2018 Clarice Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
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The 2018 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is fresh as a daisy, demonstrating how seamlessly the stems (78% in this case) and tannins integrate into Adam Lee’s wines over time. Lifted and expressive, this is such a polished package. It's a bit quiet on the nose, but there’s finesse and complexity to burn. Spiced macerated cherry, potpourri, incense and crushed rocks lead to a resolved, rounded finish. This is well executed and nowhere near peak.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Bottled under screwcap, the 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is also coming mostly from the Gary’s Vineyard and the rest from Rosella’s Vineyard. Boasting a ripe red color in the glass, it reveals beautifully layered aromatics of potpourri, dried lavender, cherry lozenge, and lifted cinnamon stick spices. The palate shows off ripe purity while remaining transparent and complex. It has a beautiful, refined texture, with supple tannins. This is a spectacular offering that’s aging at a beautifully slow rate. Drink 2024-2034.
Deep, shimmering ruby. Powerful cherry, black raspberry and boysenberry aromas are complemented by suave floral and exotic spice flourishes. Juicy and appealingly sweet, offering intense red and blue fruit, lavender pastille and succulent herb flavors that deliver a compelling blend of richness and energy. Fine-grained tannins build steadily on an impressively long, spicy finish that echoes the cherry and floral notes.
The 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands opens slowly to aromas of red berry jelly, baked blackberries, fragrant earth, tobacco leaves and bergamot. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated and spicy with perfectly ripe fruit character, a sturdy frame and long finish. This was made with about 70% to 80% whole clusters and was made with fruit from a blend of Garys' and Rosella's vineyards.