Description
Easkoot, “Chileno Valley Vineyard” Pinot Noir
While it remains true that I count a bottle of gorgeously refined Chambolle-Musigny to be among wine’s greatest pleasures, I can’t help but stir up some controversy today: Given the choice between Easkoot’s $35 “Chileno Valley” Pinot Noir and a $70 Chambolle, my money’s going towards two bottles of Easkoot. In just a few vintages, Easkoot’s hauntingly aromatic and richly textured Pinot Noirs have rocked the scene and tacitly called upon elite Burgundy to reevaluate their price-to-quality model.
Tack on their commitment to sustainable farming, hands-off winemaking, and single-origin bottlings, and I can’t help but fall heavily for Easkoot’s small-batch gems—therein lies the nagging dilemma. These wines are crafted in ridiculously tiny numbers (today’s 2017 clocks in at a paltry 188 cases), leaving a horde of consumers empty-handed each year. So, stockpile as many as you can because each lush, elegant, resoundingly pure release is cool-climate California Pinot at its best. Plus, you can’t find it for a better price!
Captain Alfred Derby Easkoot. What a name, what a pioneer. It was this man who was christened as Marin County’s first land surveyor in the 1800s, and today’s eponymous label is a deferential nod. Easkoot Cellars’ inaugural vintage came in 2009 and over the past decade, the sole focus has been on seeking out prime vineyards along the coast and crafting small-batch, parcel-designated wines. “Chileno Valley Vineyard” is a top-performing, 34-acre site planted in 1991 that’s currently farmed by dyed-in-the-wool farmer Mark Pasternak. Nestled deep in the hills of Marin County and wedged between the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay, this is a cool, late-ripening site that produces structured and beautifully balanced Pinot Noir from Dijon and Pommard clones. You won’t find overly ripe, high alcohol wines here—and that’s especially true for a minimalist producer like Easkoot.
After a meticulous hand harvest, the Pinot is trucked to the cellar where they slowly ferment, 20% whole cluster intact, on indigenous yeasts. The resulting wine is then transferred into mostly used French oak—they use high-quality Marcel Cadet barrels—for approximately 12-15 months before additional aging in bottle.
Given a quick 15-minute decant, Easkoot’s 2017 “Chileno Valley” Pinot Noir roars out of the glass with lush, high-toned aromas of black cherry liqueur, ripe wild strawberry, spiced plum, Kola nut, candied violets, crushed rose petals, red licorice, damp moss, and hints of baking spice from the 10% kiss of new oak. Out of the last three vintages I’ve tasted, this is the lushest of the bunch, and I’m here for it because the medium-plus-bodied palate is kept in check by coursing acidity and verve. Imagine a hybrid between a hedonistic Chambolle-Musigny and top-dollar, cool-vintage Central Otago and you’re in the realm of today’s delicious Pinot Noir. Enjoy now in large Burgundy stems and stash away your others for consumption over the next 2-5 years to experience even more savory textures and nuanced complexities. Cheers!
