93+ The 2012 vintage of Cuvée Laurène is really starting to open up and show some of its secondary layering at age five, and though it is still a very young wine and deserves plenty of further cellaring, it is starting to take shape and it is very easy to appreciate just how beautiful this wine is going to be at peak maturity. The really lovely bouquet delivers a fine combination of plums, black cherries, raw cocoa, dark soil tones, a hint of graphite and a discreet framing of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure in profile, with excellent focus and grip, ripe, suave tannins and a very long, nascently complex and very well-balanced finish. This is still a puppy, but it is already starting to deliver a bit of its considerable promise.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Laurene is a barrel selection from the cellar and in this vintage represents around 150 barrels. It is matured in 20 to 25% new oak. Arron mentioned that he has noticed more fruit coming from blocks in the eastern sector of the vineyard being selected for this blend. This has a soft bouquet with red cherries, cranberry leaf, light undergrowth notes and a touch of autumn leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine balance: intermingling red and black fruit, quite sappy in style and inducing fine salinity at the back of the mouth. This possesses a natural flow with a very appealing, Old World-influenced finish. This is very stylish and one of my picks from their current releases. - Neal Martin

Laurène in 2012 gives a distinct impression of a generous vintage, as expressed in the hands of a French winemaker. The red cherry scents are lively and exuberant, leavened slightly by a dusty granular texture. After a day the texture takes on a pepper accent, and the wine feels more harmonious, cool and composed, awaiting further integration from some cellar time.

Dark and spicy, with fine tannins and savory notes wrapping around a sleek core of blackberry, raspberry and floral flavors, gliding into a persistent finish. Built for cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2022. 3,300 cases made. –HS