Domaine Nico Histoire d'A Pinot Noir 2021

This has aromas of strawberries, raspberries, crushed stones, vanilla pods, dried flowers, spice box and sweet licorice. Medium-bodied with silky tannins and a juicy, succulent palate, filled with sweet berries and spices. So much joy.

I still noticed the influence from the élevage in the 2020 Histoire d’A Pinot Noir. The wine comes from a warmer year and is riper and has slightly higher but still moderate alcohol at 13.5%. Pinot Noir is quite sensitive to heat and shows quite differently in cooler and warmer years. The palate also shows abundant, grainy-textured tannins that give it a faint rusticity. Best after 2022.

From Gualtallary, Uco Valley, the 2019 Pinot Noir Histoire d'A was 20% fermented in whole bunches and spent 18 months in 1/3 new barrels. Light, refined garnet in hue. The complex nose is shaped by the variety and the aging process, offering notes of rose, sour cherry and damp earth alongside cinnamon and nutmeg. Intense in flavor, the palate is expansive but also finely grained and precise. An acidity lends vigor and lightness without affecting the silky, velvety feel. Ends with a lengthy finish in which the fruit takes charge, helped by the freshness.