Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lots and lots of red fruit scents like red raspberry, tart red cherry, red currant, and red plum. HInts of soft toast, blackberry, vanilla, and smoke.
Flavors: Sweet, juicy red cherry is the initial impression, refreshing and balanced. As the wine opens in the mouth, the midpalate finds intense, bold, darker fruit and barrel toast notes- these darker tones add weight and depth to the otherwise juicy, fruity wine.
Finish: The tannins are silky, present in perfect balance, seamless and lushly textured. One is left with a sense of balanced, juicy, refreshing Pinot noir.
As the wine opens and breathes with time (decanting is a great idea for this wine), more impressions of different fruits and other flavors appear, ranging from tart pie cherry through blackberry, black currant, and hints of smoky, toasty oak.
Food Pairings
As Amy, Avalon's newest team member says, "Acidity is the friend of food", and she immediately suggested salmon as an ideal food to pair with this wine. The acidity of this juicy wine cuts through the luscious fat flavors of the fish. She suggests grilling or pan searing the salmon. An alternative to salmon could be grilled pork, cooked simply.
Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. One of the really super under $20 Pinots each year, the 2004 is a truely exceptional value. The fruit for this wine comes from Freedom Hill Vineyard, Temperance Hill Vineyard, Shea Vineyard, Justice Vineyard (owned by Bethel Heights) and Vitae Springs Vineyard. Rather than make a Freedom Hill Vineyard designate in 2004, Mark chose to put all the Freedom Hill juice into this kick a** Pinot.
The 2004 Willamette Valley begins with intense scents of soft smoky toast, raspberry, pie cherry, and just the tiniest hint of strawberry (carbonic maceration?). Flavors are - wow- really nice- sweet fruit, and so well complemented by a streak of just-right acidity and fine tannins- what a difference for 2004- cooler summer yielded a lot more balanced acidity and tannic structure. There's a surprisingly lingering & nuanced finish for a wine of this price, with hints of toast, raspberry, pie spice, and cherry pleasing to the end. The wine was aged in 30% new oak for 18 months, amazing for the price. This might end up being just about the best under $20 Pinot of the 2004 vintage.
