1997 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 91.4 points

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  10/14/2022 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 95 Points

  CV Lunch at Jade Palace. Semi-blind. Drank in Grassl Cru.
  Appearance some sediments, pale intensity, garnet colour with watery rim. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with wow aromas of Burgundian sous bois earth, bits of mushroom, puffs of smoke, integrated red cherries. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, softened high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), integrated medium tannins, medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity. with flavours of integrated red cherries, bits of stewed plum, melted potpourri, mushroom hints, sous bois earth. Long finish.
  Excellent quality and provenance. I could have sworn this was Burgundy if I didn't know the theme.

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  7/20/2016 - Counselor Chris wrote: 95 Points

  Opened on our 19th anniversary to pair with a meal of grilled hangar steak, roasted cauliflower and grilled trumpet mushrooms.
  
  This wine really shone right from the outset and never dropped off in two hours in the decanter (decanted because the end of the cork snapped and the bottom part ended up down in the bottle). The color was a bright, translucent red with no browning or bricking. The nose and palate were rich with tart red cherries, a bit of cranberry and rhubarb, a good dollop of orange and orange zest, and a hint of sage and bay leaf. The best part was a wonderfully long finish with tingling autumn baking spices, river minerals and juicy acids. The wine overall reminded of being in the kitchen on a cool autumn day, with just a bit of sharp edge to the breeze outside, a beautiful array of multicolored trees and leaves on display, and a warm evening's meal being prepared by loved ones.
  
  We have here quite a marriage of winemaker and vineyard, with both of them noted for great longevity and elegance in their wines, so I had high hopes for the wine and my hopes were met and exceeded. I think this bottle had easily another 5 years in a peak state, probably longer, with likely another more tertiary type phase after that. I wish I had more bottles left of this so I could be along for that ride.

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  11/26/2009 - vbellore wrote: 91 Points

  Pleasantly surprised. Very light, at first pour comes across as watery. Complexity picks up, with a little bit of baking spice on the finish. Sour cherries carry through out. Still picking up some weight 2 hours after opening. Still fige though.

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  10/7/2006 - winefool wrote: 90 Points

  Very nice, lighter Pinot. Plenty of fruit and complexity

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