KillerB 
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1533
 | | 07-14-2003 11:08 AM |
| Decided that putting 'English' on the front of a post stops anybody looking at it but it is. It's from Kent and cocks a snoot at Burgundy on the label - Dangerous!
First of all it looks a bit thin. Very little viscosity and no legs of any note. Colour is a bright dark pink but not a Rose. Holding the glass to the side and the colour goes slightly brown! As far as looks are concerned, I'm not impressed.
Nose is all cherries, raspberries and a hint of cough syrup.
In the mouth the wine gets much better with the cherries taking on a deeper hue and a nice acidity but lack of tannins make it a bit unbalanced. This does not come up to mid-range Burgundy standards which at £10 it should. It was more like a fairly standard Cali Pinot Noir - nice, but nothing special. Not exactly great QPR.
I'm a little surprised at the insistence of dragging Pinot Noir about like this, I'm sure there must be easier grapes to manage in a difficult environment. | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 07-15-2003 12:46 AM |
| It does seem a surprising choice of varietal thats for sure. Did it do better than expected in you opinion? | | | |
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KillerB
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1533
| | 07-15-2003 12:14 PM |
| Considering how difficult it is to get Pinot Noir to do anything decent outside of Burgundy I think they've done surprisingly well. It is 'thin' though. With a few more years on the vines and a few more attempts at the wine-making they could probably have something pretty good.
I would bottle out and go for something easier like Merlot but good luck to them.
I was checking the production levels and the UK has so little grape production that it's amazing that we have wines that are even drinkable let alone attempting quality. Home and International opinion about English wine means that it will take a very long time before wine production here is anything more than an overgrown cottage industry.
I will keep trying the wines as effectively, England is a New World wine-making country even if it has been made here for a couple of millennia or more. | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 07-16-2003 12:18 AM |
| I look forward to seeing more examples coming out of the UK, particularly in more rain resistant clones. Cheers KB for the info. | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12714
| | 07-16-2003 10:46 PM |
| Quote:
Considering how difficult it is to get Pinot Noir to do anything decent outside of Burgundy
...hey, we do pretty well with that grape here in the states.  | | | |
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KillerB
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1533
| | 07-17-2003 11:26 AM |
| I've heard that Oregon does better than California, is this true? Even so, even the US struggled for a long time with Pinot Noir, New Zealand is getting better but Australia, South Africa and even the rest of Europe do the decent thing and leave it be. Had a nice one from Chile recently though.
Curious Grape appears to be from the same company as Chapel Down which does the fizz. I would leave the PN for the fizz and take up something else for the still wines. | | | |
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Eric White
San Ramon, CA
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9560
| | 07-17-2003 01:35 PM |
| Quote:
I've heard that Oregon does better than California, is this true?
Certainly not in my experience. For my tastes, Oregon Pinots tend toward the lean, tart, and thin. Some people say this is more 'Burgundian', I disagree - I say they are simply (as a very general rule) overpriced and lacking in concentration and complextity. California on the other hand is producing some of the most exciting Pinots anywhere in the new world, but then I'm sure I will be accused of only loving the big fruit-bomb monsters with that statement. | | | 2008: the end of an error | |
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KillerB
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1533
| | 07-17-2003 02:01 PM |
| "I'm sure I will be accused of only loving the big fruit-bomb monsters with that statement" I've been looking for something to make an alcoholic strawberry milk-shake - is that the stuff then?  | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 07-17-2003 11:47 PM |
| Eric,
I find even Burgundy thin in its youth (and I am talking about the more day to day examples not the 1st Cru and Grand Cru's.), its higher acids tend to "lighten" the wine until the acids intergrate.
Does Oregon Pinot age well? | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 07-18-2003 12:00 AM |
| Most of them don't. | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 07-18-2003 01:38 AM |
| Thanks for the info. Which examples of Oregon PN would, in your opinion? | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 07-18-2003 02:31 PM |
| Sine Qua Non
Beaux Freres
Siduri Archery Summit
Early Amitys
Early Ponzi
High end Bethel Heights (Bonny Doon's 85 from Bethel Heights wowed me for a very long time)
Brick House
Drouhin (they last but do not improve)
Hamacher (tons of bottle variation - I won't buy these wines anymore because of it)
Potentially St. Innocent, Cristom, and Domaine Serene | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12714
| | 07-18-2003 04:03 PM |
| Just found out that Beaux Freres is actually a Parker (& his brother) project. Interesting... | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 07-18-2003 10:54 PM |
| Thanks Jones. | | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9437
| | 08-23-2003 12:02 AM |
| I recently had a Rex Hill PN from the '85 vintage that, while not spectacular, was certainly not dead or devoid of fruit. That being said, I think the wine would have been much better 4 yrs ago or so.
jb | | | |
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DukeRiley
McMinnville, OR
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3840
| | 08-24-2003 05:51 PM |
| I had an 1989 Domaine Drouhin with BHVineyard and Board O about a month ago and it was a very nice Pinot.
I also had a 1985 Eyrie Reserve Pinot about six months ago that was just starting to fade.
In fact, two names to add to Jones's list would be Eyrie (the Reserve bottling) and Cameron (particularly the Abbey Ridge and Clos Electric). | | Heater Allen Brewing
www.heaterallen.com | |
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