2005 Emeritus Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled, Sonoma Coast William Wesley

We haven't re-visited this bottle since last summer, but we were in for a real treat tonight! This wine was purchased on release from Emeritus, after getting an invitation from Brice Cutrer to join the mailing list as a charter member. Needless to say, I am glad that we did!

The 2005 William Wesley was made available only to mailing list members, and not made available to retailers. We were allocated 12, but unfortunately only purchased 6 of 12.

Tonight we brought this to Oliver-A Bistro, and it was popped and poured. The color in the glass was amazing...almost like a raspberry in the glass....absolutely gorgeous! The nose showed to be much more fruity on the nose than floral. Hints of cherry, were predominant. On the palate, tons of candied cherry, raspberry, plum, and strawberry were very dominant. This is a very fruit forward pinot, and as Zelda said, it is more fruity than floral....so right, and I think she has a better nose than me...

Lots of cherry and strawberry on the palate, and this wine was not at all tannic. It continued to open as the bottle was open, and turned out to be another stellar bottle, very similar to the first one we had last year, but more balanced I think. Will try another one next summer!

All said and done, a wonderful pinot worthy of 94 points!

2006 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Balcombe Vineyard

All I can say about this wine, is that I wish I waited to open this, but curiosity to open a "Patty Green" was killing me.

This wine is so young, and is going to be fabulous in another 5 years. We aerated this through the Vinturi and decanted for an hour prior to drinking. I think that a 5 hour decant would have been good, but an hour is better than no time at all.

Nose of blackberry and black cherry, with hints of cola and earth as well. On the palate, more black fruit with hints of spice, but for the most part, typical of an Oregon pinot. There is still some acidity on this wine, and I attribute it to the fact that we drank it so young.

Long and short of it is, put a few of these in the back of your cellar, out of sight, out of mind, and revisit them in 2 years at the earliest. I'd like to get another 4 to 6 of these to stockpile for some years down the road!

Overall, 90 points, but will definitely go higher with some time!

2004 Cherry Hill Winery Pinot Noir Estate

We brought this wine along with us to Oliver - A Bistro in Bordentown. For those of you who are not familiar with Oliver, be sure to check out their site at: http://oliverabistro.com/ Chef Matt and wife Danielle are doing a great job over there, and I will have a full review to come in the future!

Popped and poured, and this wine could have used an hour, if not several in a decanter. Unfortunately, that was not an option, but what can you do. Either this wine is still young, which is possible, but overall, I just think it is not a top notch Oregon pinot. Lots of sour cherry and raspberry all over the nose. On the palate, more of the same, with hints of oak, and lots of acidity. The finish seemed sour and un-complex, and overall, this wine left a lot to be desired for the price. Definitely some better values out there for the money, but it was worth trying something different. 83 points.

2004 Sanford Pinot Noir

This is one of the wines that changed our wine world forever. The '04 is still such a good wine, and I love the fact that we still have a 1/2 case left in the cellar.

Nice ruby color in the glass, with great hints of red fruits, mainly cherry and strawberry on the nose, with hints of cola and herb. More of the same on the palate, and a finish that is absolutely delicious.

This wine is much better than the 2005 in my opinion. Maybe it is attributed to the weather in 2004 versus 2005. Maybe the fruit was just that much better. Or maybe the '05's just need some more time in the bottle. Regardless, I still swear by the '04's, and look forward to getting my hands on some more! 90 points consistently from 5 bottles thus far. Great pinot for sub $25! Also check out Richard's new project, Alma Rosa!

2001 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

Happy Valentine's Day! Zelda and I enjoyed this half bottle tonight at Cafe Kabul, located at Rat's Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculptures in Hamilton, NJ.

This pinot has aged very nicely, and could quite possibly be on the down slope now, but it was still tasty. Lots of red fruits on the nose, with the slightest hint of brettiness. On the palate notes of more red fruits, especially strawberries prevalent, with a nice, not overly complex finish. Hints of plum came on the finish as well. All in all, if you have any of these, I would suggest drinking them in the next 2 years or so, but I think you will enjoy them! 90 points!

RELEASE ALERT - Auteur Wines

The March 2008 release was announced today from Auteur, and this is always a must buy with their highly rated wines. Unfortunately, I missed out on the Fall 2007 mailing, but was lucky enough to get on the Spring 2008 list, and purchased all 3 bottles I was allocated. If you are not on their mailing list, this is one I would recommend signing up for. And as always, remember that you are not obligated to purchase. To sign up, check out their website at: http://www.auteurwines.com/

This Spring release consists of:

2006 Hyde Chardonnay, Carneros Napa

2006 Manchester Ridge, Mendocino Ridge

2006 Sonoma Stage Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Check out the release notes for more information. Also note that on rare occasions, you might be able to find these wines at some of the local stores in NJ. The Canal's on Route 1 in Lawrenceville/Princeton has had their wines on a few occasions. Check them out and see if they live up to some of their 100 point reviews! Cheers!