($63):  One of the many attributes of Merry Edwards’ Pinot Noirs, is how different they taste.  Her range of vineyard-designated wines show the importance of site.  The 2017 Flax Vineyard Pinot Noir is almost at the opposite pole compared to the Bucher Vineyard.  Brooding and tightly wound, the 2017 Flax shows, when things finally emerge, more minerals and far less juicy fruit at this stage.  A more prominent, yet still engaging, bitterness appears in the finish reinforces the wine’s savory component.  Fine tannins and reflect the care and talent of the winemaking.  Reticent at this stage, it’s a delicious young wine.  Its impeccable balance predicts that it will evolve and blossom beautifully.  As an aside, it receives the same numerical score as the Bucher despite being entirely different, showing the inadequacy of numbers.
93 Michael Apstein Dec 8, 2020