2012 Whistling Dog Cellars Pinot Noir Heritage Block NSV

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 89 points

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  10/26/2017 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine:

  Consistent with my previous note. Drinking well but will hold or improve for several more years I’m sure - rich, but has just enough structure. For now give this a decent. Pleasing if you want to drink a richer Pinot, and a good QPR.

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  3/5/2017 - OregonLoafer wrote:

  One of the richest Oregon Pinots I've had. Nearly 15% ABV, and it runs a little hot. Surely the vintage is a big part of this, but this tastes fundamentally different than the 2013 Dijon bloc from Whistling Dog, which I really enjoy and find to be a fantastic value. In contrast this is substantially more jammy and rich, showing more concentrated black fruit and less acidity. That's typical for 2012, but I feel like the difference here is greater than normal. I'd love to taste the Dijon and heritage blocs from the same vintage to compare, as I think the clone must be responsible for some of the huge difference between these two Whistling Dog wines that I've had.
  
  Overall though, if you enjoy a rich Pinot noir, this is well made and a good value.
  
  UPDATE: This has been in my fridge for several days now, vac-sealed. This tends to result in a slow oxidation that not all wines survive. But this wine continued to develop over the week. It tastes less jammy and the alcohol is a bit less present. It substantially increased my appraisal of this wine. I think this would do well in the cellar for a couple more years, though it still doesn't have the acid for long term aging. It's drinking well now with tons of air - give this at least a few hours in a decanter, or even overnight.

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  10/25/2015 - rmh66 wrote: 89 Points

  Starts a bit unfocused, but after 30 minutes of air, pulls together tremendously. Black cherry, plum, forest floor, earth, cocoa powder, smoke, and a little iris or iodine on the nose. Black cherry, tart cherry, spice, earth, a little vanilla, and raspberry on the palate. Very good acidity, fine tannins, decent finish. Super young, this starts a little restrained for a 2012 and then gets bigger with air. Definitely a dark fruited powerful wine. Better the next day.

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