2003 Argyle Pinot Noir Nuthouse - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (2/12/2008) Ruby in the glass, a little darker than what I expect for a pinot. Nose of sour cherry, sage, light pepper and a little bit of vanilla. Palate dominated by sour cherries, with a little bit of vanilla that shows more on the finish, and some licorice. Longish finish that ends a little hot. Very nice.
Haven't quite figured out all the cross posting nuances. This was a very interesting wine, but I'm not sure I liked it that much. Can you appreciate a wine a lot without actually liking the taste that much? I believe the thing that put me off a little bit was the hotness on the finish which I hope will dissipate some with more age. One pleasant but unusual thing about the palate was that it reminded me of a sweet onion (think vedalia). Having never tasted that or seen it in a tasting note I was hesitant to put it in my tasting note. My wife wasn't sure about that as part of the profile but thought there was something in it that could remind one of that.
"Wine, one sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise and taste." - Milton
Posts: 2853 | Location: NW Suburbs of Chicago | Registered: Aug 16, 2006
a friend popped this for 3 of us on Friday, and actually i didnt detect any heat on the finish... i did note creamy oak though, moreso then i expected...
agree with Board-O that the finer Oregon Pinots can almost always use time, but, i felt this was drinking much better then i expected it would at this point
'03 Oregon PNs are not going to be classic agers. More than any other year, including '06, these are CA like. I've mistaken a few for CA in blind tastings. The most recent '03 OR PN I had was a Panther Creek just last week. Dried, almost candied, fruit. Moderate to low acidity. Probably as good as it's going to get. I'm still on my '99 Nuthouse stash, though.
We had this about 4 months ago, and after reading the comments of the more experienced OR pinot drinkers it was probably premature. Nose was somewhat muted, but for some reason reminded me of toffee. I certainly agree that the dominant note was sour cherry with a touch of oak on the back end, I could tell that the wine had a lot more to offer if given the time, but it wasn't overly complex or memorable right now. I'd probably give it an 89.
Posts: 1508 | Location: Vancouver | Registered: Feb 19, 2008
Pleasant but soft nose of stewed red fruit, black pepper, some minerality, and maybe a little vanilla. On the palate, some sour cherry, minerality, maybe a little bit of cherry cough drop(?), and again a little vanilla. Very long finish that is marred just a bit by a little heat. (Without the heat it it would easily be outstanding).
A little burnt cherry, pepper spice, earth, and some smokiness. Very smooth. Medium length finish. Nicely balanced and elegant. Outstanding. The pepper is a little bit pronounced on the finish giving it a kind of zing that I find really appealing.
There was an intermediate note from 2010 since the one from 2009 but it's almost identical to this one. It's nice to see that the heat dissipated over time. Does that always happen?
"Wine, one sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise and taste." - Milton
Posts: 2853 | Location: NW Suburbs of Chicago | Registered: Aug 16, 2006
