Wine Vault: American Pinot Noir- Swinging for the Fences
In the late autumn and winter of 1996, I had the good fortune to attend a couple of sessions of a large tasting of top American Pinot Noirs. Many of these wines were just released or due for spring 1997 release, so it was a great opportunity to taste the wines before they disappeared from the market. In addition, many of these cuvees are so limited in availability, that this tasting represented a once in a lifetime chance to taste these wines in groups of their peers. Given my fondness for Pinot in its Burgundian guise, I was very curious to see what was going on with the very best American practitioners of this grape. Given Robert Parker's unabashed enthusiasm for American Pinot Noir (not to mention his willingness to put his money where his mouth is with Beaux Freres), I was excited to place a few between the cheek and gum.
All in all, the results were quite favorable. I found a large number of wines that were very well made. The bizarre, leafy and vegetal aromatics and the coarse, weedy palates which characterized American Pinot Noir in the mid-to-late 1980s are not to be found at the top levels of pinot practitioners in the 1990s. A number of the better producers in Oregon (Adelsheim, Evesham Wood, St. Innocent) which I would have expected to have made better wines, seem to have missed in 1994. Whether or not they were plagued by overripe grapes in the torrid 1994 vintage is a matter of speculation, but I would surmise that their 1994s are unrepresentative of the quality levels that these wineries routinely obtain these days. In California, the top vineyards in Sonoma seem to have the upper hand on their more renowned southern neighbors in Santa Barbara. Leading the way are the extraordinary Pinots of Williams-Selyem. These stunning, single vineyard bottlings absolutely tower over the competition. No one in America makes Pinot Noir that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Williams-Selyem.
Where do these wines rank in the context of Burgundy? Robert Parker's assertion that the Burgundians must have many sleepless nights worrying about the competition on the west coast was simply incomprehensible when tasting the wines. Even the very best American Pinots (Williams-Selyem) do not possess the great soil flavors of Burgundy's terroir. In most great Burgundy, the terroir is responsible for a third to half of the aromatic and flavor profile of the wine. Even in a toweringly profound wine such as Williams-Selyem's 1994 Rochioli Vineyard, the wine cannot help but miss this "bottom third" of soil. Perhaps as the vineyards age, the flavors of the soil will become more pronounced. But for now, the word for those in Burgundy is dormez bien.
The Wine List:
1995 Adelsheim Pinot Noir
1994 Adelsheim "Elizabeth's Vineyard" Pinot Noir
1994 Adelsheim "Seven Springs" Pinot Noir
1995 Archery Summit Cellar Staff Selection Pinot Noir
1994 Archery Summit "Red Hills" Pinot Noir
1994 Archery Summit "Arcus Estate" Pinot Noir
1994 Au Bon Climat "Ricon and Rosemary" Pinot Noir
1994 Au Bon Climat "Cuvee Isabella" Pinot Noir
1994 Bethel Heights "Southeast Block Reserve" Pinot Noir
1994 Bethel Heights "Flat Block Reserve" Pinot Noir
1994 Calera Pinot Noir
1994 Cristom "Mount Jefferson Cuvee" Pinot Noir
1994 Cristom "Marjorie's Vineyard" Pinot Noir
1994 Cristom "Reserve" Pinot Noir
1994 Dehlinger Reserve Pinot Noir
1994 Dehlinger "Goldridge" Pinot Noir
1994 Dehlinger "Octagon" Pinot Noir
1994 Dehlinger "Goldridge 20 year-old" Pinot Noir
1994 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir
1994 El Molino Pinot Noir
1994 Evesham Wood "Temperance Hill" Pinot Noir
1994 Evesham Wood "Seven Springs" Pinot Noir
1994 Evesham Wood "Estate Unfiltered" Pinot Noir
1994 Evesham Wood "Cuvee J" Pinot Noir
1994 Foxen "Bien Nacido" Pinot Noir
1994 Foxen "Sanford & Benedict" Pinot Noir
1994 Mount Eden Pinot Noir
1994 Ponzi Pinot Noir
1994 Ponzi Reserve Pinot Noir
1995 Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir
1994 Saintsbury Reserve Pinot Noir
