Rich rhubarb compote, burning incense, ripe strawberry. Spiced cranberry, hoisin sauce, blood orange peel. An angelic and aromatic assault of wild raspberry, crushed Bing cherry, and blueberry pie booms with brooding intensity bolstered in ferocity by Chinese five spice, tobacco leaf and roasted hazelnut. Hauntingly expressive spiced and smoky notes continue to manifest as cumin, coriander, and black sea salt muscularly interject above vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Lighthearted Floral tones of dried rose petal, wild lavender, and potpourri provide wafts of delicate relief amidst the brawny and deeply perfumed bouquet rife with forest floor, sauteed mushroom, soy sauce, and reoccuring blasts of umami-laden delight. Deeply-ingrained dark and decadent hints of baking chocolate, coffee grounds, and charcoal round out the attack with an exciting exclamation point of sheer brawn and might. While bold, brash, and serious on the nose the palate contains surprising vibrancy and freshness; exhibiting excellent balance, extraction, and concentration framed with a substantial helping of well-toasted oak. Full bodied with elevated grippy tannin supported by bright acidity. This 2016 "Constant Vengeance" Rancho La Viña Vineyard Pinot Noir by Three Furies Wines is a robust, rugged, and powerful red from the Santa Rita Hills. 

Although Pinot Noir is often considered to be an elegant and delicate grape, this Burgundian variety is certainly capable of achieving great heights of concentration when properly coaxed. This bottling, crafted by Three Furies Wines using Pinot Noir sourced from the Rancho La Viña Vineyard in Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills, is an excellent example of this thin-skinned variety at its most unabashedly muscular and intense. While it contains no shortage of lifted aromatics the profile of this wine leans far more towards what could be described as angry and serious rather than dainty or weightless. It reflects a full-throttle winemaking style while still maintaining balance and drinkability, and will surely impress lovers of blockbuster California Reds.