DOMAINE NICO
Le Paradis 2022
- 96 points -
Le Paradis is a small 1.1-hectare vineyard planted 1,500 meters above sea level in the highest part of Gualtallary. The soils of that vineyard are rich in limestone, but it's compacted in what is locally known as "Indian cement," a mixture of sand, calcium carbonate and gravel that gives the wines a sort of monolithic structure that's tense, with a texture similar to what chalk would have on the tongue. You feel that here, but it also has aromas and flavors of flowers and herbs in what is perhaps the longest and deepest of the house's wines. It was aged for 12 months in barrels (it once reached 18 months, but winemaker Roy Urvieta has progressively reduced the time in oak to retain more fruit) and 20% of them were made of new oak, which provides very light touches of toasted oak and spices. The fruit, however, is what rules in this exceptional pinot.
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