A (very) mixed Pinot Noir blind tasting. Many people do not cellar
Burgundies - one of the biggest crap shoots in winedom, unless you can
taste before you buy, often impractical and/or expensive. This tasting
showed more new world Pinots than in previous events.

Cipes Pinot Noir Brut - a BC bubbly with a reasonably dark colour,
good entry, bit light in the mid-palate, but improving in the end with
decent length. With pricing above the good Cavas, not likely to appeal
to many.

2003 Zanatta Allegria Brut Rose - yeah, I know, it sounds like a
Police retrospective, but this wine comes from the Cowichan Valley on
Vancouver island. It was a pink, with a nose of yeast, an unfinished
wine. Which is why I taste but do not buy wines from the Island, at
least not until they get their act together.

2006 Lang Blanc de Noir - BC pink with a red tone, made from Pinot
and Gamay. Not worth putting in your mouth. I know - I did.....

1999 Burrowing Owl PN - fairly light in colour (in context of new
world, not Burgs) with browning edges. Interesting on palate - the
only tip off that it isn't French was the slight heat detectable in
the nose. Not bad.

2004 Burrowing Owl PN - another "Tunneling Hooter" wine, yet so
different. Cherry and cocoa nose, medium colour, fruit level OK,
tannin and astringency6 make this one to hold and cross your fingers.
Not sure how it will turn out.

1998 Kettle Valley Hayman PN - this single vineyard offering was the
first nature wine. Dark colour, slightly funky nose, with some herbs,
decent middle and still with soft tannin at the end.

2005 Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard PN - a Wagner wine from
California, there was good sweet pinot fruit in this, a slightly
antiseptic sweet nose, and a nice sweet spicy finish.. Oddly enough
this died rather quickly in the glass, especially for such a young
wine, which usually doesn't bode well for the ageability.

1999 Jacques Prieur Beaune Champs Pimont - lovely elegant nose that
said Burgundy, medium body, pleasant sweet wine with good length. No
rush.

2002 King Estate Domaine PN - a primary sort of cherry nose, sweet
entry, simple pleasant wine.

2004 Maysara PN Delara - finally an Oregon entry, but sadly not a
typical one. Warm caramel and cherry nose, completely unlike a Pinot
Noir. So-so on palate - a pass on this one.

2004 Yering Station Yara Valley PN - good red fruit in the nose of
this Oz wine, great intensity of flavour and good length. If you like
the brasher style, this was a good example, unmistakably from Down
Under.

2002 Cedar Creek Platinum PN - usually a reliable wine, this one
showed an atypical burnt nose, sour cherries in the mouth and was
bland - avoid.

1990 Laurent Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru - there was funkiness but
little in the way of fruit in the nose on this one. Better news on
palate, with sweet cherry flavours, finishing astringent and a bit
sour. If I'd paid for and cellared this wine, I'd be a bit choked.

1985 Remoissenet Savigny les Beaunes Les Gravains Tete de Cuvee - DOA,
which I suppose is predictable, or at least a risk with a 22 year old
Savigny.


2002 Mission Hill Late Harvest Vidal - never a big fan of Canadian
sweet wines, this was no surprise - sweet simple fruit nose, it had
sufficient acidity to give it balance but not interest. Forgettable.

2003 Peller Estates Reserve Trinity Ice Wine - much better balance and
an improved nose on this rather expensive ($55/375 ml.) wine, far
better than the previous vapid example. A blend of Vidal, Ehrenfelser
and Riesling. Think I'll stick (pun intended) to my German BA and
TBAs, thanks.

This tasting reminds me of why I like cabernets so much.....they are so
much more reliable! Sure, a really good Pinot Noir is a true delight,
but crawling over figurative broken glass to find them is a pastime
for those more masochistic than I am. Do I still collect them? Sure,
but only after tasting them. My wine was the 1998 Kettle, and I had a
back up of a 1993 Bichot Vosne Romanee Les Malconsorts in my bag.

