Review: 2021 La Crema Pinot Noir Sealift Vineyard

La Crema produces excellent Pinot Noirs from several different regions, but their home base is in Sonoma. Today we are trying one of their higher end expressions, which comes from the Sealift Vineyard, very close to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Sonoma. Before bottling, the wine was aged for nine months in French Oak.

Trying the wine, I found it surprisingly assertive for a Pinot. On the nose and particularly on the palate, it hits big, bold, and almost burly, with ripe blackberry, black pepper, and pomegranate along with a touch of tart cherry. I might have guessed this was a Syrah if I tasted it blind. The wine has high acidity providing much needed structure that keeps the fruit in check, and its gentle tannins provide a good mouthfeel. This wine was a surprise, but a welcome one, and it could be the bottle that converts fans of Cabernet and other heavy reds into lovers of Pinot Noir.

A- / $65 / lacrema.com

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