1994 St. Innocent "Freedom Hill" Pinot Noir
1994 St. Innocent "O'Conner Vineyard" Pinot Noir
1994 St. Innocent "Temperance Hill" Pinot Noir
1995 Whitcraft Winery "Bien Nacido Q" Pinot Noir
1995 Whitcraft Winery "Bien Nacido" Pinot Noir
1995 Whitcraft Winery "Hirsch" Pinot Noir
1994 Williams-Selyem "Ferrington" Pinot Noir
1994 Williams-Selyem "Coastlands" Pinot Noir
1994 Williams-Selyem "Hirsch" Pinot Noir
1994 Williams-Selyem "Allen" Pinot Noir
1994 Williams-Selyem "Riverblock" Pinot Noir
1994 Williams-Selyem "Rochioli" Pinot Noir
1995 Adelsheim Pinot Noir
Adelsheim has made some of my favorite American Pinot Noirs in the past, but I was left decidedly underwhelmed by a number of their current releases. This wine is pretty weedy on the nose, with scents of red fruits, herbs, tarry tones and varnish-like resiny aromas. Medium-full and a bit coarse on the palate, with the resiny streak through the middle, and some astringent tannins on the finish. With air this wine fell apart. Not a typical effort from Adelsheim. 1997-1999. 83.
1994 Adelsheim "Elizabeth's Vineyard" Pinot Noir
Another air ball for Adelsheim in 1994. The nose is poor, with scents of unripe cherry fruit, vegetal tones, and road tar. The tarriness carries through on the attenuated, harshly tannic finish. Can this really be the wine? Proceed with caution. 78.
1994 Adelsheim "Seven Springs" Pinot Noir
Here is another Adelsheim that seems way too tannic for its own good. The nose is stunted by sulfur, with weedy, resinous tones and black fruit underneath. This is really a miserable brut on the palate at present, and I would be shocked to see this astringent wine right itself with bottle age. 82.
1995 Archery Summit Cellar Staff Selection Pinot Noir
Gary Andrus of Napa's Pine Ridge Vineyards is the driving force behind this new, boutique Oregon Pinot Noir specialist. Quantities are tiny of many of the wines, but the results are very, very impressive. The nose on the "Cellar Staff Selection " is very Burgundian, with a Dujac-like nose of raspberry, cinnamon, herb tones, coffee, and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied, a bit hazy (not a bad thing), whit a fine core of bright fruit, zesty acidity, and long, complex finish. A very, very impressive basic bottling. Drink 1997-2005. 91.
1994 Archery Summit "Red Hills" Pinot Noir
This is another fine effort from Archery Summit: very Burgundian on the nose, with aromas of plummy fruit, venison, licorice, herbs, chocolate, and toasty new oak. Full-bodied, round, and really quite stuffed with fruit on the palate, with modest tannins, fine length, and good intensity the finish. Impressive. 1997- 2003. 89.
1994 Archery Summit "Arcus Estate" Pinot Noir
The "Arcus Estate" is the big boy from Archery Summit, and I dearly hope I am able to latch onto a few bottles of this very limited wine. This is another Pinot that's fruit tones could well have come from Morey St. Denis: aromas of red fruits, mustard seed, coffee, venison, herb tones, minerals, and cedary wood churn from the glass. On the palate the wine is full, intense, and very stylish, with a great core of fruit, modest tannins, and a long, complex finish. Great nascent complexity. 1999-2008. 93.
1994 Au Bon Climat "Ricon and Rosemary" Pinot Noir
I had this wine paired up with a bottle of Williams-Selyem "Coastlands" Pinot Noir at a dinner, and while this wine was quite tasty (though a touch overripe), it was left in the dust by the stylish, shapely WS. The fruit here comes from a vineyard owned by Talley Vineyards. I hope Talley's 1994s (their 1993s were very tasty) do not share this overripe component. The nose here borders on overripe, with scents of cooked plums, black cherry, herb tones, grilled meats, smoke and toasty new oak. Full-bodied and just a touch chocolatey on the palate, with the meatiness of the nose carrying through. On the finish the wine is a touch hard and chunky, with the tannins not fully covered by fruit. It is a fine bottle of wine, but clearly not in the league with the best cuvees of Williams-Selyem. 1998-2004. 89.
