Two nights ago I opened a 2016 Emeritus Vineyards Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch. It has been stored properly since I received the bottles (I have 2). The cork showed no flaws. I poured through my oft-used aerator...the brand escapes me but it sits on top of the glass, has a mesh strainer, and pours out multiple small holes.
In a first for me, there was a very thin layer of fine white residue - almost foamy - on top. It swirled around, almost like an oil slick. To eliminate a variable (e.g., soap residue), last night I used a different glass which was freshly rinsed. While drinkability did improve somewhat on night two, the white layer remained. And the wine itself was just not right...very disjoined. Far too hot and "thin" for being a quality, modern styled Pinot. Time in the glass didn't really mellow the sourness or coax out much complexity. The prototypical Sonoma smokiness and any heft were missing. This drastically conflicted with the CellarTracker reviews, hence my curiosity. I purchased this wine through Underground Cellar last year, and trust me...I've long since learned my lesson about that company. This would not be my first bad bottle from those folks.
So with all the above in mind, what is this white stuff? Is it a compromised wine due to questionable bottle provenance (via Underground Cellar), or could it be something else?
For 15 years, Athan Zafirov has traveled the vineyards around the world and worked with some of the greatest chefs including Francois Duc and Alan Brown.
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