drink-now2012 Appassionata, Fortissimo, Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon, USA

Brand new to the Place de Bordeaux this year is a passion project by Ernie Loosen in Oregon's Willamette Valley that began in 2005. 'A great wine starts with the idea of a great wine' Ernie believes and his idea was to create a new world Pinot Noir (Burgundian vineyards were and are too expensive) but released when the wines are starting to be ready to drink - 10 years!

Smoked meat, fragrant strawberries and rose petals on the nose, delightfully beguiling and really draws you in on the first smell. Succulent and silky from the start, bright and piercing almost but then immediately softens bringing vanilla, clove, herbal raspberries, orange peel, touches of leather and meat into the mix. Still very much on the fruit but with accents of maturity that bring intrigue. 

Light and fresh, immediately so drinkable so feel free to pull the corks but this will also continue to improve with more age. Delicate yet layered with a certain push and style from the start and a real lingering of spice on the finish. Still a baby, only just starting to show what it's made of. 

Drink 2023 - 2034 

Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com (August 2023)