2015 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills
Opened by a friend who noticed this bottle had a slight leak. Decanted for 2 hours. Minimal sediment. First time with this vintage but I previously had the 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2019 and 2022. This Pinot never disappoints. Solid red with a ruby ring. Mineral driven wine with notes of charcoal, cherry and red currants. Always a pleasure to drink. Well-balanced. 93 points.
VM
Nice no impact from the leakage.
I am new to Thomas, only past two vintages. How long, based on your palate, would you suggest storing before opening ‘22 & ‘23?
Last time I checked there were a bunch of aged ones on WineBid, might be a good place to grab a few and dial in on your sweet spot.
2022 is ready now but both vintages should be good for at least 10 years based on my experience. My note on the 2022:
2022 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills[/b] - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (12/10/2024)
Opened by a friend. Just released vintage from this cult producer. I previously had the 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2019. Decanted for 4 hours. The winemaker note said this would be approachable on release and he was correct. Once in the glass and swirled this opened up with floral aromas. A fresher and livelier profile than other Thomas Pinots I’ve had. Notes of vanilla bean and ripe cherries. Still young but delicious. Will improve. 94+ points.
VM
I rarely open before 8-10 years post-vintage, which for my palate has worked out very well since I started buying with the 2010 vintage. Nothing wrong with opening within a few years post-vintage, but I find the wines reward near term aging.
I’ve got a lone bottle of 2014 buried somewhere deep in my cellar so it’s probably gonna be a while until I get to it
Funny, I also have one '14 left. I drank a '96 last year, which was glorious. These wines always come through, but I do also not drink them until 8-10 years out at the earliest.
We hosted a vertical tasting at my wine shop late last year. 2003-2013, ideal provenance on all bottles. The sweet spot, for me, was '05 - '07, but all of the wines were in a really nice drinking window, with only the '03 in the realm of something close to decline. In the future, I’ll start checking in on my Thomas bottles around year 10. That said, we double decanted the current vintage - '23 - at the tasting, and there was plenty to love in the young wine, so I don’t think, at least when it comes to current vintages, there’s anything wrong with giving them some air and drinking them in their youth.
I’m with Scott and generally try to hold off on drinking before they get to around 10 years.
