In anticipation of a heavy food night tonight, we pan roasted some Salmon with steamed broccoli.
I avoid drinking save a couple of drinks from Traci’s glass. We both agreed on the wine.
It’s still got some pretty lively fruit, very red fruited with some black tea creeping in on the finish. I noticed it does seem a little candied and just a touch pruney on the back end. The wine is definitely a pleasant drink but I am not sure it is really developing into anything really complex. If you have them, probably time to drink up.
Tony, based on very few samplings, this sweet, candied, pruny thing is something I’ve always associated with Martinelli Pinots. Is everything they make this way, or do they (she) use a lighter touch with some particular bottling?
Eric - I’ve noticed the candied thing on quite of few of the Pinots 2000-2002. The pruney thing I haven’t. That being said, I stopped buying these after the 02 vintage due to the bundling. I just didn’t like the Chards at all - way too oaky for me. And the Zins (esp the Guiseppe & Luisa) were terrible to my tastes.
I opened a well-preserved bottle of this tonight. The TN in this thread was too harsh, and too pessimistic.
6 years later, and it’s singing. Sure, it screams RRV with its sweet red cherry fruit/rhubarb/tea profile. Burgundy this ain’t. But the oak is nicely integrated, with just hints of vanilla and spice left on the nose, the fruit is pure, and the flash of bitterness on the finish provides just enough structure to what is otherwise a silky, resolved wine. Alcohol is in control here - I’ve never found Martinelli’s 2000 pinots to be overdone, maybe the vintage helped. Excellent and probably drinking at peak. I paid about $25 for this off of winebid but the $45 K&L is selling it for is a fair price. I guarantee this would fit right in with a flight of Swan RRV pinots - it shows the terroir much more strongly than it shows any Martinelli signature.