Some Blind Pinot Impressions

After a long absence…back to visit Scott Christie with some wrapped bottles.

2005 Louis Jadot Savigny-Les-Beaune La Dominode - Not ready, still a little twisted up through the middle but should pan out nicely after 5 more years. Pretty clearly Burgundy. My guess was 2005 Beaune.

2002 Louis Jadot Beaune Ursules - First bottle corked. Backup - Yes. Finally! 6 - 8 bottles consumed prematurely over the past decade+ but finally this is ready for prime time. Nicely aged, fully balanced and completely integrated. Classy if not quite elegant. One bottle left. Scott guessed 2002 Drouhin Clos des Mouches.

2004 Copeland Creek Sonoma Coast Pinot - Wow did this change from the last bottle several years ago. Slight hints of animaux, dried herbs, mild citrus. Lots of bricking but plenty of assertive secondary fruit…with some pleasant tertiary aspects. Scott guessed Burg. This would fool a boatload of self-assured Pinot-philes.

2015 Le Cadeau Cote Est Pinot Noir, Oregon - Party time. Lots of vibrant dark fruit with some jammy notes and super mild VA. Good acidity. Decent dose of pine/fir. I guessed 5 - 6 year old Oregon. Very enjoyable and among the best Le Cadeau wines I’ve tasted.

2017 Violin Pinot Noir Polk County Cuvee, Oregon - Really solid showing…soft spoken but not shy. Elegant, smooth, understated, balanced. Very tasty. Drink now or hold for 5 - 10 years. Scott guessed Oregon…and it does speak of place. Will Hamilton wrote a nice note on the bottle (Thanks Will). If you missed these on Berserker Day…keep an eye open because it’s a new producer very much worth trying.

2018 Patricia Green Old Vine Estate Pinot Noir, Oregon - Back to the party. This doesn’t have the complexity of the Le Cadeau…but otherwise flawless. No noticeable oak. Good balance. Pure fruit. Respectable choice for a daily drinker. I guessed restrained super young New World Pinot from somewhere.

Always fun exploring Pinots in disguise.

RT

Hi Richard,
Nice notes on a good diverse lineup of pinot. I am big fan of Jadot Ursules, it’s a Burgundy normal guys like me can afford. I’ve probably consumed more Ursules than any other single wine I’ve owned. My notes on the 2002 over the past 5 years mirror your thoughts. From 2012 - 2016, not quite there yet…late 2018—aha- we have turned the corner! I think it is a very good wine that will rival the '93 and '90.

Thanks for the thoughts on some new(ish) Oregon pinot. Cheers.

Should’ve learned my lesson much earlier with the 02 Ursules. No idea how long the window will be open (5 -10+ years?). The last one will be consumed within the next 3 years.

I always smile thinking about the CA winemaker that told me the 02 Ursules (that I’d just poured) wouldn’t age more than a few more years. That was over 10 years ago.

RT

[cheers.gif] I have one more bottle. Maybe I hold out a couple more years to see how it is doing at age 20.

Nice lineup. I was fortunate to snag 4 bottles of the 2002 Ursules last year. Sounds like it might be time to crack one open!