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The April 2021 Auction: Part 5
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1 / 2Lot 1015
Estimate: $65
Bin soiled, lightly scuffed, lightly damp stained label.
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Collection name
Reviews
94WA
"The 2015 Pinot Noir Memorious is a wonderful wine that soars from the glass with notes of red cherry, potpourri, orange rind, savory underbrush and rock salt, more evidently influenced by its whole cluster fermentation than the 2016 rendition, even though they were vinified in the same way. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and satiny, even silky, with an expansive attack, fine-grained tannins and a long, tangy finish. The just-released 2015s are the best vintage yet from Domaine de la CĂ´te, and the 2016s may prove to be even better. The vintages were quite different: in 2015, stressed vines set a tiny crop, and their shoots didn't reach the top trellis wire; 2016 was more typicalâthough far from generous, as this incredibly marginal site (cooler than the CĂ´te de Nuits) simply can't sustain a large yield. Reflecting back on the last few vintages, Parr and Moorman observe that as these densely planted vines mature, they're producing more consistent results and delivering slightly higher natural alcohols. The 2016s came in between 13% and 13.6% alcohol, and though they lost a little during maturation, that's almost a percentage higher than the 2012s, 2013s and 2014s. That seems to lend the wines a touch more mid-palate amplitude, and they also display greater concentration than the last few vintages. To recapitulate what readers may already know, these Pinot Noirs are fermented with significant percentages of whole clusters and without temperature control, then matured in barrels from Tonnellerie Ermitage, the percentage of new wood varying by cuvĂŠe. The results are aromatic, sapid reds that evoke the great wines of Burgundy but find a distinctive personality of their own. Without reigniting the stylistic debates that characterized the last decade of California's wine conversation, it's clear that Parr and Moorman have found the perfect site to make the kinds of wines they like to drink, and no one can argue with what they've achieved in 2015 and 2016. To my palate, Domaine de la CĂ´te now numbers among the most exciting producers of Pinot Noir in California precisely because of that synergy between style and site."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"The 2015 Pinot Noir Memorious is a wonderful wine that soars from the glass with notes of red cherry, potpourri, orange rind, savory underbrush and rock salt, more evidently influenced by its whole cluster fermentation than the 2016 rendition, even though they were vinified in the same way. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and satiny, even silky, with an expansive attack, fine-grained tannins and a long, tangy finish. The just-released 2015s are the best vintage yet from Domaine de la CĂ´te, and the 2016s may prove to be even better. The vintages were quite different: in 2015, stressed vines set a tiny crop, and their shoots didn't reach the top trellis wire; 2016 was more typicalâthough far from generous, as this incredibly marginal site (cooler than the CĂ´te de Nuits) simply can't sustain a large yield. Reflecting back on the last few vintages, Parr and Moorman observe that as these densely planted vines mature, they're producing more consistent results and delivering slightly higher natural alcohols. The 2016s came in between 13% and 13.6% alcohol, and though they lost a little during maturation, that's almost a percentage higher than the 2012s, 2013s and 2014s. That seems to lend the wines a touch more mid-palate amplitude, and they also display greater concentration than the last few vintages. To recapitulate what readers may already know, these Pinot Noirs are fermented with significant percentages of whole clusters and without temperature control, then matured in barrels from Tonnellerie Ermitage, the percentage of new wood varying by cuvĂŠe. The results are aromatic, sapid reds that evoke the great wines of Burgundy but find a distinctive personality of their own. Without reigniting the stylistic debates that characterized the last decade of California's wine conversation, it's clear that Parr and Moorman have found the perfect site to make the kinds of wines they like to drink, and no one can argue with what they've achieved in 2015 and 2016. To my palate, Domaine de la CĂ´te now numbers among the most exciting producers of Pinot Noir in California precisely because of that synergy between style and site."
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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.