By Ponzi family standards, the 80-acre certified sustainable Aurora Vineyard isn’t an especially old site at 25 years. And Luisa Ponzi, who took over the winemaking as Aurora was established, nurtured this bottling into one of the most pleasing examples of Pinot Noir our panel has evaluated in 2018. A product of that historically hot vintage, this prized harvest spent five days in a cold soak during which the fermentation reached a rather warm 90 degrees. A week beyond that, half of this eight-barrel lot began 20 months of aging new French oak. Now in the glass, it’s sultry as aromas of plum and Marionberry include dark toast and baking spice. Suave tannins allow for full enjoyment of the blackberry, strawberry and minty flavors that lead out with delightful cherry juice acidity and a lick of chocolate.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 140 cases
Alcohol: 14.2%
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