2013 La Cote Pinot Noir

The 2013 Pinot Noir La Côte is powerful and intense, but it is also quite austere. Sweet red cherries, iron, smoke, crushed rose petal, chalk and sage gradually open up in the glass, but the firm tannins clamp down on the mid-palate and finish. At this stage, La Côte is disjointed, with whole cluster and vegetal notes that dominate. It will be interesting to see how the 2013 develops over time, but both bottles I tasted were quite awkward. I also tasted the 2010, which Winemaker Sashi Moorman describes as having been like the 2013 at the same stage in its life. We will see.

Possessing slightly dark fruit characteristics, with lots of minerality, the 2013 Pinot Noir la Cote still possesses the salty, strawberry, rose petal and spice aromas and flavors that are present in all of these new releases. Medium-bodied, supple (more supple than you'd think) and nicely textured, with a balanced, very drinkable feel, it's another solid Pinot to drink over the coming 4-5 years.

Dense soy, oyster sauce, and mushroom - all umami. Then a load of cranberry and bitter cherry - ripe but with snap. Light tannin, delicate body and fully loaded flavour. Awesome. (March 2016), www.jancisrobinson.com, Drink 2016-2026