It has been a long while since I’ve had a great pinot. I don’t mean that over-extracted, over-alcoholic swill that the spectator waxes poetic about either.
It all started in 1998. An innocent bottle of Vogue Musigny Vieilles (1993) forever changed the game. It was a gustatory experience unlike any other. Setting the bar far higher than anything. It touched the soul…
The Vogue was my first heroin hit. It made me want more - setting me on a quest. The next calls came from the 93 Williams Selyem Summa, 94 Williams Selyem Rochioli, 95 Dehlinger estate, 96 Rochioli West Block, 96 Sanford (Sanford and Benedict), 97 Dehlinger Reserve, 90 Ponsot Clos de la Roche, and 85 La Tache, and 99 Trapet ‘le Chambertin’ out of the barrel.
It has been a long while since I’ve experienced pinot to this level. I’ve had Kistler, Rochioli, Rhys, Melville, BC, KB, Adrian Fog, SS, Aubert and a whole slew a top notch producers. They are all very good but all lacked that magic element that elevates them from mere drink to profound experience. I just finished a 97 Rodet Clos de Vougeot - a negotiant wine from from a vineyard that can be hit or miss. It was a great hit. What it lacked in the thrill of over-extraction it delivered in profoundness. Dumb luck and $39 (bought in 2003).
I believe Dehlinger is still making at that same level - you just need patience, or to go visit Phil Franks and drink from his cellar - he has ‘a few’.
I have been quite surprised and pleased with Belle Pente, a new discovery for me, for wonderfully high quality, elegant and complex Pinot.
From your post, it seems like you should set your sights on Burgundy… Scores of producers are bottling high-quality juice these days. Others may disagree, but I think that you’ll be searching for a long time before you encounter any CA Pinot that rivals a 93 Musigny. CA Pinots can be good, but in my experience they have a ways to go before any of them can rival great Musigny.
Profundity is a personal thing. A wine I like, I can be pretty sure my friends with similar tastes will like. A wine I totally fall in love with, my friends with similar tastes might merely like it. You can’t go on others’ tips for this kind of thing… you just gotta keep tasting and discover 'em on your own.
You don’t want to find great Pinot Noir often…if you do your standards change and you taste great and great less frequently and eventually forget what great truly is. It would be like every person you date being a “great love of your life.”
IMO, we’ve made one great Pinot Noir in our lives - and we didn’t do much to make that happen - other than we didn’t screw it up. That is in 16 years. I’m hoping for one more before I die.
Way too humble Adam and have to say I’ve had more than one great wine from you in the past.
It sounds like a classic case of Dan’s palate changing and looking for something that might not be there for his palate anymore. I find great Pinot Noir VERY often but my palate seeks out balanced wines with depth and when added to that velvety mid-palate that I love in Pinot, I have a winner quite often. One would never be able to find someone else a “profound” wine because it’s too immersed in what emotional ties make something “profound”. Some people find greatness in old world taste, even if it isn’t balanced correctly, while others find greatness in the sweet cola taste of the Russian River Valley.
To answer the question: Who’s making really great pinot today…Anyone?
There are so many it would take hours to list them all, my advice would be to find someone who has a similar palate to you and read up on what they’re drinking. Meadows may be a good place to start and Cellar Tracker is full of palate educated people and my bet is some of them will fall right into your wheel house. The definition of “Magic Element” will have to be one that you define for yourself and is different for everyone.
I agree with the poster who said it sounds like you are heading towards Burgundy. It’s ok. You will only lose your sanity and all of your money:)
I also agree that you should try Rhys again. As far as the more “modern” wines that didn’t appeal at first, you may find tremendous joy and profundity by opening, tasting a little and letting them evolve over a few days.
I agree with Ryan’s comment - drinking a '93 De Vogue Musigny, liking it apparently quite a lot, and then attempting to replicate that experience by buying a bunch of Cali Pinots seems like an approach guaranteed to end in frustration.
Lots of top Burgundy producers out there. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the following (in no particular order):
Domaine Dujac
Domaine G. Roumier (aka Christophe Roumier)
Domaine J et F Mugnier
Domaine Arlaud
Domaine Robert Chevillon
Domaine Meo-Camuzet
Domaine Anne Gros
Comte Armand
Domaine de Courcel
Domaine Confuron-Cotedidot
Domaine de Montille
Marquis d’Angerville
Domaine Chandon de Briailles
Domaine Rene Engel (if there is any left on the market)
Domaine Gérard Mugneret/Mugneret-Gibourg
Domaine Bruno Clair
Domaine Fourrier
Alain Hudelot-Noëllat
Comte Lafon
Sylvain Cathiard
Domaine des Lambrays
Michel Lafarge
Domaine Henri Gouges
Domaine Alain Michelot
Domaine Armand Rousseau
Domaine Alain Burguet
and last but by no means least: Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
There are others, of course, but these are the producers I own a reasonable amount of and have tasted quite regularly. If I feel happy owning them I feel happy recommending them.
Buying any quantity from (most of) these producers will cripple you financially, but when you taste them they should blow your socks off with their ravishing beauty and stunning expressions of total gorgeousness . I hope this long list of starting points is somewhat useful.
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