Community Tasting Note

Jack Cranley wrote:

Monday, November 18, 2019 - Popped open the 1999 Claudia's today (Nov. 18, 2019) to show an interested friend how well Oregon Pinots can age, and this one did not disappoint.

Had a little trouble with the cork - it was pretty well saturated and crumbly, so take heed when you open yours. Wish I would have used my ah-so.

The color is still a nice rich ruby with a cola rim.

The nose is still bursting forth and generous. Plenty of fruit still left in this one. At first, lots of raspberry preserves and dried cherry, but then moving through a complex array as it opened up in the glass.

First sip - absolutely mouthwatering. Acidity is still - dare I say - young. And vivacious. Tannins are fully integrated and silky but still present enough to give the wine a delightful slippery/tacky texture.

Flavors of strawberry and raspberry reduction laced with pistachio nut, mocha, dried fig and more. A dizzying menagerie, really.

As the wine opened in the glass, more and more aromas came peeling off. Perfume, potpourri, lilac flowers, sandalwood, sweet vanilla, moving in to caramel, peanut brittle, and a certain funky rotting tropical fruit note - which, if you've ever experienced hot rotting mangoes on pavement, you'll know this is not a negative. It's heady and intoxicating and utterly overwhelming in the most welcome of ways.

I am just astonished at how well this has held up - WAY exceeded my expectations. There is absolutely nothing in this wine that detracted from the experience. Flawless. And still bursting with juicy youthfulness.

The finish is absolutely endless and blankets the entire palate with flavor from front to back. What a pleasure and an honor to enjoy this wine today.

If you have any in your cellar I will say this: The wine is almost certainly in peak form right now. You could hang on to it a little longer, but it ain't getting any better than this. With the amount of youth in the fruit and structure, I would say it could hold on through 2025 no problem, but good grief it is drinking so well right now. Get in there and enjoy this!

Post a Comment / View Jack Cranley's profile
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,323 views)