1994 Au Bon Climat "Cuvee Isabella" Pinot Noir
This is ABC's top of the line, impossible to find, reserve bottling. Made with 8% Oregon Pinot Noir in the blend, this is a pretty impressive bottle of wine. Unfortunately, it had the misfortune of being paired with Williams-Selyem's '94 Rochioli. The nose is very serious, with scents of black cherry, plum, venison, vinesmoke, herb tones, coffee, sous bois, and toasty new oak. Very complex and intensely-flavored on the palate, with fine length, and a complex, modestly tannic finish. Very fine stuff, but it still does not possess the Rochioli's purity and finesse. 2000-2010. 92+.
1994 Bethel Heights "Southeast Block Reserve" Pinot Noir
Here is another 1994 Oregon Pinot that pushes the envelope and ultimately loses. The nose is ripe and cough syrupy, with scents of cherry, herbs, chocolate and smoky oak. Big and meaty on the palate, with overripe chocolate tones, and hints of oxidation on the finish. Are all the 1994s going to taste this way? 1997-2000? 83.
1994 Bethel Heights "Flat Block Reserve" Pinot Noir
The Flat Block Reserve manages to reign in the vintage a bit more than the other Bethel Heights bottling. The nose offers up scents of black cherries, herb tones, chocolate, minerals, and toasty new oak. Medium-full, fresh, but a bit chunky on the palate, with fine depth, good length, but ultimately a bit four-square. At least the balance is less concerning than many of these overripe 1994s. Nuits St. Georges-like. 1998-2004. 87.
1994 Calera Pinot Noir
Josh Jensen's Pinot Noirs continue to garner strong support from winelovers and reviewers, but I have never understood the fascination. Fans argue that the coarse, tough textures and "gazpacho" aromatics of youth give way to more classic Pinot textures and flavors with extended bottle age, but I have yet to cross paths with a mature bottle that really convinced me of this. The 1994 regular bottling is as idiosyncratic as usual, with an intense, high-toned nose of tomatoes, herbs, dill, sinsimillia, coffee and plenty of new oak. To me, this is overtly vegetal. Medium-full, modestly-concentrated on the palate, but with a serious growl of tannin on the finish. I confess this wine is not for me. 1999-2005? 82.
1994 Cristom "Mount Jefferson Cuvee" Pinot Noir
Cristom is one of the best-kept secrets in American Pinot Noir. The wines are medium-full, stylish examples that possess excellent depth and velvety textures. The Mount Jefferson Cuvee offers up scents of black cherry, coffee, forest floor, and a deft touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is medium-full, very intensely-flavored, and displaying fine mid-palate richness, soft tannins, and a long, complex finish. This is the complete package, and a steal at $20 a bottle. 1997- 2004. 90. 93
1994 Cristom "Marjorie's Vineyard" Pinot Noir
The "Marjorie Vineyard" bottling is deeper and more backward than the "Mount Jefferson Cuvee". The bouquet offers up quite primary scents of cherry, plum, mustard, woodsmoke, minerals, and toasty new oak. Full, fresh, pristine, and quite backward on the palate, with a great core of fruit, fine acids, moderate tannins, and a long, complex finish. This wine should blossom beautifully with three or four years in the cellar, and keep beautifully for a decade. Great stuff. 2000-2010. 91.
1994 Cristom "Reserve" Pinot Noir
Like the other two bottlings from Cristom, this is classy juice. The gorgeous nose offers up scents of strawberry, red cherry, coffee, herb tones, woodsmoke and cedary, spicy wood. Great perfume and complexity. Full, bright and tangy on the palate, with fine depth, great focus, and along, complex finish. This wine is imminently drinkable right now, but should gain significantly more plushness and complexity with a few yeas in the cellar. The best of an impressive trio. 2000-2010. 92.
