Umino Vineyard Pinot Noir

Never heard of this producer? Burgundian. Spice, herbs, peppercorn and a black raspberry core. Tinge of green, but not in the way that is off putting...more just a part of this wine’s lean structure. A red and black fruit medley emerges after time in the glass. Whole cluster going on here for sure. Very cool.

Supple pallet
Good tannin and Acid balance

Revisiting the 2016 Umino from Chasseur. It is still going strong with vibrant red fruit, earthiness, nice acidity. I will miss these when they are gone (final vintage from Chasseur)

Hard to believe I’ve made it to 2023 without writing up the ‘13 Chasseur Umino. But it is still drinking wonderfully, vibrant, light on its feet and full of fruit and spice like the great Burgundy it aspires to be.

The 2012 Umino is really drinking well, even after 10 years. A deep translucent purple with just a hint of aged-brown and it lets off a musty cherry scent in the glass. Tart dark berries and a rich cherry pie sweetness balance each other nicely. Remains a favorite across many vintages.

The 2014 Umino is evolving into a very nice wine. Earlier bottles were a bit thin, but in the 2 years since I opened one, it feels as if it’s filled out a bit. Cherry colored with a hint of rust, rich nose that the oak give a cream and berries scent to, layered with some earth and mushrooms and nice acidity.

The 2016 really came around in the past couple years and seems to be in its prime. Translucent bright red, rich and ripe nose, full of strawberry vanilla flavors with maybe a hint of pine and some nice acidity for balance. Delicious.

This is one of the better Chasseur Uminos in a line of very good to great wines. Ripe with sweet berry jam flavors, hints of rose and a mouth coating texture. Enough acidity so it’s not cloying.

Very good for a 13 year old! Still has fruit, tart cherry rounded with some earthy elements and complexity. Quite good, was expecting less considering it’s age. Nice surprise!

There’s always a tinge of sadness when I open a bottle of Chasseur from the cellar as Bill Hunter retired and production stopped after the 2017 vintage. He put out a very good, somewhat under-appreciated product from the Sonoma Coast for years that showed the strength of what colder weather, Burgundian pinots could do vs the more typical CA style. Anyway, the 2011 is still holding on — red berries, cherry, juicy acid, and a little earthy. A very solid pinot that only falls short of Chasseur’s best only due to a lack of complexity and a quick finish.