Savaterre 2013 Pinot Noir
"Savaterre Pinot Noir and Savaterre Chardonnay have held equal quality billing over the years. I’ve never asked which one is the easier sell. Both have been stars over the past decade and a bit. This is another excellent release. It’s slowly becoming less Italianate and, as a result, prettier. Less overt grunt, a little more sinew, and with florals and perfumed fruits lifting through the spice. Cherry-plum here, some cranberry, twigs and herbs, chicory. Woodsmoke. Deli meats. It’s all going on here. I looked at this over the course of two days; it kept getting better and better throughout. I suspect it will mature beautifully.
Rated : 93+ Points"
Mike Bennie - The Wine Front
Pinot Noir is a highly desirable mistress that is unforgiving of anything other than your full attention. Turn your head and she is gone. If you’re not at the top of your game as a winemaker small things turn into incremental failure. We don’t have to worry about the 2013s. They are terrific and I think my best. More seductive, more complete and alive with vitality and expression.
On the nose layered seductive fruit some red pomegranate, cherry, star anise and red currant notes interlinked in the dark fruit, hints of rose petal and truffle. Delicate undergrowth, intense, rich and complex, with the powerful Savaterre minerality lurking in the background.
On the palate deep and weighty red fruit, morello cherry, powerful and focused while displaying feminine elegance. A strong underlying mineral backbone displaying vibrant and dense red fruit. A beautiful balance of fruit, tannin and acidity. A mighty wine with two decades ahead of it …a bright future with the complex layers of juicy red fruit and the magnificent minerality as a very solid foundation. Umami to go!
Love this vintage!