color is fairly dark. Nose is equally dark with dark cherries and plum some definite booze
palate shows more dark fruit, smoke, mint and a little raw beef and a lot of alcohol. We both agreed the alcohol sticks out in a slightly unpleasant way. I would drink these up if you have them (86 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Tony, thanks for the note. How are older KB Pinots tasting lately?
I have had a few of the 03’s and 04’s over the last 6 mos and I think they are drinking fine - with the exception to me of 04 Amber Ridge PN and 03 Koplen. Both of which seem excessively hot.
A couple of years ago this wine helped form my initial impression of KB. I liked it less than you. Their good fortune is the envy of many but their Pinot and Syrah styles (as popular as they continue to be) just don’t float my boat enough to part with the requisite coinage.
RT
On this issue, I agree with Richard.
It’s funny, in his 11/4/09 blog, James Laube raved about the 03 and 04 KB’s and how well they were aging. I wondered which KBs here was talking about! He also commented on how he didn’t think any KBs were sweet tasting, just ripe.
I’m not a KB fan. Tony gave this wine an 86. Laube gave it a 93. Quite a spread I would say. I gave it an 84, blind, a year ago. Funny how the opinions for KB are all over the board!
As a professional critic, Laube shows you what camp he is in with this type of wine!
I’m a big KB pinot fan, but I’ve never been wow’d by the syrah.
Despite my indifference to the Syrah, I can see where some folks would like this, especially if you kept it on the cool side to keep some of the heat in check. It’s got fruit and some interesting components but the glyceral/heat feel is just too much for me - I do like and appreciate bigger wines (I also like more “delicate” wines too though)