00 Williams Seylem Rochioli PN & 02 Hirsch Vyds PN Sonoma

WINE TALK
1

Both of these with salmon while watching the Tour of California

  • 2000 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Rochioli Riverblock - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
    Last night with salmon and a ligonberry/shallot sauce. Popped and poured and to me this is in a beautiful place. Lovely CA fruit that is still very much alive, nice acidity, pretty aromatics…cranberry, spice and smoke. It’s medium weighted with a medium length finish. Really enjoyed this wine. (92 pts.)

  • 2002 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
    This on the other hand was weird…dominated by acid and coffee, some earth and iron…no fruit detected whatsoever. Did save 1/2 the bottle to try and see if it will come alive today.

2

No fruit on the nose, or palate? Or both (I am assuming)? That is weird.

3

Just tasted it and some black fruits have emerged. It’s a pretty structured wine and showing a very distinct bacon fat, spice, and lots of acidity. I think we have one or two more so I’ll sock them away for another 5-7 years and see what happens.

4

I’m a fan of aged W-S Pinots - I’ll be watching…

5

That’s more like it, Hirsch fruit really needs time, IMO.

Now I need to do a Pisoni retrospective, '96-98, to see how they are doing.

6

Just to clarify…this isn’t the WS Hirsch Sonoma Coast…this is Hirsch Vineyards’ own Sonoma Coast wine.

It’s definitely picked up some blackberry pie but still the structure overshadows the wine and I don’t think that will change.

7

The wine wasn’t made by Mark D., not in 2000. I really like what he’s doing these days. I would let the 2000 sit another year or two, you have nothing to loose at this point.