This is the second bottle opened with the first consumed over a day and a half.
A garnet colored wine with a slightly purple tinge,clear with with a fade at the edge of the glass. Multiple long thin legs on the balloon Eisch. Initially closed on the nose, with 15 -20 minutes smokey red fruit aromas with definate coffee and leather notes. Soft red fruit flavors, raspberry predominate, on the front with soft round tannins that are well integrated.The wine is medium weight and has a pleasant mouthfeel ,if not just a bit on the dusty dry side. A moderately long finish, that ends with a taste of tart cherries.
I believe the winemaker was right on with his comment that this is at its prime drinking window. A great score at $39.25 a case. 90 points

[ 10-27-2002, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: josephjr ]

joeJr.
Great to hear about the '94; I've been reading some posts regarding '95-97 King Estate PN's with great trepidation - there seems to be a love/hate relationship w/this wine.

I'm sitting on a mini-vertical of '96-98 and wondering when to drink them. Grilled salmon, coming up!

$39.25 a case? WHERE???????????????????????????/

VV,

I saw that too. I am assuming that means $39.25 BY the case. If not, and it really is PER case, well ... I'll buy you a bottle!

His earlier inquiry about it, before buying, said he could get it for 75% off wholesale. That still doesn't figure, though, unless it was really cheap. I paid $43 for a '94 Eyrie Reserve PN recently, so figured wholesale on that about $30. Hard to tell about wine prices, though.

You read it right!! This is a closeout of three cases from the distributor...75% off frontline price of $157.50..Bear in mind that this is King Estate's first reserve Pinot offering. Every once in awhile distributors will clean house on small lots of wines. The key is being on the spot and grabbing if you can. I have bought 9 cases of wines on this sale which I will post on.

then I ask again, where? Is it possible to get any here or are they out?

-Vitis Vinifera in Lodi

The major cities in Iowa can't be more then an 8 hour drive from here ...

In my mind, 1994 still ranks as the best Oregon Pinot Noir Vintage in over a decade (if not ever). Even King Estate made tasty juice that year. Congrats on a great purchase!!

Josephjr-
You are a lucky man!

Highdesert-
If you ask the winemakers up here, they'll say that 1999 or 2000 was probably the best vintage for a several reasons:

1) Better balance between sugar and acid. 1994 was a very ripe year, and many growers picked too late, ending up with unbalanced wines. 1999 was another ripe year, but the winemakers knew better (see below). 2000 was just a lot better balanced.

2) Many winemakers only bought into the concept of limiting yields after a disasterous 1997, when winemakers who severely limited yields at least had a chance of making a decent wine. If you were getting the standard 3-4 tons/acre you made rose at best, garbage at worst.

3) The winemakers had five more years under their belts, and in a region where 20 years ago you could easily visit every winery in the upper Willamette Valley in a day, five or six more vintages moved many winemakers much further along the learning curve.

Several winemakers have commented that they felt that 1993 was actually the best vintage of the 90's. I don't know why.