TN: 2006 Belle Pente Yamill-Carlton Pinot Noir

WINE TALK
1

The aromas leap effortlessly from the glass like Nuryev bounding across the stage and assault the senses like . . . oh, wait. I thought I was someone else there for a minute.

It’s a little cloudy. It smells like raspberries, blackberries, and sandalwood. It’s smooth, supple and drinking really nicely right now. In short, it’s really good. The winery is out, so if you see some, buy it.

2

Belle Pente has to be the best value in elegant, age-worthy New World Pinot Noir. Even the $20ish cuvees are delicious. Now stop telling people about it! [highfive.gif]

3

Thanks Bob. No trace of the 06 OR ripeness? I’d like to think that BP could keep things under control, so your praise is a good data point.

4

The Murto and BP Vineyard bottlings are perhaps a little more ripe than I would like but this one is not. Rich Trimpi disagrees with me, FWIW.

5

Thanks for the note. I did skip this after tasting the Dundee Hills bottling which was good but on the ripe and soft side. I decided to just hold out for the 07s and 08s.

Jason

6

I’m trying to keep the powder dry as well. So far most 06’s from Oregon have been not-my-cuppa, with 2 exceptions to date: Thomas and Cameron.

7

I’ll be reporting on the '07 Westrey Justice. Maybe tonight.

8

Nice. When did that release?

Do they have a website? I thought I was there once but now cant find it. TIA

J

9

I bought it Thanksgiving weekend . . . okay, the weekend before that. They have a website but there’s no e-commerce on it. As a matter of fact, it’s one page with an e-mail link. It’s http://www.westrey.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and it must have been too obscure for you. [haha.gif]

10

classic … I over thought it [blink.gif]

Do they do a Zin?

sorry for the thread drift.

11

They did ONE zin. I think it was 2000. The story is that Amy was in Southern Oregon checking on some chardonnay they’d contracted for and she spotted a block of black grapes. “What’s that?” “Zinfandel, and I don’t have a buyer. Do you want it?” She bought it cheap and they made what I have always joked was “zinot noir”. They only know how to make red wine one way, so they put the zin through the normal pinot regimen. We used to laugh about that all the time. If it had been cabernet I would have named it pinotnet.

It was tasty, but pretty thin for zinfandel. The last I knew they still some hanging around, but it was getting pretty tired.

12

Yeah it can be had for about $13. I just wasn’t sure if it was the same “Westrey”.

J

13

Where do you see it - Winex? I think it was always about $13 or $14 at the winery. Maybe $15.

14

Vinopolis in Portland. Do you know them?

J

15

Quite well. I’d say don’t buy a bottle unless you’re just curious and need a science project.

16

Bob,
If I have known that all that was required to get you to post a tasting note was a Moderator title on a BB, I’d have bought you your own BB long ago.

[big_boss.gif]

17

Smartass. [highfive.gif]

18

Did you report?

J