ROCO Private Stash Pinot noir 09

Review:

Estate grown Pinot Noir from ROCO's Wits' End Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains, this luscious wine is always at the top of its game. Deep garnet color with an elegant combina0on of spiced cherries jubilee in the nose. The wine is full and rich bodied in the mouth with hints of black berries, cinnamon and pepper which contribute to a complex palate. The deeply spiced fruit finish is rich, delightfully long and layered. It rolls through the moth and down the throat leaving one longing for the next sip.

2009 Advocate - 92 points - The ROCO 09 Private Stash is a bit more deeply colored, displays greater depth and concentration and has enough structure to blossom for another 1‐2 years. Mouth-­filling and succulent this lengthy, pleasure-­bent effort offers a drinking window extending to 2019. - Jay Miller

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

2008 Wine Spectator - 94 points - Light on its feet, sailing its pretty plum and currant flavors into a refined cloud of fragile tannins. The finish lingers evocatively. This feels elegant on the surface, but has a swagger underneath. Drink now through 2020. 150 cases made. - H.S.

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

We just tasted the 07 Private Stash yesterday with owners/winemakers Rolin Soles (Argyle) and Corby Stonebraker. According to Rolin "in this type of vintage (2007) anyone can get red fruit and minerality. The trick is the creamy midpalate - it makes the wine round and gives an impression of fullness in the mouth." And the wine shows that he accomplished his goal.

The 07 Private Stash's scent of dried roses and red cherry is echoed by red raspberry, red cherry, and sweet cherry candy fruit flavors. It is an elegant wine that gains weight and richness as a fresh, creamy quality opens upon tasting. Crisp, balanced minerality, and seamless tannins will allow the wine to cellar well for 3-4 years. - Jean

2007 Wine Advocate - 93 points - The 2007 Pinot Noir Private Stash is a richer, denser effort with a focus on the dark fruit side of the spectrum. Aromas of spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry lead to a medium-bodied, intensely flavored yet elegant Pinot with layered savory fruit, enough ripe tannin to support 2-3 years of further development, and a lengthy finish. Drink it from 2011 to 2019.

ROCO is the personal project of veteran vigneron Rollin Soles, the artistic director of Argyle. - Jay Miller, Wine Advocate

2006 Vintage Tasting Notes

2006 Wine Spectator - 94 points - Soft and fragrant, this is remarkable for its silky texture and seamless structure. Pretty strawberry and currant fruit pulse gently at the core, shading toward white pepper as the open-textured finish lingers elegantly. Drink now through 2015. From Oregon - H.S.

2005 Vintage Tasting Notes

2005 Wine Spectator - 94 points - Supple, graceful and deliciously complex, offering dark plum, blackberry and black olive flavors on a plush texture. The flavors linger expressively against wisps of tannins. Drink now through 2015. -H.S.

2004 Vintage Tasting Notes

A Pinot expert's Pinot, Rollin Soles'(Argyle) personal vineyard, Wits End, provides the fruit for this Estate Pinot. Two Pinots are offered, this "Private Stash" being the wine he, until recently, only sold to family and friends.

Everything is just as it should be in this Pinot expert's wine - there's layered complexity of fruit, spice, acid, and tannins offering a constantly changing array of pleasing qualities, all essentially Pinot taken to its highest levels.

Nose

Scent is of sweet red raspberry, cherry, and currant, with tantalizing hints of toast, vanilla, and oak.

Flavors

Sweet red and black berry and cherry feature throughout the experience of tasting the wine. Layers of different flavors waft through the fruit, including different cherries, red and black raspberry, currant, sandalwood incense, sweet spices, hints of sweet tobacco, and toasted espresso bean. The wine has the quality of feeling like it expands in the mouth, and it's mouthfeel is voluptuous and velvety.

Finish

As the wine opens, it offers more and more complexity of flavors and scents. In the finish, there are hints of anise, intense black fruit and berries, and barrel spice.

First and foremost, this is a wine that screams "vineyard". It's clearly made from scrupulously perfect fruit, from a vineyard whose special qualities are understood and called for in the winemaking. Many of the most experienced winemakers say that Pinot noir is made in the vineyard...the trick is to not screw up what the fruit gives you. Rollin is clearly a master at determining the vineyard's special qualities and crafting a wine that emphasizes them.