I recently tried a few bottles of Ghostwriter Pinot Noir. I have enjoyed their Chardonnay in the past and am always excited to diverse expressions of Californian wine. So I am happy to explore these wines. And in an alternate universe/life I might be happy to explore the nuances of Santa Cruz wines even further. But right now - for whatever reason (Burgundy, ahem, Burgundy) - I just don't seem to have the time!
The 2012 Aptos Creek was crisp firm dark and savory. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this certainly didn't evoke my stereotypical image of round and juicy California pinot noir. Who knows what may happen to the firmness with age? But for the moment, the inelegant beet root aspects remind me of inelegant renditions of German pinot noir, and have the commonality of lacking the Burgundy pixie dust. Still, I don't pretend to understand this wine. And it was certainly interesting.
The 2012 Belle Farms was much easier to like. Softer, rounder, juicier, but also plenty fragrant and relatively fine and delicate. Fun, but with structure, and this seems to have all the components. Again, in an alternate universe with more time I would be following this wine closely!
The 2012 Aptos Creek was crisp firm dark and savory. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this certainly didn't evoke my stereotypical image of round and juicy California pinot noir. Who knows what may happen to the firmness with age? But for the moment, the inelegant beet root aspects remind me of inelegant renditions of German pinot noir, and have the commonality of lacking the Burgundy pixie dust. Still, I don't pretend to understand this wine. And it was certainly interesting.
The 2012 Belle Farms was much easier to like. Softer, rounder, juicier, but also plenty fragrant and relatively fine and delicate. Fun, but with structure, and this seems to have all the components. Again, in an alternate universe with more time I would be following this wine closely!