2016 DuMOL Pinot Noir Wildrose Estate

The 2016 Pinot Noir Wildrose Vineyard comes from an estate parcel planted in 1999. It saw one-third whole clusters in the fermentation and was brought up in a mix of new and used French oak. Lots of savory red fruits, wood smoke, forest floor, and meaty notes give way to a medium-bodied, elegant, layered Pinot Noir that has loads to love. It’s one of the more complex wines in the lineup. I still remember tasting with Andy Smith while I was writing The Rhône Report and I was thrilled to be able to sit down and go through all of his wines on this occasion. Stylistically, Smith makes a fresh, vibrant style of wine, yet I never find them lacking for depth and or texture. Looking at the Chardonnays, these are made in a reductive, age-worthy style and the clear majority have distinctly Burgundian profiles. These are beautiful wines that, at least to my palate, surpass the quality of the Pinot Noirs, which are slightly more variable. Nevertheless, the top Pinot Noirs are certainly up with the crème de la crème of the region. While Andy favors a tight, age-worthy style of Chardonnay, the Pinot Noirs are made in a slightly more forward style. In addition to the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, DuMOL also produces a handful of world-class Syrahs, as well as one of the top examples of Viognier coming out of California. Both the 2015s and 2016s reviewed here are terrific wines, with the 2016s showing slightly more balance and elegance, but you can’t go wrong with either vintage here.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Aidan (from Wildrose Vineyard) gives beautiful floral notions of violets and lavender over a core of black and red cherries, wild blueberries and mulberries plus wafts of underbrush and menthol. Medium-bodied it sports tons of red and blue fruits and a nice plush frame, finishing long and lively.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Wildrose Vineyard has a good bit of energy and tension to play off the rich, sumptuous fruit that is a signature of these wines in 2016. Powerful, driving and structured, the 2016 offers terrific balance and tons of personality. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and mint notes are given an added kick of aromatic lift from a healthy dollop (33%) of whole clusters.