2014cobbpnpommard2014 Cobb, Pinot Noir, Coastlands Vineyard: 1906 Block Pommard, Sonoma Coast.
I tasted this majestic Pinot Noir with Ross Cobb at the IPOB grand finale tasting, In Pursuit of Balance, a trade group designed to promote wines from California that show finesse, old world charm and with reasonably low alcohol, led by top Somm and winemaker Raj Parr and winegrower Jasmine Hirsch, with Cobb being one of the star attractions and major players in the movement. Cobb’s wines from very cool sites on the Sonoma Coast, mostly from his family’s vines at Coastlands Vineyard as well as Rice-Spivak Vineyard, have always shown delicacy and vitality and the winemaking has been very traditional, Cobb was trained in biology and sustainable agriculture and has done winemaking stints in Burgundy as well as at top Pinot estates in California including Williams Selyem, Flowers and Hirsch. He is fine tuning his craft and talents with each vintage, but is set on making long lived, lively Pinots with low alcohol and heightened aromatics and these 2014 wines are sublime, maybe the best vintage yet for his style and vision, especially this light/medium bodied Pommard clone Pinot from from the family’s old block, where an old oak tree has a big “1906” carved in, thought to be done in remembrance of the horrible earthquake that hit San Francisco and the fires and devastation that ensued. This single block and single clone Pinot Noir is gorgeous in the glass and even more beautiful on the palate, surprising opulent and seamless for a wine that comes in at 12.5% alcohol, it shows great textures, richness and satiny form, but with vigorous vibrancy and focus, this wine is simply amazing to behold, a classic in the making. With rose petal, hints of wild flowers and mineral to start the palate reveals black raspberry, cherry, plum and tangy strawberry along with silky tannins and blueberry essence, cedary wood notes, saline and spices. Everything is alive and each layers has it’s own moment to shine, like a true great wine, I was completely captivated by this Cobb Coastlands: 1906 Block Pommard, each taste seduces and takes you to a different world and the finish is spellbindingly long and wondrous. This is one of the wines of the vintage and could prove legendary, a huge thank you to Ross for sharing this limited, mailing list offering, even better, it still is available and there are magnums to be had, drink from 2020-2027, if you can be patient!
($80 Est.) 96+ Points, grapelive

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