma here, dried cherry especially and just starting to smell a bit leathery in its sweetness. Plenty of oak spice too though the oak does not dominate the nose. Rich, spicy and more oaky on the palate. A firm, savoury wine on the palate, with more of those dried-fruit flavours and the start of tertiary mulch characters. Chewy, fresh and quite dense, more power than charm and needs time still even though it is already showing some development. Spicy fruit sweetness returns on the aftertaste. (JH)