2013 Thomas Fogarty Winery Pinot Noir Rapley Trail Vineyard Henry Ayrtons Block
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My favorite in the lineup, the 2013 Pinot Noir Rapley Trail Vineyard Henry Ayrton’s Block comes from the bottom slope (the entire vineyard is on a steep, east/south facing slope) where there's surprisingly the thinnest soils and the most stressed vines in the vineyard. Fermented with 50% whole cluster and aged 19 months in 50% new French oak, it has beautiful structure and depth to go with darker fruits, gunpowder, underbrush and smoked earth. Medium-bodied, elegant and even ethereal, it is a stunning Pinot Noir to drink anytime over the coming decade.
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
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A rich, explosive wine, the 2013 Pinot Noir Rapley Trail Vineyard Henry Ayrton's Block boasts serious intensity and an overall feel of exoticism, with huge buffering and chalky tannins. There is plenty of push and pull between the deep fruit and structural elements. Blood orange, chalk and white flowers all add compelling layers of dimension. It will be interesting to see if the 2013 develops a bit more finesse in bottle. Today, the Henry Ayrton's Block is the most massively tannic wine in the range. The Henry Ayrton's Block emerges from the lowest and earliest ripening portion of Rapley Trail. Like all of the wines from Rapley, the clone is Martini on AxR1.