Tasting Note This is a very pretty, complete and appealing pinot from another pioneering winery of PEC, with Burgundy-trained winemaker Frederic Picard still at the helm after almost 25 years. He has always had a sensibility around pure and gentle fruit-based varietal expression. This wine pours pale ruby. The nose is generous, easily combining both classic County red cherry and red rose, and spicing from French oak. It is light bodied (12%) and slightly tart-edged with a touch of starchy, youthful tannin. A hint of earthy forest floor joins the finish. I wanted a bit more length but the vines are young. The wine avoids any notion of volatility, which is often found in County pinots. I would age it a year or two.
Backgrounder Huff Estates opened in 2004 at the central crossroads of Highway 62 and County Road 1. In 2006 a terrific inn was added, then the Oeno Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, and a lunch-hour restaurant patio, making Huff a hub of County tourism. It was all the creation of County-raised Lanny and Catherine Huff, who hired a young Burgundy-raised and -trained winemaker named Frederic Picard. He has worked there ever since, a model of consistency. This wine comes from younger vines in the Huff Corners vineyard. It was hand-picked and fermented in an oak vat, then aged in French oak (50%) for 14 months.
