TN: 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills (USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills)

WINE TALK
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  • 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (11/9/2013)
    Brilliant ruby color. Nose of mulberry, briars, pine forest, red earth. A blast of tart red cherry and raspberry fruit on the tongue joined after a few hours by a lash of sweet grip fanning out on the back end. Big but smoothed-out tannins, ample acidity. Finish is notable for succulent waves of pure red fruit. Powerful and intense despite the low alcohol signature, a veritable ringing chime. This has years to go. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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[popcorn.gif]

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Opened the same wine tonight. I thought the tannins were more smooth than big, especially after a half hour or so. Agree that this is a very good wine. [cheers.gif]

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Joe,

Thanks for your comments. Smooth I’ll take. I suspect our TNs differ by degree but not a whole lot else.

Cheers,
Doug

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Still have not cracked a single bottle out of my 5-Pack. Good to see some notes.

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Rick Joyer cracked one for us a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. Continued to unravel over the night, plenty of stuffing for the long haul an drinking beautifully with some air.

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I have these vintages: '05,'06, '07, '09 & '11. Should I be drinking the earlier years? CT has some pretty narrow windows on the '05 & '06

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The '05 I opened two weeks ago was very tight for the first hour and only slowly opened up-maybe half-way, after that. I am going to let the rest of my '05s sit for three more years. I believe the '04s and '07s are drinking well now and everything after that needs to rest.

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Certainly one of the most ageworthy Pinots made in Oregon (all do respect to Eyrie, Ponzi, Erath, DDO and a number of others). In fact, if you hold a bottle up to your ear, you can hear it begging to leave it alone for 10+ years. Nobody listens. Anyway, thanks for the TN.

RT

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I’ll listen, and I’ll acquiesce with my mags but will have discourse with my 750s.

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Richard – I didn’t start buying Thomas until 2009. You think even the warmer years like 09 will benefit from 10+? Jim Anderson posted some TNs from some 03s (not Thomas) recently that sounded pretty good still, so maybe 10 years in a warm year isn’t all that long for the right wines.

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Yes. Surprisingly so and 06 included. Not sure on the 03 but the 2002 was recently gorgeous.

RT

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Yep - this was a true delight and had me scouring wine-searcher for some other bottles. Damn this stuff has gotten hard to come by. To that end, I’d be happy to arrange a trade or purchase with anyone willing to part with a couple/few bottles.

Great note, Doug. We tend to drink a lot of the same wines and see eye-to-eye often, so I was not surprised to see your favorable comments here. Cheers. [cheers.gif]

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I just had the 2010 about a month ago and it was so friggin’ amazing I’m going to have a hard time not opening my bottles. I really do want more of these wines. They’re now my favorite american Pinot Noir.

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It must have been the gravitatonal pull of the moon or something. I was going to open one these last night, also. But when I held the bottle up to my ear, I heard RT begging me to leave it alone for another 2 years. [wow.gif]

I hate it when my wine bottles do that.

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You listened! Although at age 8, I’d expect the begging to be transitioning to polite suggestion.

RT

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I enjoyed my first Thomas Friday night, also a 2005. For the first hour, it seemed tight, but afterwards, wow. Good thing I recently got on the list.

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Rick,

Glad yours showed well also. This is one of those wines that can be really pleasing and have upward mobility at the same time.

Greg and Richard,

You are very disciplined guys. I was a pushover even after just looking at the bottle for a few minutes.

Cheers,
Doug

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I have mags and 750’s from 2008-2010 - proud to say I haven’t touched a single one. My outlook on laying them down changed dramatically when a 750 of my new 2011 hit the cellar floor. Beautiful nose, paper towel-staining color. First broken bottle that really bothered me.

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Oh that is painful indeed.