Monday, July 14, 2008

LUCIENNE LONE OAK PINOT NOIR

I love recommending wines from friends. And some of my dearest friends are the folks at Wimbledon Wines (winemaker Adam LaZarre from Hahn and Cycles Gladiator and sales manager extraordinaire John Erickson among them). I am overwhelmingly thrilled to have tasted this latest home run, the Lucienne Pinot Noir Lone Oak Vineyard 2005 ($37.98). Made by former Adam LaZarre assistant winemaker, Paul Clifton, this is a gorgeous, fruit-forward Pinot Noir that offers up delicious, rich red berry and spice notes in the nose, followed by lots of velvety tannins, roasted walnut, cinnamon, red raspberry and cherry fruit, and slight oak tones across the palate. It’s a little weighty for a Pinot, but there is substantial fruit and spice and well-integrated tannins to give even those finicky big red drinkers a treat.

Lucienne is the newest endeavor from our friends at Wimbledon Wines and Hahn Estates, started by Nicolas Lucien Hahn. A separate winery from Hahn, you can find this in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2005 vintage is the inaugural vintage from Lucienne. I for one, cannot wait to try future vintages.

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