2000 Willamette Valley Pinor Noir -- a 15 year Restrospective

Littel Bird
Tasted Saturday, April 18, 2015 - Monday, April 20, 2015 by pwillen1 with 732 views

Introduction

This is the third year I've put on this tasting.

For 1998 see here: http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1115601#p1115601
For 1999 see here: http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1487523#p1487523

I supplied 4 of the wines for the tasting that I've been collecting for this event over the past couple years. Others either had wines in their cellars or sourced. I've got 4-5 wines lined up each vintage going forward, so I hope we can find a group every year to do it again.

Three wines showed extremely well, a few were terrible and the rest were just ok, with some folks feeling those wines need time and others feeling they might not come together given the warm vintage. I'm really looking forward to next year as 2001 is one of my favorite Oregon vintages.

Flight 1 - Flight 1 (Starter Whites) (2 Notes)

  • 1995 The Eyrie Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/20/2015)

    Light, appropriate color for the age. Cool caraway on the nose, maybe some menthol too. In the mouth, round, pleasing pear but also, persistent and elongating acid. Very soft and elegant, feminine. A really complete wine. A great showing.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

  • 2002 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Le Tesson

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    (4/20/2015)

    Open initially, then started to show some reduction after being in the glass for 45 minutes. When it was open it was very deep with pear, chalk, mineral and persistent acid. Beau and I were discussing Meursault vs Puligny-Montrachet and I just prefer the overt fruit of PM whereas this was complete and excellent, with good depth, it just wasn't a stunner. A good value nonetheless.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Flight 2 - Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Bonshaw Block Estate Vineyard

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

    (4/20/2015)

    Bought on Auction 2 years ago for this tasting. Per a PM from Jim, this was limited release.

    Soft chocolate brownie on the nose, then very beautiful lilacs. Cherries in the mouth. Then a slightly harsh acid on the finish that turned just a bit bitter and stemmy. Other than that slight flaw in the finish, this was a gorgeous wine and my #3 red of the night. The nose was so complex and enchanting. Beau thought this was a 90s NSG ringer and that wasn't a bad guess. Great showing.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

  • 2000 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Wahle Reserve

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    Bought on auction about a year ago for this tasting.

    Dusty notes from the wood, a touch warm but that's nit-picking. Really pretty, pure Oregon fruit with just a touch of cola. On the lighter side of medium on the weight. Soft on the finish and resolved. Whereas the Bonshaw was aromatically more interesting, this was, as Andy said, the more pleasing wine, the one you'd want to sit down with and enjoy. Pretty much undisputed #2 red of the night.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Flight 3 - Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Reed & Reynolds

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    Thick and dark. This wine was hot and spicy in a barrel proof rye sort of way. Boysenberry fruit flavors on the bold finish.

    Disappointing given how well the Sinnean Reed & Reynolds showed at the 99 tasting.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

  • 2000 McKinlay Pinot Noir Ladd Hill

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    I bought this bottle at a local wine shop that kept it in their passively cooled basement cellar since release because it was the surprise hit of the 1998 tasting 2 years ago. This vintage (or this bottle) didn't show as well.

    Soft and hot it showed some interesting lead, but then it was ultimately just too simple.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Flight 4 - Flight 4 (3 Notes)

  • 2000 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    This was hot and poopy. I couldn't get past the Brett.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2000 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    Rinke got this and a 2nd bottle from the winemaker, David Lett who instructed him to open both and bring the better showing one. I'm glad he did because the 50% chance we got the other bottle I would have been even more disappointed.

    This bottle was really soft with blonde brownie notes from the oak. It was elegant and surprisingly clean for the producer (I had flighted it in the Brett flight as I hadn't tasted it prior to flighting). The wine was pretty but beyond the pleasing oak there wasn't much going on.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2000 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    Rather bretty on the nose but then floral with some violets and earth too, wet, alkaline dirt. Some cinnamon spice that lingered. This was a very complex wine, especially for someone who enjoys a little funk in their wine.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Flight 5 - Flight 5 (3 Notes)

  • 2000 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/20/2015)

    I thought this wine was corked but I couldn't get anyone to agree. Cardboard on the nose, lighter bodied, then chunky Muir Glenn Organic canned tomatoes. Bitter finish.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2000 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Reserve Murto Vineyard

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    (4/20/2015)

    Bought on auction a year ago for this tasting.

    Pretty red fruits a touch of cinnamon on the nose, then pure, classic, gorgeous red cherries on the palate. The oak showing as hazelnuts, perhaps nutella. The cherries seemed more elegant than other wines from this vintage tonight.

    While my notes are light here, this wine was just about perfect and I'm glad I stocked up on 2010 and 2011 of this. Undisputed #1 red of the night.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

  • 2000 Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

    (4/20/2015)

    Very pretty fruit with just a bit too much tannic structure to be really performing well, definitely hold for a few more years at least. Had a fair bit of oak notes showing as cedar and pine needles. Wine should show very well for some time. Wine was uncorked and left in bottle for 2 hours before drinking.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Flight 6 - Flight 6 (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

    (4/20/2015)

    Tons of nail polish on the nose, then hot, high heat. I wasn't a fan.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2000 Chehalem Pinot Noir Stoller Vineyard

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    (4/20/2015)

    Tasted like LBV port. lots of residual sugar and high heat. Disappointing given the Chehalem Ridgecrest vineyard showed so well last year.

    Harvested from 10/6-10/8/2000 @ 24.6-25.2 brix, 3.25-3.31 pH, and 6.8-7.6 g/l TA, from 2.2 tons per acre cropload. 14.9% alc and it showed.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

×
×