Austin Off-Line September 2004: Pinot Noir

Last night, 4 of us wine aficionados from Austin got together for a Pinot Noir tasting of the finest kind at one of the nicest restaurants in town. Since we were only 4 drinkers, the number of wines we tasted was limited, but the wines were gorgeous. Here's the lineup:

1) We started with a nice Chardonnay from Seven Lions. I was very impressed with the amount of fruit, complexity, and lack of oak. Gotta find me some of that.

On to the Pinot Noirs....

2) 1980 Kalin "Cuvee JL" - Great Juice. The nose of sour cherry and raw meat was accompanied by a hint of bbq sauce. This wine, despite being 24 years old, is not just drinking beautifully now, but has lots of life left. Loads of acidity and fruit were just balanced perfectly.

3) 1993 Domaine Amiot-Servelle Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru "Les Charmes" - Wow. Glorious wine that had strawberry, and cherry notes that were carrying the fruit in this wine. Less acidity than the Kalin, but just as well balanced in my opinion.

4) 1995 Paul Hobbs Hyde Vineyard - Ripe cherry fruit and the acidity in this wine were also balanced nicely. A hint of cedar wood gave this wine a unique taste IMO.

5) 1995 JJ Confuron - Interesting wine. I thought this wine may have been slightly out of balance. Acidity was high compared to the fruit. Nevertheless, interesting notes of raw lamb meat and ground black pepper gave this wine a unique set of characteristics that I quite liked.

6) 1988 LeRoy Nuits St. Georges "Les Boudots" - Nice crisp cherry and cinnamon notes. Most of us detected a distinct Barnyard/Horse Stable smell that we liked. This wine simply exploded on the palate and had a very long finish with a touch of tartness.

7) 2002 Radio Coteau "La Neblina" - Gigantic, young wine that seemed to be liked by some at the table while others were undecided. I personally think the wine is going to develop well with age and think that it is simply too young to be had right now. Although the wine displays gorgeous fruit, acidity, and tannins, and seems weirdly well-balanced, there is heat on the finish and I'll wait until the wine has had more bottle time.

8) 2002 Acacia Carneros - Another giant. Just like last time when I tasted this wine, I am unsure what to make of it. The wine is so huge that one would think it needs cellaring, yet the wine is so well balanced and short on acidity, that I think it may not get better with age. Either way, right now, I get a nose of troical fruit, tar, and pepper, and floral notes and pork-fat, along with dark berry flavors on the palate. A strangely silky texture to this wine also.

I should mention that the food I had with these wines was:

- Duck confit, escarole, apple and gorgonzola with caramelized onion broth
- Grilled pork loin with juniper scented salsify, braised red cabbage and port wine reduction.

To summarize the event: great wine + great food + great company = lots of fun