Steak and beef dripping chips with P&J (At home in leafy West London): Did we need another bottle? No. Did we open another bottle? Yes. Were we being fair to this wine? Probably not. Real complexity here, real depth - a strange kind of openness marks it out as new world pinot but, again, no jamminess at all. This is a really good example of what it is, and I'd say objectively a better wine than what we had before but...once again I'm reminded that I don't really like Pinot Noir, I just like Burgundy.
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Tasting this in January, 2023 and this is banging! This is exactly the kind of thing you want your Pinot Noir to do if you have the patience to age it this long. It's sliding into this incredible layered complexity that really forces you to pause for a moment and consider just what is going on in your glass.
The very first top note that comes out and hits you is this beautiful dry, dusty, chalkboard eraser sort of powder note. As the woodsy spice starts to come in, it makes it appear more as a dried twig sort of thing. There is some fruit lurking behind there but the minerals and Earth really takes center stage. Perhaps you can coax a little plum out of there or dried cherry.
Fully resolved tannins melt like butter on the palate, and intense acidity really delivers flavor to every corner of the mouth.
This would really tickle any Burgundy lover, And I wish I could share it with anyone who doubts the staying power of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Absolutely superb!
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Hugely aromatic nose with black cherry, pleasing stems and a hint of smoke. This is fruit driven with iron and earthy notes that provide lovely counterbalance. Drinking quite youthfully and should continue to improve over the next 5 years.
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I had two bottles. The first was decanted it about 20 minutes but then drunk, after an excellent Barolo - Fantino’s Cascina Dardi Bussia also 2012. The Fantino is now very refined and utterly delicious. The Vespidae has more depth and was stunning, with plenty of mileage left. The following evening I decanted it but had nothing before. It really only opened up after an hour, at which point it was again great. So no great hurry to drink it. Strongly recommended.
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Finishing the bottle on night 2, fully opened up. Nose is lovely strawberry and caramel, but the palate is a great Burgundy/Cali middle ground that I like in the good Oregon Pinots with tons of minerality and nice acidity to go with the fruit. Makes it good on its own and great with food.
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Sweet perfume of dark fruit laced with balsamic notes and gravelly minerality with an ashy note. Tasting very young and tight right now with green edged, crunchy, yet somewhat sweet loganberry/cranberry fruit. The finish is remarkably long, with the persistent note of ash again at the back. Should improve a lot with age, so the score is only relevant to how it's tasting now.
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Big ripe fruit on the nose and in the mouth, with plenty of earthiness and black tea in back. One of the better expressions of the warm 2012 OR vintage we've come across. Yum!
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This is a blend of quite a few different vineyards. The aromas are heavy, showing a nearly curry aroma. Palate is soft and thickly fruited. Very pure, but quite dark. Puckering and pretty soft. Hefty lingering palate feel on the finish. It's soft with lean acid that balances that dark fruit, but not fully.
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3/26/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Steak and beef dripping chips with P&J (At home in leafy West London): Did we need another bottle? No. Did we open another bottle? Yes. Were we being fair to this wine? Probably not. Real complexity here, real depth - a strange kind of openness marks it out as new world pinot but, again, no jamminess at all. This is a really good example of what it is, and I'd say objectively a better wine than what we had before but...once again I'm reminded that I don't really like Pinot Noir, I just like Burgundy.
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1/15/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasting this in January, 2023 and this is banging!
This is exactly the kind of thing you want your Pinot Noir to do if you have the patience to age it this long. It's sliding into this incredible layered complexity that really forces you to pause for a moment and consider just what is going on in your glass.
The very first top note that comes out and hits you is this beautiful dry, dusty, chalkboard eraser sort of powder note. As the woodsy spice starts to come in, it makes it appear more as a dried twig sort of thing. There is some fruit lurking behind there but the minerals and Earth really takes center stage. Perhaps you can coax a little plum out of there or dried cherry.
Fully resolved tannins melt like butter on the palate, and intense acidity really delivers flavor to every corner of the mouth.
This would really tickle any Burgundy lover, And I wish I could share it with anyone who doubts the staying power of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Absolutely superb!
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9/1/2021 - DaneM Likes this wine:
So good. This should have a long life ahead of it, still primary but excellent now with a little air.
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3/5/2021 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
Hugely aromatic nose with black cherry, pleasing stems and a hint of smoke. This is fruit driven with iron and earthy notes that provide lovely counterbalance. Drinking quite youthfully and should continue to improve over the next 5 years.
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9/4/2020 - EB2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I had two bottles. The first was decanted it about 20 minutes but then drunk, after an excellent Barolo - Fantino’s Cascina Dardi Bussia also 2012. The Fantino is now very refined and utterly delicious. The Vespidae has more depth and was stunning, with plenty of mileage left. The following evening I decanted it but had nothing before. It really only opened up after an hour, at which point it was again great. So no great hurry to drink it. Strongly recommended.
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2/18/2018 - ddingley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Finishing the bottle on night 2, fully opened up. Nose is lovely strawberry and caramel, but the palate is a great Burgundy/Cali middle ground that I like in the good Oregon Pinots with tons of minerality and nice acidity to go with the fruit. Makes it good on its own and great with food.
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4/27/2016 - Red Devils Likes this wine: 92 Points
I was served this at Daniel in NYC and it was excellent. Pairs great with fois gras. Outstanding value for a Williamette Pinot. Highly recommend.
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9/27/2015 - Al Doughty wrote: 89 Points
Sweet perfume of dark fruit laced with balsamic notes and gravelly minerality with an ashy note. Tasting very young and tight right now with green edged, crunchy, yet somewhat sweet loganberry/cranberry fruit. The finish is remarkably long, with the persistent note of ash again at the back. Should improve a lot with age, so the score is only relevant to how it's tasting now.
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4/11/2015 - oropeza Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big ripe fruit on the nose and in the mouth, with plenty of earthiness and black tea in back. One of the better expressions of the warm 2012 OR vintage we've come across. Yum!
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11/6/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 Points
This is a blend of quite a few different vineyards. The aromas are heavy, showing a nearly curry aroma. Palate is soft and thickly fruited. Very pure, but quite dark. Puckering and pretty soft. Hefty lingering palate feel on the finish. It's soft with lean acid that balances that dark fruit, but not fully.
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