Domaine Nico La Savante Pinot Noir 2020
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Red fruit with presence of herbs such as thyme, spices, and clove. Medium-high acidity, low alcohol, slight minerality alongside integrated oak and grainy tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wild smoky raspberries, brambleberries and oyster shells on the nose. Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and taut, mineral character. Tense and elegant with a fine frame of tannins. Tightly wound. Drink after 2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 La Savante Pinot Noir was produced with fruit from the vineyard called El Mirador, 1.45 hectares planted in 1994 with Pinot Noir clones 115 and 777 in the monastery part of Gualtallary at 1,450 meters in altitude; the vineyard is certified organic. 2020 was a warmer year, and the wine shows it when you taste it next to the 2021, which is cooler. This is a little rounder, with 13.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, with more cherry than flowers, tasty and juicy. It finishes dry and chalky. Best after 2022.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker - Decanter
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.