Drink up, and move on.
Have you ever fallen in love with someone’s beauty and vitality, enjoyed them to the hilt all evening – only to find the attraction had dissipated by morning? That’s the experience I had with this Pinot Noir by Gary Farrell Winery, wonderful as an aperitif; but it lost its appeal the next day.
First of all, the label is smartly sophisticated, like a Navy dress uniform.
The garnet-red wine itself has a lifted feel, with an aroma hinting of flowers, earth and burnt sugary-fruit. On the palate, very mature fruit is surrounded by well-integrated tannins, and shot through with acidity that blossoms in the long, plummy finish. Fruit plays second fiddle to body in this wine, which has elements of both New and Old World in its style.
My advice: Seize the moment! Open the wine before dinner and enjoy it. Finish the bottle. Don’t look back.
And to compare, here is another Gary Farrell single vineyard pinot noir with a bit more heft.
WHO: Gary Farrell Winery
WHERE: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
WHAT: 100% pinot noir
HOW MUCH: $71
RATING: 90 points