1994 Dehlinger Reserve Pinot Noir
Dehlinger's Pinot Noirs are the archetypical American expression of this grape. While wines like Williams-Selyem and Ponzi Reserve could get lost in a flight of Burgundies, Dehlinger's style shouts out "made in America". These wines are truly delicious. The '94 Reserve explodes from the glass with sweet, sweet scents of black cherry, cassis, licorice, violets, nutmeg, and sweet vanillin oak. Full, lush, and voluptuous on the palate, with wave after wave of silky fruit, loads of glycerin, and a long, opulent finish. This wine will never have the aromatic complexity of a great Burgundy, but it is a lovely drink. After a while, I might tire of this style...and then again, I might not! A real head-turner! 1997-2005. 92.
1994 Dehlinger "Goldridge" Pinot Noir
If Williams-Selyem has mastered the Burgundian texture and fruit components of Pinot Noir, Dehlinger has taken Pinot in a completely different direction. The Dehlinger Pinots are stamped "made in America" in much the same way as Silver Oak's Cabernets, and yet they are stunning examples of this magical grape. The nose here is lovely: scents of sweet, syrupy blueberry fruit, chocolate, licorice, herbs, Coca-Cola and sweet vanillin oak explode from the glass. Very sweet, sappy and long on the palate, with fine delineation, a fat core of fruit, and a long, silky, black fruity finish. This is a very primary, youthful Pinot that revels in the fruit of the varietal. Great stuff. 1997-2004. 90+.
1994 Dehlinger "Octagon" Pinot Noir
The Octagon bottling takes the Dehlinger style and raises the intensity level up another 50% from the Goldridge bottling. The nose explodes from the glass with blasts of plum, raspberry, coffee, herbs, and sweet vanillin oak. Again, no one is about to mistake this for Burgundy, but who cares! Deep, rich, and opulent on the palate, with Grand Cru weight and intensity, superb balance, and a very, very long, creamy finish. Ripe, even tannins perk up on the finish. This wine is absolutely delicious. 1997-2007. 93.
1994 Dehlinger "Goldridge 20 year-old" Pinot Noir
Here is the quintessential Dehlinger style taken to a very high level: sweet, sappy notes of black cherry, chocolate, herb tones, and sweet vanillin oak explode from the glass. Not a lot of complexity yet to the nose, but what purity and perfume! Deep, full and very lush on the palate, with a great core of creamy fruit, fine tannins, and a lovely note of bitter chocolate on the finish. A stunning example of Pinot Noir American-style. Robert Mondavi, where have you been? 1997-2005. 93+.
1994 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir
Veronique Drouhin is at the helm of the Drouhin Oregon operation, and her wines have been very good to excellent since the first release. The 1994 seems to avoid many of the overripe flavors that plague so many 1994 Oregon Pinots. The nose is clean and a touch subdued, with scents of cherry, strawberry, coffee, herbs, minerals, and toasty new oak. Quite stylish, but with only modest depth and complexity on the palate, the wine offers fine focus and soft tannins on the finish. It is a good effort from what is shaping up as a vintage of feast or famine in Oregon. Still, the 1993 seemed more interesting at a similar stage of development. It will be interesting to see how the Cuvee Laurene shows when it is released in the spring. 1997-2004. 89.
1994 El Molino Pinot Noir
This wine has a cult following around the country, but after tasting the 1994 (the first El Molino Pinot Noir I have tasted) I was left decidedly unimpressed. The nose is quite developed, with tons of smoky, underbrush and coffee tones. But where is the fruit? A touch of high-toned raspberry fruit emerges with air, but this wine needs more sweet stuff. Medium-full and somewhat washed out on the palate, with a hole in the middle, lots of underbrush, but again with no kernel of fruit, the overall impression is flat and dull. The tannins are a bit astringent on the finish. If this winery can make serious Pinot, then this is a big swing and a miss. Sit down. 1997-1999. 84.
