2006 Belle Vallée Pinot Noir Reserve

Popped and poured this one tonight at Under the Moon in Bordentown, NJ, this wine showed a nice Oregon pinot, ruby color in the glass. On the nose, there were some hints of plum and black fruits, blackberry, and a hint of black cherry. Moving on to the palate, this was a very light wine in my opinion, with slight hints of plum and blackcherry. This wine seemed very thin to me, and definitely seemed like it was missing something. Yes, I know, it's from Oregon, and isn't your typical California fruit bomb, but I think that it lacked complexity. The finish seemed very short to me, and overall, this wine just didn't knock my socks off. Maybe it is in a weird phase like some of the other 2006's and needs more time in the bottle. 86 points. Cheers!

2006 Belle Vallée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Enjoyed at Thai Village in Princeton tonight after a quick trip to CoolVines for their "End of Bin Sale." Popped and poured, this is a very nice pinot after being open for 30 minutes, but even the first glass was enjoyable. The nose revealed somce nice notes of raspberry, cherry, and plum, with that distinctive Oregon earthy smell and a subtle hint of spice. The palate is surprisingly fruit forward for an Oregon, and this '06 is showing nicely now, but will develope some more with time. More cherry and raspberry on the palate, with a very smooth, albeit short finish. This is definitely one of the '06's that is showing it's stuff nicely right now, and is a pleasure to drink. Look forward to enjoying some of the Reserve offerings from Bellee Vallee in the future. 90 points! Cheers!