+- WineBoard (https://www.wines.com/wineboard)
+-- Forum: TASTING NOTES & WINE SPECIFIC FORUMS (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-200.html)
+--- Forum: Northwest Wines (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-28.html)
+--- Thread: Claims of 1994 OR Pinots Death is Premature (/thread-14471.html)
- Bucko - 01-09-1999
Determined that the claim that 94 OR Pinots being declared dead is premature, Bruce Douglas opened a horizontal of these wines. All were drinkable, some still needing time. We warmed up with the first two wines, the Ridge being the only non-Pinot Noir.
1996 Ridge Zinfandel, Sonoma Station - Black fruit nose, jammy black fruit on the palate, medium tannins, with a long, pleasant
aftertaste.
1992 Eyrie, Special Selection - Beautiful Red Cheery and vanilla nose, youthful color, very soft on the palate, delicate Pinot fruit,
short finish. Drink up.
1994 Thomas - Tea and black cherry aromas, with flavors of tea, strawberries, cherries, mild vanilla oak, moderate tannins and
finish. Holding well. Nice wine.
1994 Adelsheim - Black fruit and earthy aromas that carry over to the palate, with added currants and moderate tannins. Holding okay. Nice wine.
1994 Autumn Wind, Reserve - Has a wierd, funky nose, lots of spicy oak and cinnamon. Not for me.
1994 St. Innocent, Seven Springs - Iodine on the nose, unidimensional, very tight, tannic. Needs 3-4 years to blossom.
1994 Bethel Heights, SE Block Reserve - Sulfur on the nose that blew off leaving luscious, rich, sweet cherry fruit. Very forward. Mild tannins. I would drink over the next year.
1994 Eola Hills, Reserve - Another rich black fruit wine, very luscious but delicate, medium tannins, long finish. Nice wine.
Holding well.
1994 Rex Hill, Reserve - Is there residual sugar in this? Very sweet with thin fruit. Pass!
We finished off the evening with a bottle of 1970 Taylor Port. Stunning way to wind down after day two of football, football, football.
Bucko
- Kcwhippet - 01-11-1999
We had the 94 Adelsheim a year ago at Caprials Bistro. We are fairly unschooled on the OR Pinot Noirs, but I recall everyone at the table was quite pleased at the selection. More so, that it went very well with all our menu choices - mushroom risotto, salmon and pork.
Bob
- Bucko - 01-11-1999
Good choice with the risotto......
Bucko
- David1953 - 01-09-2000
I had a chance to try some of the 94 Pinots while in OR for business just before Christmas 99. The 94's I tasted were Adelsheim, Sokol-Blosser and Erath.
I found them all to be quite good, nice cherry fruit, maybe a hint of that Burgundian barnyard on the nose.
I tried quite a few other Pinots also and left Oregon convinced that the state is years ahead of California in the production of Pinot Noir.
- Randy Caparoso - 01-11-2000
Who was it that declared the '94 Oregon Pinot Noirs "dead?" Is the world not full of enough charlatans?
David, I agree. Heah, heah!
- Bucko - 01-11-2000
RC, two separate tasting groups met about a year ago in Portland and in Seattle, 12-18 people, opening 20+ 94 Pinots. Notes were posted, with a general consensus that the 94s were too fat and forward in their youth and were now dead. These were all knowledgeable tasters. I thought that the wines were shedding their baby fat and hung on to several good examples. They are drinking just fine for me, and I have not even touched my St. Innocent wines yet.
Bucko