Harrington Winery

Bryan Harrington is another one of those guys who gets great Pinot Noir grapes from various sexy appellations and makes wonderful wine out of it – apparently without owning anything but his brand and some barrels. He makes no secret of working out of San Francisco, so he’s not even pretending to be in the wine country. But there’s no question he has what musicians would call “chops” – serious talent. I actually think he takes a musical approach to Pinot Noir, finding harmony in the fruit, not following a winemaking formula. Because he’s new (at least to me), I can’t offer any clues as to how his young wines (like this one) will evolve. But this one seems promising, and because it’s a recent release you might actually be able to get it.

There's some charred oak evident in the aromas, but it's the young-wine kind, not the save-a-bad-wine-with-good-barrels kind. There’s also a fresh-cut hay aroma that's true to the western part of Sonoma Coast. In your mouth, the fruit flavors are blue on black, like that Kenny Wayne Shepherd hit from a few years ago. It’s juicy, bright-acid ripe fruit with a very cool dense core that’s years away from unwinding. The texture has good grip and glide, and the after-aromas are persistent and balanced and have the same toasted edge as in the aromas and entry: distinctive and assertive without sticking out awkwardly. I really want to drink this again in five years, when it's opened up and knitted together.

Reviewed February 15, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.