The 2019 Clarice Wine Company Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir originates in the Pommard clone and Pisoni Selection sections of this iconic vineyard. Instead of picking these sections separately at ideal ripeness, they were always sampled and finally picked as one wine. The fruit was picked September 21, 2019 and brought to the winery where it was hand-sorted with 66.9% of the fruit retained as whole clusters and placed in the bottom of the tank. After looking at the must and the overall yields, approximately 20% of the must was bled off and given away. The remaining must was chilled and started fermenting spontaneously after approximately 9 days. Eighteen days later, at the conclusion of fermentation, the wine was drained directly to barrel. Ultimately, 62.5% of the barrels were selected for the final wine. Up to this point, this is undeniably the finest Clarice Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir produced.
“The finest wine I’ve ever tasted from Adam is the 2019 Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard. Offering a full-bodied, clean, wonderfully textured, and flawlessly balanced profile, it reveals a pretty, nuanced bouquet of assorted red and black fruits, sassafras, and violets. Certainly my favorite of the trio in 2019, this brilliant Pinot Noir can be enjoyed any time over the coming decade, if not longer.”
Finally we have the Rosella’s Vineyard. More reticent on the nose than previous vintages at this stage, I was able to coax a briar patch of dark crushed cherry, blackberry, and plum sauce, with star anise and clove putting a toe in the pool. The fruit holds on the second day, while the spice is replaced with potpourri. Nearly full bodied, the tannins are dense and slightly grainy, taking their time to reveal a core of pleasant acid. Flavors include cherry, plum, blackberry, tobacco leaf, wet soil, and just a touch of graphite minerality, all with a slightly savory twinge. The density of this suggests this has an upward trajectory that, if you can sit on this for a solid three or four years, promises reward. 94 points, value B+.