Pinot Noir 2016

2016 Vintage in Pemberton:
By all accounts, 2016 was a very good vintage, bordering on excellent – if not cool and wet.  It is considered equal alongside 2013, and second only to 2014 in recent times.  This is all too evident in the wines – they are immediately classically styled, with great finesse.  The tannins on all three wines viewed last night are fine grained but plump/chewy, and all wines exhibit a lovely silken mouthfeel, which seems to be increasing each vintage (either that, or I grow to like the wines more, who’s to say).
 
2016 Pinot Noir
Classic Picardy style, the best example I’ve seen in recent times – the 2016 pinot smells the way my fondest memories tell me Picardy smells like.  This time, it’s in the flesh.  Feather light yet intense, strawberry, red cherry, red apple skins, red currant, tempered by olive tapenade and hints of pomegranate and finely crushed black pepper.  The acidity is bright .  The palate has a creaminess about it, with silky tannins – it is elegant and restrained.  The oak is creates fine structure, and is spicy; it completes the arc of the fruit, adding depth and complexity.  The finish is long and and languid – it really is such a classic wine in every respect – it speaks truly of Pemberton pinot at its best, and of the Picardy house style.  It is ethereal.