Thomas Pinot Noir Vertical

Dan and Elise hosted a Thomas Pinot Noir fractured vertical with vintages ranging from '03 to '11. It was a beautiful almost Fall like evening here and the setting was perfect. Dan and Elise did a fabulous job with the food as our pairings worked perfectly with the Thomas wines. This was a really fun event and great opportunity to experience Thomas's outstanding wines. Thanks to Dan and Elise for all their generosity.

• 2002 Lanson Champagne Noble Cuvée de Lanson Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light medium gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes plus. This is bolder and more powerful than the '02 Pommery we drank prior. Apple, citrus, chalk and somewhat oxidative in style. The palate has depth, sour apple, citrus pith, more chalk and comes off as a little clunky. I prefer their Noble BdB myself.

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• 2002 Pommery Champagne Cuvée Louise Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. This was firing on all cylinders for me. A very elegant and sophisticated wine. Excellent nose with red and green apple, yeast, lightly toasted, lightly floral, fine sea air minerality. The palate shines with apple, yeast, toast, almond, and a crystalline minerality all on a energetic bright medium body. 93+ to 94pts.

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• 2017 Flaneur Chardonnay La Belle Promenade 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains

  Light gold color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. Fairly fresh on the nose, pear, ocean air, light saline, lemon. The palate delvers a bit more than the nose; lemon, light-medium body, more lemon on the palate, some slate mineral with a touch of brine, a bit of wood spice and modest but not unnoticeable oak. An enjoyable Oregon chard.

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• 2003 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 95 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Light medium red color. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours plus. This had an amazing nose from the start. The palate was even better, and it all came together in a seamless fashion as it built over the first hour and then just cruised along effortlessly. Leave it to Thomas to make an 03 that would turn out to be almost the unanimmous WOTN in a fractured vertical ranging from '03 to '11. Not to mention this would have been WOTN on many nights in general. The nose offers a medley of enticing tertiary aromas of funk, mushroom, dried spice, leather and soil on top of the fine red cherry fruit. The palate is sublime as well, elegant and refined, medium bodied, red fruit, more to tart cherry, leather, sous bois, mushroom, earthy, dried wood spices, and a hint of scorched earth with fine tannins and a long finish. Loved it. My and group WOTN.

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• 2011 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Medium plus red color. PNP, drank a glass over 3+ hours. We popped this first to drink alongside of the Thomas vertical. Sweet fruit on the nose, red berries, vanilla, sweet cherry. On the palate some smokey red berries, raspberry, tart cherry, medium bodied, subtle earth. Seems a bit lean to start, and took its sweet time to really flesh out (easily over an hour), but once it did it was impressive. This took on weight and depth, more to a deep cherry and much more classic Oregon earth now. The acid stands out now on the palate and the strawberry comes through on the nose with a floral topnote. 92+ to 93pts at peak.

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• 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 94 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Medium red color. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours plus. I hate to agree this much with Chablis28, but I calls 'em as I see 'em :). I'm loving this again, maybe not to the extent of a previous bottle, but nonetheless, it's a brilliant effort. Another elegant style, perfumed with bright red berry fruits on the nose, more to the damp side of the earthiness, with some white pepper and spice. The palate is very earthy, baked cherry, deeper red berry, spices, pepper, satiny texture with a long sumptuous finish. This was pretty much the consensus #2 WOTN.

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• 2004 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Light medium marroonish red color. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours. This started out a bit reticent, but over the course of 20 to 30 minutes it fleshed out very nicely. Red fruits on the nose with a dried earth and dried spices, and a hint of anise. The palate is lighter medium body with a mix of cherry and cranberry, earthy, resolved tannins, good length. Good and gets much better in glass. 92+pts.

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• 2009 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 91 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Medium plus red color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. I've really liked Thomas's '09 in the past and this was good, but it wasn't at the level of previous bottles. That may be a provenance issue with the bottle or perhaps the warmer vintage is beginning to show with aging - except that the '03 was showing beautifully. Medium plus bodied, sappy cherry, more intensity, spicy, with some alcohol showing. 90+ to 91pts.

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• 2006 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 89 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Medium red color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. This bottle seemed to be a bit more advanced, maybe a little consistent with the vintage in general. Dried earth, scorched earth palate, some alcohol is bleeding through, dried cherry, tobacco and dried wood.

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• 2011 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 90 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Medium red color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. This came off really youthful tonight, young, spicy, pepper, dark berry, dried wood spices on thenose. The palate shows ripe berry, very spicy, red currants, and some alcohol at times. This just seemed a bit out of sorts right now, but I still have high hopes for its future. Another example of where a lot of '11's are drinking well now, this needs more time. 90(+)pts.

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• 2010 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 93 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Light medium translucent red color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes plus. This was excellent, very pretty, very lively, bright red fruits more to the berry aroma and flavors than cherry here. The palate is medium bodied, and shows the signature purity, acidity and brightness of the '10 vintage; raspberry, strawberry, floral, light earth, silky texture and good length. I love the '10 vintage and while most '10's seem to be drinking at peak, this still feels very youthful, and it's best years are further on down the road. 93(+)pts. My and group #3 WOTN.

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• 2001 Château Rieussec 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium golden color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Brief note. Wow, peach, orange, blood orange, honey, simply beautiful, balanced, long and exquisite.

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WOTN: 2003 Thomas Pinot Noir (3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2=23pts)
#2 WOTN: 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir (3+2+2+2+2+2+1+1=15pts)
#3 WOTN: 2010 Thomas Pinot Noir (2+2+1+1+1+1=8pts)