Light woodiness, spice and ripe red and black fruits characterize this user-friendly Pinot Noir, but what really sets it apart is a haunting perfume loaded with exotic spice. I kept thinking of sandalwood, a fragrance I’m familiar with but, in musing this over as I savored the wine I realized I don’t really know what sandalwood is. Wikipedia filled in the blanks, informing me that sandalwood is a tree that’s prized especially for its essential oil, which “has a distinctive precious-wood scent that is soft, warm, smooth, creamy and milky.” As a matter of fact this was a near perfect description of Gloria Ferrer’s Pinot Noir. Well, okay, maybe not the “milky” thing, but otherwise an excellent sensory sketch of the wine.
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros (California) Pinot Noir 2010
By Marguerite Thomas