We got together with a few of our neighbors for a last fling before returning north and we decided on a Pinot Noir theme. A couple of whites to start with.
1998 Dauvissat Chablis "La Forest" 1er-No oxidation but not a whole lot going on. A bit of almond and citrus on the nose, a firm minerality on the palate. "B-"2005 Hanzell Chardonnay-deep nose of orange marmalade wilth toast. Full and rich on the palate. A bit of toasted oak but just a hint. Lemon curd, and pie crust flavors. Smooth and rich without being over the top. "B+"
2004 Kongsgaard Chardonnay-Tight knit nose of lemon and stones. Quite burgundian on the palate with restained citrus and minerals. Just a faint hint of age on the palate with a finish of old apples.2006 Ken Wright Savoya Oregon Pinot Noir-Deep purple color, not much nose to speak of, flavors of candied apple, cola, vanilla and black raspberry. Too much oak for my palate. Many picked as their wotn. "B
+"2006 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir-very similar to the Ken Wright only just a bit less of everthing. Not as balanced and not as focused. "B-"
2004 Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares-Light red in the glass. Effusive nose of forest floor, mushrooms and sweet cherries. Huge on the palate. Cherry, red raspberry, exotic spices, and earthy mineral notes. Drinking well. My wotn. Drink soon. "A"2005 Domaine Dujac Charmes Chambertain-Infanticide. Deep burgundy red in the glass. Bright red and black fruit flavors. Full bodied and rich but far to young to develop much. I beleive this wine will be outstanding in ten years but too primary right now to show much of anything but ripe fruit. 'B+/A-"
2005 SQN Arita Hills Over and Out-SQN's last Pinot bottling. Deep red/ purple color. Very big and thick in the glass. Quite ripe, plenty of black cherry, blueberry and oak notes. I kept calling it juicy since it literally made my mouth water. Delicious,but too big for my tastes. "A-"