La Follette Pinot Noir Heintz Vineyard 2021 (750ml) *

Single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley tends to trade power for perfume, and this bottling from La Follette leans into that. The 2021 comes from the Heintz Vineyard, a cool coastal site whose fruit gives La Follette a mid-weight, distinctly Californian expression of the grape. Only 204 cases were made.

The color is youthful, and the nose is floral and concentrated at once, with candied cherry, rose petal, dried herbs, and a streak of iron-rich earth. The palate opens on mouthwatering freshness and stays light on its feet, almost weightless, with fine-grained tannins carrying a graceful finish. It reads a touch lean, hovering rather than filling the mouth, but there is real charm here, and it should drink well over the next several years.