2001 Nicolaysen Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir

[dananne]

Santa Maria Valley.

This was one of the wines Anne brought back from San Diego last fall when she visited Vintage Wines.

Bright garnet in color -- decanted throughout evening. Nose of plum, entry too, but it turns over to tart cherry in the midpalate. The finish was very spicy -- initially almost Shiraz-like. I wasn't impressed at first glance. Later in the evening, it seemed to calm down, and Anne thought by the end of the night it was almost delicate. I thought it was OK, but not my cup of tea in a Pinot. The body wasn't light enough for my taste, and I think the 15.9 (!) % alc. was high, and perhaps made it feel heavier. Ran $45.