If you are reading my vacation blog, you already know that I had 4 bottles of special wine sent from California to our hotel in Miami to take on our cruise. Two of those bottles were a Chardonnay that I have blogged about before (here if you need a refresher). The Pinots were new to us.
Early in the cruise, we sampled this one:
Hartford Court 2013 Fog Dance Vineyard Pinot Noir ($65 from winery)Intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, blood orange and spice greet the nose. The orange really dominates at the beginning, as it opens up the cherry starts to take over. Powerful and exotic, this is one of those that captivates and entices the nose. The palate stands right up to it, with beautiful flavors of cherry, orange, blueberry, roses, black currant and just a touch of strawberry and cigar box. Well concentrated and the finish goes on and on and on and on (you get the hint). It's a powerhouse Pinot Noir and one of my all-time favorites. 96.
Unfortunately, that HAD to be the highlight of the trip, right?
WRONG!
Hartford Court 2013 Velvet Sisters Vineyard Pinot Noir ($65 from winery)I gotta be honest, looking at the notes I made and typing this review actually gives me goosebumps. Violets smack you right in the nose, accompanied by blueberry, blackberry and forest floor. One of the more complex wines I have ever experienced, with flavors of all of the above and a touch of spice, cinnamon, nutmeg. Elegant and almost naughty, it wins the title of best red wine I have yet experienced. Almost perfect. 99.
Tough to imagine how a Pinot Noir could be better than that. Challenge to the crew at Hartford.....beat THAT!!!
Now back to our regularly scheduled vacation programming.....
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