2011’s cool weather brought a different profile to this bottling, usually one of Goldeneye’s bolder offerings, and I like it. It’s more elegant than in previous years, displaying a big sarsaparilla nose, with plum, cherry, rhubarb, baker’s chocolate, leafy notes, cardamom, cinnamon, and a little minty character from the wild pennyroyal that grows in the vineyard. Palate entry is soft, but it delivers a bracing acid kick on the back. It needs some air time, but really develops complexity in the glass. The finish is long and well integrated. Very pleasing now, and will develop even more complexity with some bottle aging.
Goldeneye, Anderson Valley (California) Pinot Noir 2011
By Rich Cook