Antica Terra Antikythera Pinot Noir 2013 Magnum
Antica TerraGrape: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2013
Type: Red
This red comes entirely from Antica Terra's own 11-acre vineyard at the northern end of the Eola-Amity Hills, first planted in 1989. There is effectively no topsoil: the vines are rooted in fractured sandstone shot through with fossilized oyster shells, the remains of a seabed far older than the flood and volcanic soils that make up most of the valley. Antikythera is the bottling drawn only from that site, with nothing bought in to round it out. It is the estate arguing its own case.
It displays a translucent ruby color with a garnet edge after a decade in bottle, opening with aromas of sour cherry, dried orange peel, and forest floor. On the palate, the medium-bodied frame is built on tension rather than weight, balancing red fruit against an iron and oyster-shell savoriness. Fine, dusty tannins run the length of the wine and hold their shape at 13.1%. Acidity stays bright and keeps the aged fruit from turning soft. It finishes long and stony, with the fruit receding and the site left standing.