2021 Pinot Noir
Tasting notes
Rhubarb, kirsch, fig paste, and earth. The 2021 Solaksen Pinot Noir begins with a perfect combination of sweet and savory tones. Swirling brings ripe plums, orange peel, black tea, oak spice, and red licorice. Extremely complex and layered, the palate is rich but structured, with lots of dark and ripe red fruit flavors. With remarkable texture and tension, this fantastic wine is an oddly unique expression of Pinot Noir from our Royal Slope terroir. The longer the wine sits in the glass the more dimension it gets. Ripe, flavorful, and with touches of greenness and oak spice, the tannins here are fully developed and the texture is extremely soft and creamy. Very long in mouth and certainly hedonistic, the wine finishes with the perfect amount of sweet and savory flavors without losing its earthy components. A rarity in Washington state, this beautiful Pinot can be enjoyed now or in the next 15 years.
94 pts - Decanter
94 pts - Owen Bargreen
93 pts, Critic's Choice - Sean Sullivan
92 pts - Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
Gård Vintners wines are 100% estate grown sustainably at Lawrence Vineyards, featuring 14 distinct vineyard sites. With elevations that range 870 feet to 1,675 feet and primarily south-facing slopes, Lawrence Vineyards provide a great framework for grape production, while the diversity of each of the locations delivers a high level of complexity to Gård wines. Lawrence Vineyards is certified sustainable.
MATÍAS KÚSULAS
Winemaker & Viticulturist
A Chilean with Greek roots, Matías was a Marine officer and Naval Engineer in Chile for more than seven years when he realized that it was time to change the course of his career: In 2005, he started studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Chile, where he graduated with distinction and a major in Viticulture and Enology. He worked in Chile for a few years and in 2011 he decided to start traveling the world on a quest to learn new wine-making techniques. After several harvests in Oceania, Europe and Africa, he settled down in France, to do his post degrees at the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. He also performed for two years as a Maître de Chai for one of the oldest and most reputable wineries in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
After years of traveling and over 15 harvests, he came to the United States and joined Gård Vintners/Lawrence Vineyards as a Production Winemaker and Viticulturist, and is currently head winemaker for Gård Vintners, Desert Wind Winery, Valo Cellars, and his own label, Massalto. In his spare time he likes to jump out of planes and is a Judo Black Belt.
