A remarkable vintage: a late cold and wet spring led to a small crop and some furrowed brows regarding whether we had the necessary days to ripen fruit (although recent experiences with 2010 and 2011 said that good and great wines were still a possibility.) Then a perfect ripening season provided the vines all the energy they needed, and winemakers the hang time they desired. As a vintage, the wines are dense, still holding on to a youthful tension but with added weight and mystery. The 2012 Pinot Noirs are coming into the window. The Whistling Ridge, Souris, Durant, and Bishop Creek are both in the plateau, and drink very well with long lives ahead but easy availability now. The 2012 Heritage No. 1 is just peeking out from behind the veil. They are superlative wines, and need air but boy are they great once they open up. The 2012 Souris will drink from now until 2030. A bottle of 2012 Whistling Ridge, drank in October of 20 needed a day to open but boy when it did…a study in red fruit, one of my favorite wines of the year. The first Heritage wine, should be a hold for now. A recent bottle showed early availability, but nothing close to peak.
2012 Chardonnays are a richer style from our norm, and at peak. Drink now.
Hold the Whistling Ridge Blanc for another 2-10 years before digging into it. This is arguably the greatest vintage, behind perhaps only 2006 for that wine. It still needs plenty of time to open, but is absolutely remarkable.
*Under natural cork there is always a distinct amount of bottle variation. As the wines age, this variation becomes more distinct. Regarding the notes here, all wines have been tasted recently, but for all bottles YMMV.*
**This post covers both Goodfellow and Matello wines.