CLARICE SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PINOT NOIR 2021

95 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous Deep garnet color. Heady aromas of raspberry, boysenberry, incense andpotpourri, with an exotic spice nuance gaining power with aeration. Silky,penetrating and appealingly sweet, with lively acidity providing energetic lift toconcentrated red/blue fruit, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors. Finishesimpressively long and smooth, with bright minerality and just a hint of finegrained tannins. This wine is made of 56.25% Gary’s Vineyard fruit and theother 43.75% comes from Rosella’s Vineyard. 69.2% whole clusters and 37.5%new French oak. This bottling is simultaneously fresh and dark on the nose, offering black cherry, scarlet rose petal, violet and mint aromas. There is ample tension to the dense sip, where ripe black raspberry flavors are lifted by a tough of tarragon. — Matt Kettmann