I have reviewed, favorably, the Pinot Noir from Gowen Creek for years. When you find a wine that offers such consistency, you stick with it. What Gowen offers is a sublime melding of fruit like black cherry, red raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry acidity, minerality and judicious use of oak. This wine has those in spades. Though the word “balance” is tossed around a lot in the wine industry, when you taste one, you know. Not only is this wine balanced, it is simply enjoyable to drink. Aged for 16 months in roughly half new French oak, the fruit – with its unique minerality from the Anderson Valley – is supple, using five different Pinot Noir clone to produce, yes, balance. ORIGIN: Anderson Valley, Mendocino.