At 16 years of age this bottle is fantastic. Two of us were skeptical to begin, but the nose was a complex mix of black cherry, licorice & apple. Still enough tannins for a clean finish & it opened nicely over a couple of hours. Great ‘legs’ & just the right balance of fruits & berries. Still quite full bodied as well. Based on the previous reviews I believe the expectations early on were not presented until a few years had passed. I note that the 2012 review was better than those in 2005, so perhaps this was a sleeper from an average vintage.
If anyone still has a bottle or two I would say you have 2-4 years to drink it, it is likely at its peak now!
OK, quick addition. After 2.5 hours the fruit is fading fast. Nose & tannins still sustaining the experience, but I would definitely NOT decant unless there are enough folks to finish in <2 hours.
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Surprisingly good at this age for the Villages cuvee. Definitely mature - maybe just past peak, but still a lot of body and pretty decent fruit. No notes, but drinking very well.
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A hidden nose of cherries. A bit light on the palate. Pleasant but in no means mind blowing. But there are a lot worse Pinots out there that cost more than the $18 I paid for this.
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3/21/2019 - diên diên wrote: 93 Points
At 16 years of age this bottle is fantastic. Two of us were skeptical to begin, but the nose was a complex mix of black cherry, licorice & apple. Still enough tannins for a clean finish & it opened nicely over a couple of hours. Great ‘legs’ & just the right balance of fruits & berries. Still quite full bodied as well. Based on the previous reviews I believe the expectations early on were not presented until a few years had passed. I note that the 2012 review was better than those in 2005, so perhaps this was a sleeper from an average vintage.
If anyone still has a bottle or two I would say you have 2-4 years to drink it, it is likely at its peak now!
OK, quick addition. After 2.5 hours the fruit is fading fast. Nose & tannins still sustaining the experience, but I would definitely NOT decant unless there are enough folks to finish in <2 hours.
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12/24/2012 - zovizule Likes this wine:
Surprisingly good at this age for the Villages cuvee. Definitely mature - maybe just past peak, but still a lot of body and pretty decent fruit. No notes, but drinking very well.
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6/23/2009 - norsktorsk wrote: flawed
this bottle is off and not drinkable. not vinegar.
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9/28/2007 - cookie7 wrote: 87 Points
A hidden nose of cherries. A bit light on the palate. Pleasant but in no means mind blowing. But there are a lot worse Pinots out there that cost more than the $18 I paid for this.
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9/4/2005 - jrglm wrote: 83 Points
Young but drinkable. No distinctive qualities. Not sure I'd buy more.
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