1994 Evesham Wood "Temperance Hill" Pinot Noir
I have often enjoyed the wines of Evesham Wood. However, the powerfully ripe 1994 vintage may have not offered the finest raw materials for this talented winery to work with. The purity, freshness, and complexity I have often found in Evesham Wood's wines was not apparent with the 1994s. The Temperance Hill offers up scents of bacon fat, peppery tones, cassis, herbs, violets, chocolate and toasty oak on the nose. Full, fat, obvious, and quite long on the palate, with reasonable delineation on the finish. Others may find this wine more appealing; for me, this is just a bit over the top. 1999-2007. 89.
1994 Evesham Wood "Seven Springs" Pinot Noir
Where the Temperance Hill just creeps over the edge, the Seven Springs bottling is way, way gone. The bouquet offers up scents of intense mint, black fruit, herbs, chocolate, tarry tones, resin and ink. Not my idea of quintessential Pinot aromatics. Dense, thick and dull on the palate, with the overripe chocolatey tones carrying through on the herbal finish. Ultimately, the wine lacks freshness and vibrancy. 1997-2005? 85.
1994 Evesham Wood "Estate Unfiltered" Pinot Noir
This wine is cut from the same cloth as the Seven Springs. Scents of chocolate, resin, meaty tones, inky fruit, herbs, and new oak are all the bouquet offers. Big, fat, overripe and ponderous on the palate, with resinous notes and astringent wood tannins on the finish. Pretty pedestrian. 1997-2000? 83.
1994 Evesham Wood "Cuvee J" Pinot Noir
This is often considered, along with the Ponzi Reserve, the top Pinot in Oregon. However, in 1994, this too is suffering. The nose is very, very Cote-Rotie-like, with intense aromas of bacon fat, black fruit, herbs, and tons of toasty oak. Fat, full and bacony on the palate, with good length and complexity, moderate tannins, and a long, bacony finish. A well-made wine, but this is Pinot? 1999-2007. 89+.
1994 Foxen "Bien Nacido" Pinot Noir
This has more Pinot aromatics than some of the other wines from this vineyard: meaty, smoky, coffee, chocolate, black cherry and Santa Barbara dill on the nose. On the palate the wine is again very inky and four-square, with reasonable length and depth, but where is the textural charm and focus of this grape? Solid, but uninspiring stuff. 1997-2002. 87.
1994 Foxen "Sanford & Benedict" Pinot Noir
This wine is a step up from the "Bien Nacido": scents of kirsch-like cherry fruit, herbs, game, coffee, and a touch of new wood on the nose. Fullish and with correct flavors on the palate (clearly the best wine of a tough flight of Santa Barbara wines), but still a coarseness that is antithetical to Pinot; some tough tannins on the finish. Again, hardly special stuff. 1997-2002. 87.
1994 Mount Eden Pinot Noir
This is a tough wine to evaluate with any confidence. The nose is quite a bit more evolved than most of these wines, with scents of raspberry jam, underbrush, minerals, briary tones, cinnamon and cedary wood. Full, tangy and quite acidic on the palate, with a solid core of fruit, modest tannins, and a long, complex finish. If the high acids peel back before the fruit fades, this will be an outstanding example. However, it is going to be nip and tuck the whole way. 2000-2010. 88?
1994 Ponzi Pinot Noir
Dick Ponzi has developed quite a cult following for his superb Pinots. Along with Williams-Selyem, these are the most sought after Pinots made in the US. The '94 regular bottling is once again excellent, with Burgundian noes of red fruits, coffee, herb tones, forest floor, and cedary wood. Only medium-full on the palate, but with fine intensity and a lovely "lightness of step" most often found in Cote D'Or Pinots. The finish is long, bright and bouncy. Classy winemaking. 1997-2003. 89.
1994 Ponzi Reserve Pinot Noir
One of the best American Pinots I have tasted to date. The nose explodes from the glass with aromas of black cherry, cassis, plum, chocolate, earth, smoke, and toasty new oak. Huge and lush on the attack, and then quite tightly-knit and well-balanced on the finish. The tannins are, round, suave and well-integrated on the long finish. Very impressive juice. 1998-2008. 94.
1995 Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir
This wine has been considerably more interesting in the past. The nose is quite clean, correct and Burgundy-like, but very one-dimensional, with scents of cherry, coffee, floral tones and a touch of new wood. Light and monolithic on the palate, with bouncy acidity, but little mid-range depth or nuance. Ultimately a simple little dull wine that lacks depth and extract. Tastes like it was cropped very high. 1997-1999. 84.
