Written by Miss Maggie, the Boston Terrier
This review of the l’usine Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia highlands in Monterey county is a real good read! This delicious red wine is made by the” never satisfied, always pushing the envelope,” David Phinney, most notably of Orin Swift fame. While Orin Swift wines are massively extracted and fruit saturated, the l’usine wines demonstrate elegance and a much softer touch.
But let me digress and tell you a little more about this amazing project and why I am a superfan of these. L’usine is the French word for the factory, and in this case, refers to the genius of the late Andy Warhol and his famous hangout, called THE FACTORY. This is where the hip of New York city’s underground would hang out in the 1960’s. While Warhol is most famous for his paintings, he also produced very controversial movies.
Warhol helped find and promote the highly influential and great Velvet Underground. His cast of characters that hung out at The Factory included many musicians, artists, and famous drag queens of the day.
He hosted a series of multimedia events called the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, featuring musical performances by the Velvet Underground, screenings of featured films, lots of dancing and other performances. I like to think I would have been hip and cool enough to hang out with these characters, well I would tried it at least once.
Onto this delicious red.
Sleepy Hollow vineyard is located in the now prestigious Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, originally made famous by Talbott. Aged 9 months in 49% new French oak barrels, predominantly Francois Freres, the wine is totally unfined. The aromas of the wine evoke fresh cranberry, pomegranate and raspberry that turn into crushed gravel and shiitake mushrooms. On the palate quite indulgent, like THE FACTORY, with depth, cranberry, hints of blue fruits and lavender coming through. The finish is lengthy with hints of a strawberry tart and a quenching, balanced acidity. Pair It with some grilled salmon and asparagus for a quick and easy weekday dinner! By the way, check out the cool label, much appreciated by a “cool” dog who loves wine and art that can push your senses.
Thank you for reading this l’usine Pinot Noir wine review.
Check out more!
Follow on Social Media or read More Wine Reviews