Pinot Noir Los Alamos, Chanin 2014

Plums, passion fruit, spring flowers and hints of violet all emerge from the silky, beautifully polished 2014 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard, which comes from very sandy soils located just outside of Los Alamos. It spent 12 months in a tiny 12% of new French oak. Medium-bodied and exceedingly elegant, with beautifully polished tannin, it should evolve nicely for a decade.

Gavin Chanin is expert at showing off individual vineyards, which is most evident in this bottling from a less iconic, larger site. Baked cherry, allspice, raw beef and light bay leaf show on the nose, while the palate carries ripe strawberry and a red-cherry core surrounded by zesty thyme, dill, mint and a touch of green olive. The light yet grippy texture is stunning.