Sensory profile Visually, this Pinot Noir conveys at once granitic solidity and crystalline purity that addresses the senses with an upfront self-confidence. Its garnet tonality, warm and classically varietal, presages a sensory crescendo. The glass releases delicate nuances of pink pepper, smooth tobacco leaf, and supple, tanned leather. It seems near-hesitant yet velvet-smooth, with its most spiritous component sustained by a seductive, fleshy roundedness hinting of sour cherry, plum, and apricot infused with ripe cocoa and clove. A few moments of oxygenation bring to the fore dried fruit and nuts, such as walnut and almond, interwoven with impressions of exotic woods such as cedar and sandalwood. Youthfulness and silkiness are the hallmarks of its entry, then the alcohol and glycerin take over, seeming to anesthetize the palate as they thrust the smooth, full-volumed wave up to the peak of the palate, followed by the descent of an all-encompassing, piercing minerality and rivulets of bitterishness that define the near-endless finish that, for now, is dry, clean, and austere. The conclusion is laden with roasted nuts and fruit spirits as well, standing up to incisive yet sweet tannins. We must wait several months for the tannins to smooth out and provide complexity to this “noble offspring” of the maison Romain!

Pairings Let us enjoy it in the most sublime style with the classic chicken and duck paté, stuffed snails, lighter meats and vegetables, medium-aged and white-rind cheeses, and exotically-spiced fusion cooking.