87 2006 Afton Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir 8/17/07 ($20)
13.8% alc
Color: Medium cherry with a touch of purple and a hint of light brown at the rim. (2.5) Bouquet: Tart raspberry, cherry and lime with a little game and cinnamon. (3.0) Body: Light middleweight that has excellent acidity with fruit and complexity complementing, but does not coat the mouth. (2.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet step-for-step with a caramel nuance in the background. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor, but alcohol gets in the way adding some bitterness. Still long and tasty. (2.5)
Overall: Impressive for a VA Pinot Noir and a very tasty Pinot period. It is light in body, but makes up for it in clean fruit, lively tart acidity and subtle nuances. For me, it drinks better than the critical evaluation (my score) suggests and is nothing short of eye-opening for a P.N. from VA. Reminiscent of a fine German P.N. or a lean red Burgundy. It has the acidity to develop in the next 1-3 years, but it may lose some of its youthful charm. Give it 45+ minutes in a decanter and drink up. (13.5)