In March I made a visit to Domaine Queylus. There’s a good chance you’ve never made a stop by this winery because it’s a little out of the way on Sixteen Road. I had to double check my GPS a few times as I moved further away from the QEW.
My visit was the day after Cuvée where winemaker Kelly Mason was pouring 2014 Reserve Chardonnay and 2014 Reserve Pinot Noir which both showed very well. I needed to make my visit to the winery to see what else is going on. 
We spent some time in the barrel cellar and was given some insight into the thought process that goes into making these wines. Tasting through a few vintages of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and tasting through individual barrels, it was fascinating to see how fruit from the same vintage can taste very different thanks to every individual element that affects them – Vineyard location, Clone of Grape, Barre Age, Barrel Type, How many times the barrel was used (okay … so a lot from the barrels). But each individual building block is carefully vinified with the goal of creating wines with finesse.
In the tasting room for Cuvée en Route you could taste the Reserve Pinot Noir from 2012, 2013, and 2014. All of these wines are still available for purchase. The depth on all three of these bottles is remarkable. The fruit from the 2012 vintage is elegant and refined. In spite of the hot summer this wine still shows remarkable restraint. The tannin is relaxed and very approachable. As the wines get younger thanks to the cooler vintages they all remain approachable. Now would be a great time to pick up all three bottles to experience this tasting.