1994 Saintsbury Reserve Pinot Noir
For years, Saintsbury's Reserve Pinot was the yardstick of California Pinot Noir. With the emergence of wines such as Dehlinger and Williams-Selyem, this wine is no longer the pacesetter, but it is nonetheless still one of California's top efforts. The 1994 is quite Clos de la Roche-like on the nose, with scents of cherry, mustard seed, game, smoke, and toasty new oak. Full-bodied and intensely-flavored on the palate, but a touch four-square and chunky, with moderate tannins, and a reasonably long finish. This wine may ultimately develop even more nuance with a couple of years bottle age, and deserve a higher score. 1999-2004. 89+.
1994 St. Innocent "Freedom Hill" Pinot Noir
Here is a classic example of the pitfalls of the 1994 vintage in Oregon. While many commentators are calling this a great vintage, there are plenty of dull, over the top wines to be had from this freakishly ripe year. St. Innocent's Freedom Hill bottling offers up scents of black cherry, cassis, earth, and licorice on the nose. On the palate the wine is big, but over-extracted, with a tough, stemminess, and harsh tannins on the finish. I would be shocked to see this wine ever come into balance. Drink ? 80.
1994 St. Innocent "O'Conner Vineyard" Pinot Noir
As little as I liked the "Freedom Hill" bottling, this wine is excellent. The nose is superb, with Vosne-Romanee-like scents of blackberry, licorice, duck, sous bois, and toasty new oak. Deep, long and full on the palate, with a fine core of sweet fruit, moderate tannins, and long, complex finish. This wine is very young right now, but will be a big, velvety mouthful in three or four years. Very impressive. 1999-2008. 91.
1994 St. Innocent "Temperance Hill" Pinot Noir
This is the best of the St. Innocent bottlings, by a wide margin. This wine has a killer nose of sappy plums, soil tones, bitter chocolate, herbs, sous bois, floral notes and a fine coating of vanillin oak. Sappy, urgent, and beautifully-delineated on the palate, with layers of sweet fruit, great focus, and superb length on the finish. Delicious now, I would give this another eighteen months to develop even more complexity. 1998-2010. 93+.
1995 Whitcraft Winery "Bien Nacido Q" Pinot Noir
Fine dark color. Odd, herbal, resinous nose of intense dill, meaty tones, inky fruit, and earth. Really rather dank and clenched at the moment. Full and quite long on the palate, but with the inkiness of the nose carrying through as well; odd, sourish fruit on the finish. This wine has reasonable stuffing, but is off the mark in terms of aromatics and texture for Pinot Noir. Disappointing. 84.
1995 Whitcraft Winery "Hirsch" Pinot Noir
This is far more interesting than the Whitcraft Santa Barbara Pinots, and yet I picked it out as coming from that area. The overpowering dill on the nose and palate is a bit off-putting, but the wine does offer up scents of sappy black cherry fruit, and sandalwood as well as the dill. Full and sappy on the palate as well, with the dill obliterating what would be reasonable Pinot flavors on the finish. For those with more tolerance of strongly herbal wines, this is a fairly well-made wine. Given the quality of the Williams-Selyem wine below, I would argue for legislation that makes it a crime for anyone other than WS to make wine from this fine vineyard source! 1997-2002. 83-88.
1994 Williams-Selyem "Ferrington" Pinot Noir
Williams-Selyem stands so far above the American Pinot crowd that they should be giving lessons. In terms of aromatic complexity, texture, balance, and finesse, there is no one in the US that even approaches these guys. Are they in the same league as Burgundy? Their winemaking is top-notch, but as fine as their wines are, and they are by a wide margin my favorite American wines, they still do not have any terroir with which to work. Is this a function of younger vines, poorly placed vineyards, or the result of a climate that is too kind to the grapes? Who knows. In any event, the fruit, spice, and wood components of the top Williams-Selyem wines would do any Burgundy vigneron proud, but the top Burgundies still deliver another third layer of flavor and aroma that stems from great soil. The Ferrington is not one of their top cuvees, but it is delicious stuff. The nose is very Chambolle-like (without the soil, of course): sweet cherry, plum, coffee, mustard seed, and a stylish touch of vanillin oak. Deep, complex, and very tightly-knit on the palate, with lovely Pinot tang, creamy mid-palate fruit, fine acidity, soft tannins, and a long, complex, and very stylish finish. This is delicious stuff. 1997-2007. 93.
