Tasted alongside the Yorkville red below, this Anderson Valley Pinot shows a remarkably different profile. Although the acid structure is similar, the Pinot mouthfeel is plush and lovely with no hard edges.
As I've mentioned before, Londer's 2008 was tainted by the smoke of forest fires that swept the region during the growing season. Unsatisfied with the quality, Londer sold this wine off at deep discount. I bought a case for about $50, and this is my next to last bottle. I have noted the smoke quality (sort of like smoked salmon) becoming increasingly dominant as the wine ages, but this bottle seemed like a throwback to the early bottles and was very nice. Maybe there is simply bottle variation.
Deep ruby. The smoke certainly didn't affect the color. In this bottle, it serves as a nice complement to the wild berry acidity. Plush and warm. No hard edges. This is really a very fine Pinot with one unfortunate flaw.
Londer has since gone out of business. The retired ophthalmologist and his wife have decided they would rather spend time with their grandkids than learn a completely new (and extremely complex) occupation. All of their wines--even those from non-smokey years--are probably floating around in the market at fairly good discounts. I've been looking.
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