TN: 2014 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Estate Reserve

WINE TALK
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  • 2014 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Estate Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (2/5/2021)
    Darn it, this wasn’t ready yet and I regret opening it. Bright, pretty ruby color. The first glass wasn’t decanted and the second glass was after sitting in the open bottle on the bar for two hours. The second glass was largely the same as the first. Somewhat shy but pleasing aromas of strawberry, pie cherry and spice. Similar on the palate, but throwing in some ash in there as well. Just not quite generous yet and the aromas don’t pop. This is a tightly-wound yet packed wine I can tell, but it’s just too young. Josh Raynolds, in his original TN said to start drinking in 2021 and I agree, if not even pushing it out a few more. When these well-made Oregon PN hit their stride, they open up beautifully, and this is just not there yet. (90 pts.)

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Thanks for your sacrifice. I have a 2010 on deck.

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I have a 2012 left and I’m holding on as long as I can after reading several notes here on these. They appear to need at least 10 years in a good vintage to show their best stuff.

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Thanks for the check in. Josh knows his Belle Pente.

Warm vintage so you’d hope it would open up earlier. Rick Allen says 5 - 8 (or thereabouts). I lean towards 8 - 15. YMMV.

RT

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When in doubt regarding Oregon drinking windows, I would highly recommend checking the notes provided on the PGC, Belle Pente, St. Innocent and Goodfellow websites unless one has multiple bottles. 2014 BP ER is a drink/hold, but I would tend to give that bottle a few more years. The 2010 BP ER is a firm hold. I have quite a few of the BP wines. The 2012 BP ER was no where close to ready a few years ago.

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I have a 2008 lined up. Hope that one is ready. :+1:

I was also going to try the 2014 Murto, but now you’ve made me nervous.

Thanks, Brandon.

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Brandon, thanks for taking none for the team here. Opened up a couple 2013 Estate Reserves over the holidays - one on Thanksgiving and one shortly after New Years and they were absolutely open for business. They benefited from some air but were still really strong out of the gate. 15 was open as well though didn’t show as well as the 13. I’ve not touched 14s yet and with this note will hold off.

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Just in case anyone missed some vintages or wants to backfill there are still many back vintages on the BP Website. I missed the 13 Murto and realized I only had a pair of 15’s so got some of both. The 14-16 reserve is on the website as well as the new 18 Cuvee Classe. It’s a blend of 2/3 BP estate and 1/3 Murto with 20% new oak priced very attractively:

Note:
This is a brand new wine for the 2018 vintage, a blend of 26 “reserve quality” barrels, 2/3 from our Belle Pente estate vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton and 1/3 from Murto Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. These barrels were “de-classified” from the single vineyard bottlings to create a “Super Willamette” blend from these two great vineyards in the top appellations within the valley. Since it is definitely more “class” than “de-class”, we are naming it Cuvee Classe.