2004 The Cost Vineyard Pinot Noir

[dananne]

This 22-acre outfit is located in the Eola Hills in Oregon's Willamette Valley, just to the west of Salem. They offer a 100% estate fruit Pinot Noir from pretty young Dijon clones which were grafted onto native rootstock, planted in Nekia soil, harvested at 1 ton/acre, yadda, yadda, yadda. In short, Cost is a small winery producing wines only from their own fruit in limited quantities in a style that seems to be par for the Oregon course.

Dark garnet color. Nose of clove, cinnamon, anise, and plums. Plum and cherry flavors are forward and delivered with a definite spiciness, as those anise and clove aromas show up again in the finishing flavors. A fuller-bodied PN than what is sometimes found in Oregon, though it still maintains a balance between the fruit, the tannins (which are noticeable, but should start melting away in the next few years -- if I had any more, I'd sit on it for about 3 years before revisiting it), the acidity, and the alc. (14.5%). The whole package was a bit bigger than I was hoping, and it certainly couldn't be called a delicate wine, but it was a nice wine that would please big Pinot lovers. We bought it at the Dobbes tasting room in Dundee on our visit in '06 for about $30.