Samsara’s 2010 Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard is endowed with considerable energy and tension. Game, iron, blood and black fruit are some of the many nuances that take shape in this bold, virile Pinot. Gaminess and power are the hallmarks here. As is often the case with Pinots from Cargasacchi, elegance and finesse are not especially in evidence. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018.
Samsara is without question one of the hottest boutique wineries in California’s Central Coast. Proprietor Chad Melville splits his time between Samsara and his family’s Melville estate, an approach that seems to work. The 2010s are the product of a very cold year with heat spikes in October. Except for the Rita’s Crown, the Pinots were harvested in October, but before the spikes. The Syrahs (which I will revie next year) were picked much later, into December in some cases, and benefited from the kick of heat earlier in the growing season. Overall, yields were down dramatically, but that may have turned out to be a positive, as normal yields might not have ripened under these conditions. The wines were fermented with natural yeasts, and bottled without fining or filtration. Melville used 25-100% whole clusters for most of the wines. The top selections saw a maximum of 50% new oak.
Tel. (805) 331-2292; www.samsarawine.com