($60):  Founded barely 15 years ago, in 2004, by Robert and Ellen Brittan, Brittan Vineyards is a name to remember.  Robert, who was the winemaker and estate manager at Stags’ Leap Winery for 16 years, must be a fast learner because that winery didn’t make Pinot Noir, or if they did, it was not a focus of their production.  Now he makes a bevy of them and my recommendation is to buy whichever of them you can find.  Take this one, for example.  The Gestalt Block faces west, sits on basalt rich land, and is buffeted by winds.  The result, according to Robert, is that the vines suffer and produce less fruit — less than one ton per acre typically.  The 2015 Gestalt Pinot Noir is more mineral-y than fruity with bright, uplifting acidity.  A vigorous wine, it is not heavy, but rather long and graceful.  They’ve captured what I consider the essence of Pinot Noir — flavor without weight.  Given the low yield, there’s only 450 cases, but it is worth the search.
95 Michael Apstein Jul 30, 2019