Halcon 2019 Oppenlander Pinot Noir, Mendocino 91+ Points

The 2019 Halcon “Oppenlander” Pinot Noir opens with an amazing bouquet of crushed flowers, Bing cherries, licorice and spices that jump out of the glass. A very masculine wine, yet incredibly refined and juicy. If this were a Burgundy, I’d say Pommard! Full bodied wine, that is rich and very substantial in the fruit department – well-balanced with the right touches of acid where needed!  Lush, with an incredible velvety-textured personality.  Amazingly long finish loaded with fresh, lively fruit and silky tannins.

Winemaker Notes: “The Pinot Noir Oppenlander Vineyard is gracious and nicely lifted. Lavender, spice, dark blue/purplish fruit and mint are all nicely lifted in a mid-weight Pinot that offers an intriguing mix of forward fruit and Mendocino energy. Medium in body, with lovely energy, the 2019 Pinot is a winner”

Winery Notes: “The Oppenlander vineyard experienced a cool, consistent vintage with no extreme heat. This led to a greatly extended hang-time, with harvest occurring on October 19th. Crop level was a very typical, and modest, 1.5 tons per acre. Flavor and color development was excellent and was allied with the usual strong acids. The fruit was harvested at just 22.8 brix. This vintage we were fortunate to substitute the previous Pommard with Martini selection, which was co-fermented with two thirds clone 115. There were a couple of changes in our winemaking regime – whole-cluster utilization was increased from 40% to 75% and we aged the wine in only used French oak.”

Jeb Dunnuck 91+ Points: “Coming from a site in Mendocino County, the 2019 Pinot Noir Oppenlander Vineyard offers a semi-opaque medium ruby color as well as a terrific nose of ripe dark cherries and redcurrants intermixed with foresty, earthy nuances, spice, scrub brush, and black tea notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has beautiful overall balance and a tight, focused texture carrying ripe tannins and a great finish. The finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted, it’s going to benefit from 1-3 years of bottle age and will still be drinking well in a decade.”