Domaine Nico Le Paradis Pinot Noir 2016
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James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Domaine Nico Le Paradis opens with a high intensity of mineral elements such as chalk, with some reduction and herbal notes. A few minutes after opening, berry aromatics appear. Layered and every-increasing aromas. Subtle, integrated oak. High acidity. Fine tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A perfumed and floral wine with hints of fresh tea and strawberries. Some stones, too. Full-bodied, very linear and long. Polished and fine tannins. Pretty, focused and balanced. Tension. Best new pinot from here. Drink in 2020.
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.