1994 Williams-Selyem "Coastlands" Pinot Noir
This is a new vineyard for Williams-Selyem (from the same area where the Marcassin Pinots will come from when the vineyards are old enough), and it is terrific. The bouquet offers up scents of sweet black raspberry fruit, meaty tones, briary notes, herb tones and vanillin oak. Wonderful black raspberry fruit on the attack, but with a less fruit intensity at the core and less complexity than the Ferrington; still the tannins are suave, the finish long, and very classy. Good stuff. 1997-2007. 91+.
1994 Williams-Selyem "Hirsch" Pinot Noir
This wine is showing less well than many of the WS 1994s: the fruit is lovely, but the oak still has the upper hand at the moment. Scents fo black cherry, violets, toffee, and sweet vanillin oak waft from the glass. On the palate the wine is long, sweet, and still a bit overpowered by the new oak. Some wood tannins dry the finish out. Given the quality of the other 1994 Williams-Selyem wines, it is hard not to expect this wine to come into balance with extended bottle age. For now, one of my least favorites of the 1994 lineup. 2000-2007. 90+?.
1994 Williams-Selyem "Allen" Pinot Noir
This vineyard-designated cuvee is one of the most "Burgundian" in the WS lineup: very Clos de la Roche-like on the nose, with scents of strawberry, beet root, sous bois, smoke, mustard seed, and cedary wood. Really, very, very compelling on the nose. Medium-full, bright and bouncy on the palate, with great, primary fruit flavors, and along, softly-tannic, tangy finish. This is a wine that will age very, very gracefully on its sound acidity, rather than on its tannins. I would opt to give it three to four years in the cellar to really let it strut its stuff. Compelling American Pinot! 2001-2010. 94.
1994 Williams-Selyem "Riverblock" Pinot Noir
The Riverblock is the young vine bottling of the Rochioli vineyard. With diehard WS fans begging for more Rochioli every year (and many on the mailing list unable to get even one bottle!), it is admirable to see the winery not give in to temptation and blend young and old vines together. For those who cannot get the Rochioli, this is a wine to look for. The deep-pitched nose is lovely: black fruit, licorice, vinesmoke, coffee, herbs, and a hint of new oak. Full-bodied, long and well-delineated on the palate, with fine black fruit flavors carrying through to the finish. Reminds me a bit of the fruit on Roumier's Morey St. Denis "Clos de la Bussierre". Tasty fish. 1997-2005. 91+.
1994 Williams-Selyem "Rochioli" Pinot Noir
This is the single finest young American wine I have ever tasted! The freshness, vibrancy and depth of pure fruit here is amazing. The use of oak is judicious and adds a very exciting element to the wine. I tasted this twice: once under double blind conditions at a large American Pinot tasting; the second time at a dinner where it was paired with Au Bon Climat's 1994 Cuvee Isabella, which it totally dominated. Unfortunately for the Rochioli, a 1990 Ponsot Latricieres-Chambertin was served after the two American Pinots. The Ponsot threw its terroir around for a while, and then the fruit came roaring out and devastated the Rochioli. The moral of the story, enjoy this beautiful, beautiful California Pinot on its own. The nose here is a celebration of Pinot fruit: sweet blackberry, cherry, plum, herb tones, sous bois, coffee, violets, and sweet vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep and creamy, with great depth fo sweet fruit, fine focus and balance, great extract, and a long, complex, very, very fine finish. If we could take this fruit and oak treatment and layer it over some compelling terroir flavors from the likes of Cros Parantoux or Griottes-Chambertin, we would have one of the greatest Burgundies ever made! I love this wine!!! 2000-2010. 95.
