2012 Mercy Griva Vineyard Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir

14.9% alc., pH 3.85, TA 0.58, 185 cases, $38. Dijon clones 667 and 777, and Martini 13 and Pommard 4 clones. 100% de-stemmed, 2-day cold soak, inoculated with proprietary yeast, spending an average of 12 days on skins. Aged nearly a year in French oak barrels, 25% new. · Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Shy aromas of cherry, strawberry, and cigar smoke lead to a mid weighted style featuring red fruits overlain with significant oak-driven flavors of vanilla and char. Soft in the mouth with balanced tannins and a modest finish. When tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, it was still challenging to find a lot of Pinot character under all the oak. Score: 86. Reviewed June 18, 2016

Winery: Mercy Vineyards
From article: Sips of Recently Tasted California Pinot Noir