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The September 2016 Distinguished Cellar Series Auction, Part 2
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1 / 2Lot 350
Estimate: $225
OC.
Sold:
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Collection name
Reviews
92
92 WA "Vlossak remarked that it was showing better when we tasted it than it had previously . . . . In fact, the high-elevation extremities of this vineyard to which Vlossak has rights â he calls them âbrutally wind-blown (with) shit for soilâ âstruggled to ripen in such a cool vintage, but it was only two of five blocks on which he gave up hope of harvesting red wine. That still left fruit enough for 729 cases. A highly vintage-typical display of tart red currant and sour cherry tinged with fresh ginger, turmeric and sassafras, its aromatic evocation of sea breeze leading to mouthwatering salinity and myriad mineral nuances on an infectiously juicy, pungently spicy, and almost glaringly bright palate, renders the experience here unforgettably bracing. Suggestions of bloody roasted red meats add to the striking savor of a finely-tannic, grippingly and resonantly persistent Pinot, almost sure to engender excitement through at least 2020. Given the strikingly consistent success of the three vintages Iâve tasted of this wine, I canât fathom why Vlossak prices it as he does, but that certainly qualifies it as an amazing value . . . . Founder-winemaker Mark Vlossak â for much more about whom, and about St. Innocent, consult my issue 202 report â compares 2011 with the low-alcohol, high-acid Pinots he bottled in 1999, but not by way of dwelling on similarities; on the contrary. âI basically told people not to drink them,â he says of his 1999s, âand Iâm still not drinking them. Every time I open âem I just think theyâre way too young. Some may just be starting to come âround. But 2011 is completely different. Back then a lot of the vineyard was dying of phylloxera. We still had wide spacing. Now we have younger vines but with much denser spacing and more leaves to do the job.â Vlossak notes that âthe highest alcohol I got in 2011was 13%, and I didnât chaptalize anything that came in over 12.5% . . . . Fermentative extraction and pressing were both gentler than usual â and âusualâ here, Vlossak has repeatedly sought to assure me, signifies an already light touch."
Region
Red
Country
Score
92 WA "Vlossak remarked that it was showing better when we tasted it than it had previously . . . . In fact, the high-elevation extremities of this vineyard to which Vlossak has rights â he calls them âbrutally wind-blown (with) shit for soilâ âstruggled to ripen in such a cool vintage, but it was only two of five blocks on which he gave up hope of harvesting red wine. That still left fruit enough for 729 cases. A highly vintage-typical display of tart red currant and sour cherry tinged with fresh ginger, turmeric and sassafras, its aromatic evocation of sea breeze leading to mouthwatering salinity and myriad mineral nuances on an infectiously juicy, pungently spicy, and almost glaringly bright palate, renders the experience here unforgettably bracing. Suggestions of bloody roasted red meats add to the striking savor of a finely-tannic, grippingly and resonantly persistent Pinot, almost sure to engender excitement through at least 2020. Given the strikingly consistent success of the three vintages Iâve tasted of this wine, I canât fathom why Vlossak prices it as he does, but that certainly qualifies it as an amazing value . . . . Founder-winemaker Mark Vlossak â for much more about whom, and about St. Innocent, consult my issue 202 report â compares 2011 with the low-alcohol, high-acid Pinots he bottled in 1999, but not by way of dwelling on similarities; on the contrary. âI basically told people not to drink them,â he says of his 1999s, âand Iâm still not drinking them. Every time I open âem I just think theyâre way too young. Some may just be starting to come âround. But 2011 is completely different. Back then a lot of the vineyard was dying of phylloxera. We still had wide spacing. Now we have younger vines but with much denser spacing and more leaves to do the job.â Vlossak notes that âthe highest alcohol I got in 2011was 13%, and I didnât chaptalize anything that came in over 12.5% . . . . Fermentative extraction and pressing were both gentler than usual â and âusualâ here, Vlossak has repeatedly sought to assure me, signifies an already light touch."
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
A thin-skinned, terroir-sensitive red producing perfumed, silky and elegant wines of red-berry fruit and earthy complexity. It reaches its apogee in Burgundy.