This flight features Pinot all day. The first wine won Best of Class and went onto win the big award. The second is a red Burgundy from a top producer. Wines 3 and 4 were in the running for the BOC that De La Montanya won.
De La Montanya Sonoma Coast Christine’s Vineyard 2005
This Pinot is outstanding and it was great to see it take the sweeps. During the judging of 84 Pinots over $25, this was one of 17 that our panel awarded Gold. During the vote for Best of Class, this wine was in the running with 2 other outstanding Sonoma Pinots noted below. After a preliminary vote, the group narrowed further to 2 wines; from there the De La Montanya took the prize in a 3-2 vote. The other two wines were great, lacking nothing, as obvious from their gold medal awards. Yet for me, what made the De La Montanya shine was it’s sense of elegance. Yes, there’s ripe fruit and concentration, but also a sense of elegance, a Pinot that isn’t trying to slap you in the face. Aged for 11 mos in Fr oak. Winemaker Tami Collins with Mike Loykasek Armida consulting, only 241 cases made. GP&B in Healdsburg, 13.8% $40 at the winery, already sold out. De La Montanya
Domaine Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru 2003
When I tasted this wine earlier in 2007, I noted that it displayed new world styling on top of Burgundian structure – a ripe and oaky wine that was also tannic and acidic. Today at the class the Brett is starting to show adding a nice complexity to the overall package, though it will be too much earthiness for some.
Tasted again in November of ’08, this wine is holding steady, integrating the earthy notes into a complex flavor sensation that melds with the oaky brown spice elements and dried cherry fruit. This wine is still quite youthful and the acidity carries the flavor a long way. Owner/Winemaker Jacques Seysses and family. Mis au domaine in Morey Saint-Denis 14.5% $106.49 at Bottle Barn Dujac
Willowbrook Cellars Russian River Valley Morelli Lane Pinot Noir 2005
This wine was the Pinot that raced to the finish line with the De La Montanya. It is dense, structured and enjoys the complexity of brown spices to complement the fruit. The vineyard sits at 900 feet above Occidental in the west county. Winemaker Joseph Otos, only 264 cases made. 14.4% $42 at the winery Willowbrook
Paradise Ridge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2006
This was another very concentrated Pinot, making it into the final 3. It achieved an unanimous Double Gold from our panel of 5. The first bottle we sampled was corked while the second one shined with ample acidity and a little evolution to the fruit mix with tea. It will be a great day when cork taint is no longer an issue. How many consumers might have tasted that wine and said, “This is awful!”, not knowing that the culprit was the cork. $35 at the winery Paradise Ridge
