2003 St. Innocent Anden Vineyard Pinot Noir

[dananne]

Willamette Valley, from down near Salem.

Many Oregon '03 PN turned out to have some flaws due to the heat, but this one kept things pretty under control. Still pretty dark, and a bit of heat from the 14.4% alc. That said, this one was nicely silky in the mouth, with red raspberry aromas and flavors and a touch of spiciness on the finish. The spiciness is a hallmark for the vineyard, but it usually tends towards wilder, black fruits. Overall, very well done and enjoyable, particularly for the vintage. Glad I held it for a while, as it supposedly was quite structured and tannic in it's youth. It ran about $34 locally.