Bearwallow Vineyard, Pinot Noir, 2021
Coming from the northern Mendocino Anderson Valley, Bearwallow offers up a loamy, light earthy tone to the fruit – a wonderful overlay that counters the naturally richer fruit this part of California produces. Polished plummy fruit mingles with light spice before the classic mineral Bearwallow sting rises up on the finish. Crushed rocks, red fruits gaining in precision with air, this has the air of a particularly fine and energetic Bearwallow. Another best yet? Don’t bet against it…
critic reviews
Previously bottled under the Alesia label, the 2021 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley is laden with aromas of evergreen, black cherries and crushed chalk. The palate balances soft approachability and dark-fruited, lacy concentration. The finish shows impressive length and meaty intensity, concluding with a soft, graceful landing. This will certainly gain dimension with time in the cellar but is primed for enjoyment now.
The 2021 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is a powerful, somber wine in its first impression. Black fruit, spice, tobacco, charcoal embers and graphite infuse the 2021 with tons of gravitas. A Pinot of imposing depth and structure, the Bearwallow is incredibly impressive in the early going. Extended aeration brings out the wine's inner sweetness and perfume, along with a more refined dimension that is not apparent initially. The Anderson Valley Pinots have always played second fiddle to the Santa Cruz Mountains bottlings within this range, but that is starting to change.