2003 Bella Vida Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir

[dananne]

We had intended to sit on the hotter, heavier, more tannic '03s from Oregon a little longer to allow them to calm down a bit, but the '04s and '05s have turned out so well, and the '06s coming down the pike look great, too, so we're starting to clear the decks of the '03s. We picked this one up while on our '05 trip to Willamette, having tried it at a tasting room in McMinnville.

Decanted 30 minutes before 1st pour. Deep color of dark garnet with purple flashes. Aromatic plums and spices, with an herbal tea note on the nose. Flavors of black cherry and red plums. Dusty tannins carry the fruit with a bit more texture in the mouth than a typical Pinot, but the weight isn't too heavy. Just a slight trace of heat on the finish, which brings back the spiciness, with clove and cinnamon, and there is a hint of the "pine needle" element I find sometimes in Oregon Pinot Noir. Would have probably used another year in bottle to advantage in smoothing out the tannins. 14.5% alc. We paid around $28.