2014 “Citius” Old Farm Vineyard Pinot Noir - Alta Pavina

Tart pie cherry, wild bramble, plump blueberry. Rhubarb preserve, lavender oil, rich strawberry glaze. Parched earth and calcareous dust, undergrowth and white truffle. Seemingly ripe and modern fruit-driven aromatics radiate out cranberry concentrate, blood orange, and raspberry puree with wonderfully concentration and lift. Pine needle, twigs, and iris complement pleasant forest and floral notes added by a dusting of cumin, vanilla, anise, and baking spice. Earth tones are present on the nose but absolutely explode on the palate as intense limestone minerality ensures its existence is clearly felt. Fruit that first appeared forward and lush abruptly shifts to something far more tart and subdued allowing soil to tell its tale with minimal interruption. Medium plus in body with pronounced chalky tannin and lively acidity; showing unexpectedly old world structure and restraint. This 2014 "Citius" Old Farm Vineyard Pinot Noir by Alta Pavina is a thoroughly unconventional and tremendously interesting red from Ribera del Duero.

The Spanish region of Ribera del Duero produces some of the world's greatest red wine, but due to strict regional laws these wines must be made primarily from the Tempranillo grape to be sold as Ribera del Duero. This bottling, crafted by Alta Pavina using 100% Pinot Noir sourced from a single high elevation vineyard site in Ribera del Duero, proves that perhaps tight regulations can actually limit a producers ability to express their vineyard's distinct terroir. This unique wine delightfully presents ripe fruit, pronounced earthiness, and old world structure together in a delicious yet unexpected package, and accurately conveys the character of its place of origin. Although Ribera Del Duero is considered a warm climate region vineyards at high elevations can actually be quite cold, and this climate combined with soils rich in calcareous limestone can make an ideal setting for Pinot. It takes a daring and adventurous producer to go against the grain in classic old world regions and we applaud Alta Pavina's boldness here.