I have had more than my share of memorable American pinots, esp Au Bon Climat and Wms Selyem.
Two events stand out: Dave Page and John Ritchie held a dinner party about four years ago in Dundee. They poured (among other things) wines from the Doris Duke collection going back to 1921.
They had purchased a special cuvee of the 93 Drouhin Laurene at an auction…absolute killer.
So was the 61 Romanee St Vivant aged by Drouhin…and then it got insane. I gave up around 1929 and totally skipped the dessert wines.
I also remember a dinner party chez Francois Freres in 1991…Jean poured 1980 La Tache and 1980 Cros Parantoux, alongside a 1980 Acacia St Clair, which took no crap from the other two wines.
I like medium body (I.e. I don’t NEED them to be lean but don’t handle big and rich well), hate overripe, don’t mind red or black fruited leanings but need a good bit of acid and like fine tannins. Mostly it’s all about aromatics for me. But cloying sweetness and too much cola/pomegranate bother me.
Best domestic pinot in my limited experience: 2005 Peay Scallop Shelf, tasted a few months ago. Loved a 2012 Soliste L’Esperance but opened it far too soon, same with a 2009 Rhys Alpine. Both had great bones.
Funny…but that’s the same bottle I was going to go with as well. Glad it struck such a chord with you. Hard to believe I got that bad boy for $30.
Oh, I tend to like a light body, high acid, Pinot Noir with vibrant fruit.
Most memorable: 1990 Elk Cove Reserve, consumed in 2010
Highest rated: 2005 Patricia Green Etzel Block consumed in 2013. I feel like I know the Etzel Block wines better than any other wine in Oregon because they’ve long been a favorite…can’t wait to set up the vertical later next year.
1994 McKinlay pinot noir consumed in 2002 or 2003. It might have been the Special Selection. It is the wine that has cost me a fortune and put a hurting on my liver.
I like all styles of pinot but am leaning more towards lighter, higher acid versions.
The thing I liked about the old Williams-Selyem wines was that one really felt they were authentically produced, individually made wines, something that modern producers of even top wines you feel is missing. Everything these days seems technologically cold, even if the wines are nice, they are missing a soul, for better lack of a word.
Most memorable is a 2003 Merry Edwards Meredith Estate. Drank at a restaurant in Monterey on our first CA wine trip. It gave me my aha! moment with great wine. It’s still my favorite Merry Edwards bottling.
The style I prefer is aged California PN, maybe because when it does age well, it reminds me of perfectly mature Burgundy. Or do all PNs, regardless of where they’re grown, tend toward the same flavor spectrum after 15 years and beyond?
'77 Chalone Estate. It could easily be mistaken for GC Burgundy, except for the underlying sage aromas, reminiscent of the wild sage that grows throughout the Chalone appellation.
I haven’t been drinking PN very long, but the one that sticks out in my memory is a 2011 Cameron Clos Electrique. I prefer a light body, high acidity, and good aromatics, and this had it in spades. The most complex, complete domestic PN I’ve had.
We generally drink burgundy. My tastes run towards high acid, non-overripe, medium concentration (not too extracted), elegant pinots. Some rusticity is fine, too.
Although I’ve enjoyed many domestic pinots, I have been truly taken aback by two:
2008 Rhys Skyline
2010 Littorai Pivot Vineyard (thanks to WB Corey Miller)
My highest rated domestic (or otherwise) Pinot was the 1983 Eyrie South Block Reserve. I never had this wine in a dinner-type setting, so probably not my most memorable. I tasted this wine at least three times over the past couple of years, and it consistently showed intense cherry and strawberry, with mushrooms, asian and baking spices, and forest floor. With every sip it seemed to change. One time presenting more cherry, another time more spice, and another time showing strawberry. Attack to mid-palate to finish was seamless. I don’t like to give wines numerical ratings, but it was definitely in the 97-99 point range. I thought about buying this for my daughter’s 30th birthday (she was born in 1983) but I never had the nerve to pay the $200+ tariff.
As far as memorable bottles go, there are too many to pick even a dozen.
