Jeff Connell
Jeff Connell
This was the very first commercial Hillier Pinot Noir. The vines were just three years old. The grower, Geoff Heinricks, was very excited and very anxious. There was really something there: pinosity, pure, cool fruit, and minerality. There was barely a whisper of tannin, but VA in spades. So, not a perfect wine by any stretch. "Would it hold up?" I thought so, without venturing a guess beyond saying "a few years". I had no idea what the VA might do.
Holding the wine for ten years was never a suggestion. But as it happened, my brother produced a bottle at Thanksgiving. The wine was a revelation. You might notice a bare hint of VA, if you were looking for it. The fruit was pure and bright, going just a little beyond primary. The acidity kept the flavours vibrant and well-structured. Possibly worth continuing the experiment if there is still a stray bottle or two lying around.
Holding the wine for ten years was never a suggestion. But as it happened, my brother produced a bottle at Thanksgiving. The wine was a revelation. You might notice a bare hint of VA, if you were looking for it. The fruit was pure and bright, going just a little beyond primary. The acidity kept the flavours vibrant and well-structured. Possibly worth continuing the experiment if there is still a stray bottle or two lying around.