($50, Classic Wines): The international backgrounds of the people involved with Burn Cottage help explain why this Pinot Noir is exceptional.  Marquis Sauvage, owner, though hailing from Kansas, is no stranger to the wine business.  He and his family own wine distributorships in the Midwest and Koehler Ruprecht in the Rhinepfalz.  Winemaker, Ted Lemon, studied and worked in Burgundy — he was the first American hired to run a Burgundy estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault — and founded and owns, with his wife, Littorai Wines in Sonoma, one of my favorite California producers of Pinot Noir.  General Manager and Associate Winemaker, Claire Mulholland, a Kiwi, formerly was winemaker at two other excellent New Zealand wineries known for Pinot Noir, Martinborough Vineyards and Amisfield.  The 2011 Burn Cottage Pinot Noir is very Burgundian in character while still clearly bearing a New World profile.  Its New World signature is felt with the riper fruit, but this Pinot Noir captures the “flavor without weight” quality of Burgundy.  It delivers a perfectly seamless marriage of fresh red and black fruits with earthy, even subtle smokey, savory flavors.  The silky tannins allow you to drink it now.  It’s a joy to drink because each sip reveals new flavors.  It’s well worth the splurge.
95 Michael Apstein Apr 9, 2013