2003 Aramenta Cellars Ribbon Ridge Estate Reserve

[dananne]

This was a purchase from our '05 Willamette Valley trip. Aramenta is a small producer on Ribbon Ridge, right alongside such luminaries as Penner-Ash, Beaux Freres, Bergstrom, Brick House, etc., and their wines provide good value, relatively speaking.

Decanted at first pour, and left there through evening. Dark garnet in color, with a nose of sweet plum and cherry fruit. Complex flavors, with the fruit picking up coffee and/or toffee elements. Like many of the '03s, however, it was somewhat undone by finishing hot. We tasted the '03s on the trip where we purchased this, and this past summer, we returned and they were pouring '04s. Almost across the board, the '04s were better than the '03s, more delicate, much more in balance, and much more typical of Oregon. Anyway, that's somewhat off topic. The Aramenta ran $30, and the alc. was 14.7%.