Montsecano Pinot Noir 2018

According to Julio Donoso, the 2018 Montsecano, the first vintage vinified by Derain, "continues the Montsecano style, following the path marked by Ostertag, but we vinified a little earlier and macerations were shorter." 2018 was a very good and cool vintage, and that certainly helped to have a fresher wine, produced from their five hectares of dry-farmed vines that were planted between 2006 and 2010 in the village of Las Dichas in Casablanca. The wine ferments and matures in concrete eggs until bottling. It has a moderate 12% alcohol, reflecting the character of the year and the earlier picking, with red acid berry aromas, a floral touch and more depth and complexity than the Refugio from this same year. It's subtle, has detail and elegance and is clean and focused, with very fine tannins and a very balanced palate with integrated acidity. It's harmonious and elegant.

Alsace winemaker André Ostertag is the consultant for this stunning Pinot Noir, made from a seven-hectare block of older vines. Aged in concrete eggs and clay amphorae, it’s all about fruit purity rather than oak, with 30% whole bunch spice, crunchy red fruits, some tobacco notes and incredible intensity. 2019-26. Alcohol: 14%

A Pinot with superb depth and texture with beautiful depth of fruit and ripe tannins. Full body, complex depth of fruit and length. Stone, blueberry, blackberry and intensity. All made and aged in concrete eggs. About 4,500 bottles made. Made from biodynamic grapes. Andre Ostertag of Alsace makes this wine. (5/2016)