DATE: 3/21
PLACE: TASTING WITH FRIENDS
WINERY: Chehalem
WINE: Rion Reserve
VARIETAL: Pinot Noir-OR
VINTAGE: 1999
PRICE:
COLOR: Clear plum red
BODY: Medium+
NOTES: Earthy mushrooms and forest nose, much more so than fruit.
Crisp fresh cherry and berry attack. A definite chocolatey finish.
SCORE: 90

Jimmy....I had this about 6 months ago and I felt it was closed down. Since I have several, I will open another one soon.

Dick

Last night I had another bottle of the Rion Reserve and found it to be everything it should be. It was absolutely delicious in comparison with my first bottle. Wonderful texture, fruit, and finish. I now believe that decanting the first bottle beforehand robbed me of these delights and I reported negatively based on this. For a while now I am not decanting Pinot noirs and I am enjoying them much more.

Dick

It could also be that the wine was just shut down six months ago. That was the case with a number of Oregon Pinots. BTW, I don't decant Pinots either.