Just ripe fruit entry, recently picked grapes, young balanced with delicate spices, fresh fruit acid, whisper of herbs. A sheer negligee of age on the nose and on the palate, ghostly shade of 1994?. How can this be a1994 Pinot Noir? I checked the label thrice the bottle never left my cellar since Winery shipment 30+ years ago. It may be that I have passed in my sleep and am dreaming the dream of an oenophile, which wine lover does not dream of Pinot Noir? If so, don't wake me.
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Color is dark with browning rim and more as glass is emptied. Sweet ripe fruit too sweet, too ripe, a Beaux Freres almost sherry, addictive in its unique taste profile. A few Burgundy experts may dispute; age and concentration, not sweetness, essence of Pinot Noir, Nature's sweet grapes reborn. I will repurpose for a dessert wine with bittersweet chocolate, recall 1994, was it a sweet year, the BF will encourage my memories.
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This is still so very good, retaining plenty of fresh black cherry and berry on both its nose and palate, with sweet baking spice. This isn’t as powerful as it was when younger, but the added complexity of age has been kind to this wine, while still nicely bright for its age.
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Still alive and still lovely. Did fine over an hour decant, needed 20 minutes to start waking up. Fine for another 2-3 years at least but not improving.
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Popped the cork on my last bottle of these beauties. I haven't had one in 4 years. Still dark and brooding. Nose full of red fruit but a bit one dimensional. Amazing mouthfeel
Has opened up over the past hour
Terrific longevity for an historic vintage that had a reputation for early burnout
Bravo
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Just a terrific Pinot at its peak. Popped & poured, opened up beautifully over an hour. Deep crimson color, extremely well balanced. Pomegranate, red berries & cherries, terrific texture and length. In a word, memorable.
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This time we drank the 96 and 94 together to see the stark difference between the two vintages. I've poured more of the 96 down the drain over the years than I care to remember but in the last several years it has settled in and been good to very good. Ern liked the 96 better than the 94 but was in the vast minority. The 94 didn't perform as well this time from .750 but was still great and has many years ahead. It was interesting to compare but I thought the difference would be much greater.
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Decanted for one hour. Youthful garnet in the glass. Nose of plums, cloves, star anise with some roasted meat. Red fruits on the palate, with cranberries, earth and allspice. Rich and Burgundian. Well done.
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I don't know how Pinot can get better than this. At 16 years old, this wine has at least 10 more in it. This is the very best Oregon wine ever produced in my opinion of what I've had. Mike Etzel describes it as a freak of nature. Other Oregon '94 such as Archery Summit and Ponzi don't have near the life left in them and are actually going down. This wine is still huge in blue and black fruit, mile long finish that lingers and has an amazing balance and mouthfill. I never turn down a bottle of this wine at auction.
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This once again surprises everybody and shows as an exceptional Oregon Pinot doing well with age. Plenty of nicely maturing black cherry and blackberry aromas and flavors. Tannins very well integrated, working well with spice emerging on finish.
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Aromatically - Black plum, clove, and a touch of oak. On the palate it is an enormous wine with huge flavor concentration and layers upon layers of fine grain tannin with great integration of all components. 96-97
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Tasted at dinner with some great wines that overshadowed this. Not an elegant - feminine - wine, but seamless,good plum,dark fruits,acidity and cherry? The alcohol was evident as it is in almost all 1994 Oregon wines but not hot/rough. Good intensity and concentration - almost BIG. Probably would have faired better with lamb or steak and not with our menu.
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This was in a wonderful place tonight. Lovely aromatics and brilliant mouth feel with vibrant acidity and some firm tannins that will give this wine several more years in the cellar. Yet, when it's this good now...why wait?
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after our last bottle (1/07) I thought it needed 2+ hours decanting time..so I did that with this bottle and it sung! However, it was our last bottle..so I am not sure if it was so good because of the decanting..or just ‘cause we have no more left :)
the wine still has dark red color..no brown on edges..nose of blackberry, some plum, rhubarb..on the palate..smooth great integration of fruit and tannins long finish without the hotness we had seen before
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From magnum. When this wine was released it was very controversial and the winery even called it a freak. The freak has grown into a wonderful wine. Very rich, ripe and smooth as can be. Good from the first pour but best about two hours after opening.
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1/9/2024 - xyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just ripe fruit entry, recently picked grapes, young balanced with delicate spices, fresh fruit acid, whisper of herbs. A sheer negligee of age on the nose and on the palate, ghostly shade of 1994?.
How can this be a1994 Pinot Noir? I checked the label thrice the bottle never left my cellar since Winery shipment 30+ years ago. It may be that I have passed in my sleep and am dreaming the dream of an oenophile, which wine lover does not dream of Pinot Noir? If so, don't wake me.
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3/20/2023 - xyc Likes this wine:
Color is dark with browning rim and more as glass is emptied. Sweet ripe fruit too sweet, too ripe, a Beaux Freres almost sherry, addictive in its unique taste profile. A few Burgundy experts may dispute; age and concentration, not sweetness, essence of Pinot Noir, Nature's sweet grapes reborn. I will repurpose for a dessert wine with bittersweet chocolate, recall 1994, was it a sweet year, the BF will encourage my memories.
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8/30/2021 - rosenst1 wrote:
Opened 2 hours before a tasting; cork a bit of a disaster. This was superb at age 27; 1/8 in the group - I had it 5/8. Lovely fruit still.
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11/23/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
This is still so very good, retaining plenty of fresh black cherry and berry on both its nose and palate, with sweet baking spice. This isn’t as powerful as it was when younger, but the added complexity of age has been kind to this wine, while still nicely bright for its age.
