June 22, 2018

PEAY “Pomarium” Estate Pinot Noir 2016

(Sonoma Coast, CA) $60

I once read that the monks of Burgundy considered the texture of a great pinot noir a spiritual experience. The way it glided airily over the palate. Slippery silkiness, as if the wine were a dancing elixir. I was reminded of that idea as I drank the 2016 Pomarium from Peay (pronounced PAY). The wine is exquisitely precise (not a molecule out of place) and has ethereal cool pristine fruit (not fruit that’s heavy and overripe). I can imagine the monks being entranced by such a beautiful wine. I was. (13.5% abv)

95 points KM

Available at Peay

New Zealand is a microcontinent.

Answer: True.

A microcontinent is a landmass that is bigger than a typical island, but smaller than a typical continent. Microcontinents usually break off of a larger “parent continent.” In the case of New Zealand, the country’s two main islands are the above-sea-level part of Zealandia, a submerged microcontinent about half the size of Australia. Zealandia broke off from Antarctica about 100 million years ago and from Australia about 80 million years ago. Today the country lies at the abrasive juncture of two of the world’s great tectonic plates, the Indo-Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. Because these plates actively rub against each other, New Zealand has many natural hot springs, as well as occasional volcanic eruptions.

Mercaptans

Offensive-smelling compounds that result from poor winemaking when hydrogen sulfide combines with components in the wine. The aromas can include putrid food, skunk, and burnt rubber.

PEAY “Pomarium” Estate Pinot Noir 2016

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