by Patchen Markell » Sat May 07, 2016 9:19 pm
In the wake of the recent discussion of the Evening Land "Seven Springs" Pinot, I picked up two bottles of the Kelley Fox 2013 McMinnville Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard. 13.0%, $40. Screwcapped. This is much more immediately expressive on the nose than the EL had been: on opening, it's floral with some ripe-strawberry notes, with puckering acidity and some grippy tannins in the mouth, but it quickly smooths out. The wine follows an arc over three hours from red fruit with flowers, minerals and a little earth toward darker, black-cherry fruit with licorice, and eventually becomes very deep and plummy with a rich, spicy finish. At each stage, something of the earlier part of the arc is still perceptible, and the wine has a feeling of elegantly restrained power throughout. I really like the fact that this sees no new wood: it doesn't feel like it's missing anything. Impressive and satisfying, and a nice match with a salmon, morel, and spring vegetable dinner to celebrate the first outdoor farmer's market of the year.
cheers, Patchen