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12/1/2019 - mark2eye wrote: 94 Points
Popped my final bottle the other night so my notes are drawn from memory. Singing on the nose and still drinking well.
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11/18/2018 - mark2eye Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose: honey, cherry cola, candied plum, leather, funk (with time)
Palate: blueberry, minerality, river rock, funky cheese, mild acid
This wine drank beautifully and really improved with 2 hours of time. It seemed to pick up texture and fattiness with time.
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10/14/2018 - Herb K wrote:
Amazing wine and still going. Needs 2-3 hours of air. Jamey, plums, currants. Deep
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8/20/2018 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 97 Points
Cooked strawbrrries, plums, good bit of dirt/earth. Medium + body and mellow/smooth tannins. At peak for sure right now. Pair with duck.
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7/13/2017 - Herb K wrote:
Delicious and elegant. On the down slide. Drink up!
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10/21/2016 - railgunner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, 22 years and it was truly terrific. Very full bodied with aromas of licorice, baking spice, plum and cherry. Great texture and fine tannin.
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2/22/2016 - jsmadsen wrote: 93 Points
Still alive and still lovely. Did fine over an hour decant, needed 20 minutes to start waking up. Fine for another 2-3 years at least but not improving.
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1/8/2015 - RCS73 wrote: 94 Points
Popped the cork on my last bottle of these beauties. I haven't had one in 4 years. Still dark and brooding. Nose full of red fruit but a bit one dimensional. Amazing mouthfeel
Has opened up over the past hour
Terrific longevity for an historic vintage that had a reputation for early burnout
Bravo
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3/31/2011 - LJV wrote: 94 Points
Just a terrific Pinot at its peak. Popped & poured, opened up beautifully over an hour. Deep crimson color, extremely well balanced. Pomegranate, red berries & cherries, terrific texture and length. In a word, memorable.
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1/10/2011 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
This time we drank the 96 and 94 together to see the stark difference between the two vintages. I've poured more of the 96 down the drain over the years than I care to remember but in the last several years it has settled in and been good to very good. Ern liked the 96 better than the 94 but was in the vast minority. The 94 didn't perform as well this time from .750 but was still great and has many years ahead. It was interesting to compare but I thought the difference would be much greater.
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10/7/2010 - Fielding wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for one hour. Youthful garnet in the glass. Nose of plums, cloves, star anise with some roasted meat. Red fruits on the palate, with cranberries, earth and allspice. Rich and Burgundian. Well done.
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8/9/2010 - Amstelplein wrote: 95 Points
Great, great wine. Wonderful bouquet and taste. Reaffirms that the best wine of the USA can age flawlessly.
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6/14/2010 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Really lovely wine - full of color and life. A very nice example of a rich mature oregon pinot - reminiscint of a not so old mature Vosne...
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6/1/2010 - JohnnyBark wrote: 97 Points
I don't know how Pinot can get better than this. At 16 years old, this wine has at least 10 more in it. This is the very best Oregon wine ever produced in my opinion of what I've had. Mike Etzel describes it as a freak of nature. Other Oregon '94 such as Archery Summit and Ponzi don't have near the life left in them and are actually going down. This wine is still huge in blue and black fruit, mile long finish that lingers and has an amazing balance and mouthfill. I never turn down a bottle of this wine at auction.
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5/12/2010 - Fielding wrote: 93 Points
I keep doing a double take. Rich, smooth, balanced, lots of red fruit, earth and acidity. Wow.
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2/13/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
This once again surprises everybody and shows as an exceptional Oregon Pinot doing well with age. Plenty of nicely maturing black cherry and blackberry aromas and flavors. Tannins very well integrated, working well with spice emerging on finish.
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2/13/2010 - psmith wrote:
Heady dark fruits. Rustic, meaty dark fruits. Rounded out nicely. Still has time left. Very nice.
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12/1/2009 - Harrypotter wrote: 97 Points
Aromatically - Black plum, clove, and a touch of oak. On the palate it is an enormous wine with huge flavor concentration and layers upon layers of fine grain tannin with great integration of all components. 96-97
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7/15/2009 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruits with hint of tar? Lot of fruit on the palate, dusty tannins . Needs more time. A big style wine.
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10/17/2007 - elliotgl wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at dinner with some great wines that overshadowed this. Not an elegant - feminine - wine, but seamless,good plum,dark fruits,acidity and cherry? The alcohol was evident as it is in almost all 1994 Oregon wines but not hot/rough. Good intensity and concentration - almost BIG. Probably would have faired better with lamb or steak and not with our menu.
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9/1/2007 - Kirk Grant wrote: 93 Points
This was in a wonderful place tonight. Lovely aromatics and brilliant mouth feel with vibrant acidity and some firm tannins that will give this wine several more years in the cellar. Yet, when it's this good now...why wait?
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6/30/2007 - michaelgor wrote: 94 Points
after our last bottle (1/07) I thought it needed 2+ hours decanting time..so I did that with this bottle and it sung! However, it was our last bottle..so I am not sure if it was so good because of the decanting..or just ‘cause we have no more left :)
the wine still has dark red color..no brown on edges..nose of blackberry, some plum, rhubarb..on the palate..smooth great integration of fruit and tannins long finish without the hotness we had seen before
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12/24/2006 - Jack wrote: 96 Points
From magnum. When this wine was released it was very controversial and the winery even called it a freak. The freak has grown into a wonderful wine. Very rich, ripe and smooth as can be. Good from the first pour but best about two hours after opening.
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12/10/2006 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Glorious tonight with an evolved nose and lush texture, still has a couple years!
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