2021 Provocateur WV Pinot Noir

a.k.a. …. a winner by knockout

The Cliff Notes: The color is red ruby. The nose presents cherry-raspberry-guava with a hint of warm tan oak spice. The palate portrays movement, starting as fully ripe, seductive cherry-peach and moving to darker savory grilled meats, soy and graham. It’s substantial with a medium-plus attack, good acid linearity, a sweet fruit core and finishing on particularly refined polished tannins. A village level wine playing well above its fighting weight.

The Name: Provocateurs, yes troublemakers, may disguise themselves as flutists, possibly even piccoloists, but beware their uppercut-left hook.

A Story: The 2021 vintage presented a reasonably warm growing season with moments of intense heat and yet wines of surprising grace. This wine is a collection of the more obvious barrels of the cellar ready for their debut from the get-go.

Fermentation: Small-lot wild yeast fermentations in open-top wood and stainless steel tanks. Limited pre-ferment maceration, followed by minimal, but targeted temperature and punch-down intervention.

Elevage: 100% barrel aged for one year in in 6% new French oak. Racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered in September of 2022.

Ageability: Drink now to seven years and think about getting it some air in the first three.

Vineyards: From our St. Dolores Estate (13 years), Gemini Vineyard (30 years), Johan Vineyard (19 years), and Temperance Hill (42 years). All our vineyards are dry-farmed.

— Jim Prosser, owner/winemaker