Penner-Ash Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

The 2021 Pinot Noir Zena Crown is dark and brooding in the glass. Crushed stones and flowery underbrush give way to ginger, clove and dried black cherries. This is a juicy and playful effort, with ripe wild berry fruits and hints of candied citrus motivated by vibrant acidity. It firms up through the finish with a web of fine tannins, adding youthful poise. A bitter licorice tinge tugs at the cheeks, and hints of chalk dust slowly fade. Both accessible and refined, the 2021 Zena Crown is a pleasure to taste.

Expressing a more tension, the dark ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Zena Crown Vineyard is more reserved aromatically but also more focused, with delicate incense, black raspberry, and violets. The palate has a fresh spine of acidity, with ripe fine tannins, and a nice citrus-tinged lift on the finish with a hint of toasted earth. It's a very pretty wine from winemaker Kate Ayres to drink over the next 6-8 years.