When your Pinot drinks like a Syrah???

WINE TALK
1

What the hell! I am almost certain this pisses me off more than not having advanced notice on WineSpectors WOTY. :slight_smile: Almost.
I just tasted the 2012 Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Pinot (noted here) and was wondering that the deal with these type of wines are? I mean, it’s Pinot I opened and as good as it is, it’s not Pinot. Cellartracker users loved it more than I and had I been a newbie, I might wonder if it’s me, but I ain’t and it’s not. This wine is dark, brambly and blueberry ridden. What is the reasons ofor this? I have encountered it a few times lately, read about it much and yet I am still befuddled when it sits in my glass.

Cheerios!

2

Oregon…Anderson valley…that is all :slight_smile:

3

Mostly what he said—did you learn nothing while I was in NYC? [grin.gif]

There are some like this, Mike. In some ways, that’s part of what makes Pinot so fascinating in California—the sweeping scope of styles that you can find. Sorry to say, you’ll just have to keep trying different producers, different vineyards, and see what gets you excited. FTR, I don’t like it either when a pinot shows in that way, but accept it as part of the dynamic–and the constant learning curve I have going.

Best,

Mike

4

Santa Cruz Mountains, Sonoma Coast, etc.

There’s a reason I don’t buy much SRH Pinot. I just buy a little now and then for bad Tuesday night’s after a long day at work.

5

Go back to Cab, Mike. Go ahead now…walk slowly.

6

So the Patricia Green I just purchased should drink like Pinot?
Mike, I am learning. :slight_smile:

7

Merrill. I never left. :slight_smile:

8

I doubt you will like them.
Feel free to send them to me.
[cheers.gif]

9

If you like Patty Green you should check out

2012 (only 2012 dont get 2013) Oyster Bay NZ Pinot Noir. You’ll love it for $13. I’m buying EVERY bottle I can find. It’s got depth, complexity, and it’s clearly Pinot Noir…all for $13. I’d place it blind against almost ANY $25 bottle of Pinot (accept maybe Cameron) and expect it to win.

10

"Same as it ever was…same as it ever was…I believe that was Talking Heads…a long time ago.

11

Not all SRH pinots are like this, Mike - just like not all Napa Cabs taste like Cherry Vanilla Milk Shakes :slight_smile:

Keep searching - I’m sure others will pipe in here . . .

Cheers!

12

I’m interested to hear what you think of the PG. Hope you got a 2011, it’ll taste like pinot for sure.

Michael

13

Luckily, there’s never Syrah or PS in the blend
:wink:

14

I haven’t had very good luck with Pinot from south of SCM. Especially if it says Gary’s on the label.

15

Mike, it sounds like my kinda Pinot, just short of Syrah. You might want to avoid the luli. Beautiful QPR for my palate and you can enjoy it after a glass of Cab. [wow.gif]

16

Pinot and “blueberry ridden” is just wrong…

17

For California think SCM, Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley.

18

No thanks. I bought this for a large party last year and couldn’t believe what I was tasting.

19

What Larry said. As you know old buddy, there’s no “correct” version of a grape or blend of grapes. Some Cabs are thin and green and awful, others are rich and ripe and over the top, and there are various other iterations. Same with Pinot Noir - grow it in a hot climate, let it get really ripe, and it’s a different grape than some of the leaner, more watery types. Neither is “correct”, they’re just products of their growing regions and the winemaking.

To me, Pinot Noir is almost always immediately identifiable as Pinot Noir, no matter what the style is, just as Cabernet Sauvignon is almost always identifiable as Cabernet Sauvignon, no matter what style.

Syrah on the other hand, is much more a chameleon - it comes in many different guises and it’s often really difficult to pick out blind. I think that’s why it’s not more popular - people don’t have a fixed notion of what it is because on the one hand you have Mollydooker from Australia and on the other hand you have Paul Achs from Austria and those are only from the countries starting with “A”.

It’s also why I generally pick a Syrah before either of the others, although I do like a good Cab, especially the one I’m drinking at the moment.

But “when your Pinot drinks like a Syrah” - you should be so lucky all the time!

20

+1

Oh so wrong. And, unfortunately, oh so common. I tasted through 3-4 $20-$40 west coast Pinots a few weeks ago (in-store tasting) that didn’t even bare a resemblance to Pinot’s flavor profile.
:frowning: