Antica Terra Ceras 2014
Antica Terra Ceras 2014
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Antica Terra Ceras 2014

Antica Terra
$320.00

Grape: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2014
Type: Red

This Oregon red wine comes from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, where winemaker Maggie Harrison selects barrels that display a chiseled mineral profile. The 2014 warm growing season provided excellent fruit concentration, which was monitored to prevent heavy or over-extracted characters. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with native wild yeasts, incorporating a high proportion of whole clusters for phenolic structure. It then matures for over a year in neutral and low-toast French oak barriques before bottling without filtration.

It pours a bright ruby color, opening with aromatics of red cherry, pomegranate, and dried orange peel over a stony mineral background. A medium-bodied frame pairs fresh red currant flavors with a firm, chalky tannin structure. Savory notes of flint, cedar, and dried rose petals develop nicely as the wine sits in the glass. A sharp wave of volcanic acidity slices through mid-palate, keeping the fluid mouthfeel fresh.

Maggie Harrison is a first-generation winemaker, having grown up in the Midwest. With an educational background in International Relations and Conflict Resolution, she fell in love with wine while working in restaurants and set out to follow that passion and create wine. She went on to land the position of assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, where she remained for eight years. She is currently the co-owner and winemaker for Antica Terra, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since 2005, and is also responsible for the Syrah at Lillian Winery in Santa Barbara. Initially, it had been her goal to only produce a singular wine, but during blind tastings for blending, she felt the various components would not necessarily complement one another and would overpower or detract from the other. Rather than force them to homogenize, each of the wines bottled today chases the individual and opposing personalities each possesses. Her wines are impeccably expressive and worth seeking out if you can get your hands on them.

I have always found with these wines that I am never compelled to overly coax the wine in tasting. They are distinctive, singular wines that, when given the time to allow the wine to come to you, make the transcendence to art.

- Audrey Frick (9/17/2023) © 2024 Jeb Dunnuck