Sarah’s Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley (California) Pinot Noir “Dwarf Oak” 2020 ($22)

This Pinot Noir is named after a diminutive 100-year-old native oak adjacent to the vineyard and is winemaker/owner Tim Slater’s symbol for sustainable farming. Over the last decade, Sarah’s has been remarkably successful with Pinot. Made entirely from the estate vineyard, this 2020 was aged for 11 months in neutral French oak, and it is a full throttle, major league Pinot at an attractive price. Its ripe boysenberry and plum aromas have an underlying earthy, leafy character that emerges with airing. Big and round on the palate and somewhat velvety in texture, it offers flavors of boysenberry, bay leaf, and clove along with light spice. It will benefit from short term cellaring and can be enjoyed now through 2027 or so.
93 Norm Roby