MacPhail 2014 Mardikian Pinot Noir

What defines MacPhail? Our little red wagon says it all. Family. Fun. Serious when we need to be (but not too much). From the beginning, which isn’t all that long ago, we’ve believed that wine is art with a splash of science. We use traditional, old-world winemaking techniques with minimal intervention to deliver wines that are flavorful enough to tell you a lot about our exceptional vineyards in Sonoma County and Mendocino’s Anderson Valley.

In its sixth year (and third vintage) we find the vineyard offering fruit from all eight blocks planted, with a resulting step up stylistically, offering a richer, more complex wine worthy of contemplation. The character of Mardikian is still being revealed as the insights we gain from spending more time farming this treasured vineyard leads to all that Jim Pratt, Sander Scheer and I hoped when we first dusted our boots with these soils.

Alcohol: 13.8%

93 POINTS - "Lovely pure cherry, raspberry and redcurrant aromas on the nose, with a touch of violets too. Earthy and savoury in the mouth, with notes of mushroom alongside ripe, silky, structured cherry fruit. Rich, intense, long and really very good!" - Decanter

92 POINTS - "An estate-grown vineyard-designate, this impressive offering is smooth in cherry, berry and clove, with wisps of black pepper dancing around its edges. The finish is long and spicy. It's complex yet fun, and will do well at the table though it's also easy enough to enjoy on its own." - Wine Enthusiast

The third release of MacPhail's only Estate vineyard realizes the dream of having eight stellar Pinot Clones in the wine, the first time this has happened. Mardikian is a thinking person's wine, contemplative if you will, rich and opulent and not prone to showing off. This is the true Sonoma Coast, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean, and the maritime influences show. The salty air descends each day on the vineyard, leaving a distinctive and easily recognizable signature. Aromas of Asian Five Spice leave an exotic impression, followed by dark raspberry and plum and tasty down under style black licorice. The vineyard is only in its sixth leaf, so each new vintage offering is truly something special, an evolving tale that is wonderful to explore and experience.