"Bill S." wrote in message
oups.com...
A (very) mixed Pinot Noir blind tasting. Many people do not cellar
Burgundies - one of the biggest crap shoots in winedom, unless you can
taste before you buy, often impractical and/or expensive. This tasting
showed more new world Pinots than in previous events.

Bill
How interesting and by coincidence I am doing a Pinot tasting in October,
showing just nine wines, three each, from France NZ and Chile, all inflights
of different levels of cost and expected complexity.

Having tried a couple of Felton Roads, The Chambertin had better look to its
laurels.

John T from a hot and parched UK. As I write Trish is out watering and its
only May 2

On May 2, 9:43 am, "John T" wrote:

Having tried a couple of Felton Roads, The Chambertin had better look to its
laurels.

Yes, they are excellent - also pricey, at least here they are. You can
buy good Burgs for less sometimes! But then that is New Zealand.

Don't know why almost all of the Oz Pinots I've tasted have been
varietally atypical - maybe just bad luck - but the Yering showed
promise that they may do some good, if not Burgundian Pinots.

"Bill S." wrote in message
oups.com...
This tasting reminds me of why I like cabernets so much.....they are so
much more reliable! Sure, a really good Pinot Noir is a true delight,
but crawling over figurative broken glass to find them is a pastime
for those more masochistic than I am. Do I still collect them? Sure,
but only after tasting them. My wine was the 1998 Kettle, and I had a
back up of a 1993 Bichot Vosne Romanee Les Malconsorts in my bag.

I notice that you had several Okanagan PNs. When I tried the Mt. Hawthorne,
a cheapo at about Can$18, there was initially, a distinct whiff of labrusca
on the nose, that soon dissipates. Apparently, some expensive Ontario PNs
also have this. Have you come across this?

Graham

Kinda depressing, Bill.
So many Pinots, so few tasting good.
I have had some good PN from the Okanagan but perhaps this was before a
certain movie made pinot the new merlot.
Are there any others that caught your fancy over the past few months?

I've just built a 240 bottle storage area and am looking for some stock.
;)

--
Commander Bob

"Bill S." wrote in message
oups.com...

This tasting reminds me of why I like cabernets so much.....they are so
much more reliable! Sure, a really good Pinot Noir is a true delight,
but crawling over figurative broken glass to find them is a pastime
for those more masochistic than I am. Do I still collect them? Sure,
but only after tasting them. My wine was the 1998 Kettle, and I had a
back up of a 1993 Bichot Vosne Romanee Les Malconsorts in my bag.

Graham - can't say I've come across any Labrusca nose, but then I stay
away from the marginal wineries that are more likely to produce odd
results.

Michael - Kettle Valley Pinots are often good, as are Blue Mountain,
Golden Mile, Cedar Creek Platinum.

"Bill S." wrote in message
ups.com...
Graham - can't say I've come across any Labrusca nose, but then I stay
away from the marginal wineries that are more likely to produce odd
results.

Michael - Kettle Valley Pinots are often good, as are Blue Mountain,
Golden Mile, Cedar Creek Platinum.

Thanks for the reply. I'll watch out for your suggestions but not every one
makes it over the mountains into Alberta:-(
I've enjoyed Platinum but, at ~$40, it's not an everyday "housewine" so I
tried the cheapo, which wasn't bad after the initial aroma. However, late
last year, the CBC had Jurgen Goth and a wine expert (name escapes me)
discussing and tasting wines on the radio. One of the wines was a very
expensive Ontario PN and Goth's first comment was on the brief whiff of
labrusca. Hence I wondered if it was present in other brands.
Cheers
Graham

Thanks Bill.

I've been a fan of Quail's Gate family reserve over the years but the last
batch has taken about 5 years to come around.
I'll keep an eye out for your suggestions.
--
Commander Bob
"Bill S." wrote in message
ups.com...

Michael - Kettle Valley Pinots are often good, as are Blue Mountain,
Golden Mile, Cedar Creek Platinum.