Vinous – Antonio Galloni

2013 Sonría Wines Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard – 91 points

Vivid red. Fresh raspberry, cherry-cola and blood orange aromas show very good energy and pick up a smoky nuance with aeration. Smooth, seamless and appealingly sweet, with good heft to its juicy red fruit, vanilla and rose pastille flavors. In a round, fairly robust style for the vintage, with strong closing punch and dusty tannins coming in late to add shape and grip to a long, sappy finish. Keith Emerson, (no, not that Keith Emerson) of Vineyard 29 in the Napa Valley has been making a Pinot Noir from Shea Vineyard fruit since the 2009 vintage. The grapes are brought down to California in a refrigerated truck and made at his gravity-flow winery in St. Helena.