Willamette Valley Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir

j-dubs

Tasting Tags:

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir

cliffordjames

This is a Pinot Noir, and even though Pinot Noir costs so much more than it seems it really should, this one, at $25, at least delivers some of what we have come to expect from a decent Pinot... APPEARANCE: Very light in color, it looks a lot like cranberry juice with a little bit of rust... ON THE NOSE: Pungent earth mixed with, as Gary Vaynerchuk would say, “classic dirty socks.” The earth aromas are a combination, actually, of rich forest-earth in the lower nose and dry sun-baked crumbly dirt on top of that, higher up the nose. Bok choy is in there, and also present is a soapy smell that is intriguing but not something I would look for again longingly. However, I must also add that I get that familiar whiff of clean, wet laundry, so perhaps that soapy smell belongs. You know, Darcey and I find it really, really difficult to describe what is in a smell, what the tastes are in the mouth. These tasting-notes are primarily an effort for us to do just that: to force ourselves to describe what we smell and taste. We go to tastings and listen as people – mostly the wine merchants themselves – describe the wines, but half the time we don’t smell or taste what they do. Of course we smell and taste many things, but we’ve learned that this is often a subjective art form. ON THE PALATE: Very medium to medium-light body in the mouth, not tannic at all in my opinion, or very light and sweet tannins, but with a fun acidity that is kind of zippy. The earth aromas come through nicely on the mouth, coupled with green vegetables, specifically the bok choy mentioned earlier, and some cherry. A nice classic Pinot, though perhaps a but lighter than I like, but smooth, overall, nice balance, particularly with the subtle but present oak, medium-dry, and a decent finish that indeed lingers and makes you want more. A good effort and worth drinking. Very real... WOULD WE DRINK IT AGAIN? Yes, if we found this in our cellar again we would smile and open it, sure! ... WOULD WE BUY IT AGAIN? Nah, we don't think we LOVED this wine enough to buy it again. $25 seems to be an entry price-point for quality North-American Pinot Noir, so we will probably buy others first to try.

Tasting Tags: bok-choy dirt dirty-socks earth