1999 Lemelson Thea's Selection Pinot Noir

[dananne]

Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Decanted about 30 minutes. Color would indicate heavy extraction, but it showed good smooth fruit. Strawberry nose and black cherry flavors, with a smokey element coming on late. Fine tannins that could have used another year or so. 13.5% alc. Paid about $30 at Binny's in Chicago. I liked it and see where the praise that I've read is coming from (WE 89, FWIW), but would rather have paid around $22. Matched up the same evening with a '00 Benton Lane that I spent about $14 on, and it wasn't THAT much better.

[Bucko]

That is the problem with wine -- the price versus reward is not usually linear. The more that I drink wine, the less that I pay for it. No cult chasing for me.

Thanks for the Lemelson report. I have yet to taste one.