Lab Report - La Encantada Vineyard
I made it home from work and popped the cork on this one at 11pm last night. Poured a glass ten minutes later and let it sit for half an hour. Room temperature was about 65 degrees, and I was using a Riedel Burgundy glass.
This wine has a powerful nose - spicier and more assertive than your typical Pinot Noir. Immediately I picked up on notes of raspberry and strawberry. Later in the night I picked up on small hints of that 'Burgundian' funk.
On the palate, the first thing that stands out for me about this wine is that it's significantly more tannic than your average PN. It has some spicy fruit along with your typical PN strawberry component. It's fairly weighty for a Pinot, in fact the mouthfeel reminds me of Syrah.
I only enjoyed a few glasses last night, so I will update this post tonight after I finish the rest of the bottle. I suspect that this wine might even be better on the second night, if the tannins are able to subside somewhat and integrate with the wine to create a more Pinor Noir-like structure. That's not to say I didn't enjoy drinking this last night, it's a very well crafted wine that makes you think as it is an unusual style for a PN.
Round Two - The Second Night
I left the bottle on the counter overnight and poured myself another sampling about an hour ago. On the first night, this wine almost demanded your attention via its uncanny style for wine made from Pinot Noir. I was unable to settle upon a conclusive assessment of its qualities on night one as it left some lingering questions regarding its structure and prominent characteristics.
Whether it's my palate or any number of other variables, from my perspective this wine has really pulled itself together by the second night. It has lost some dark fruit and alcohol on both the nose and palate, contributing to a less spicy, more Pinot Noir-like wine. The La Encantada is still a big wine by PN standards - it has a strong backbone - however it has evolved to encompass a degree of finesse that I was unable to find when I drank a few glasses last night. There is more of that funky, smelly socks component that I enjoy in my Pinot, and the tannins have subsided to create a softer, more elegant wine. From my point of view, the La Encantada was a bit off balance on night one, possibly due to 'bottle shock' from shipping (I did open it the day it was received, after all). By the second night, however, this has evolved into a wine that I can really appreciate. It's certainly a Pinot Noir, and possesses the elegance and subtleties of that varietal, but I think the terroir of the La Encantada vineyard lends it a very unique and thought provoking style.
