Previous vintage notes: Wine Spectator 90 points for 2003 vintage.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Made from older vine Pinot noir, all Wadenswil clone, and the wine clearly shows the characteristic blueberry note in both scent and flavor. A signature bouquet of ripe blueberries, cedar, fresh earth, cinnamon and cocoa is followed by flavors of blackberry pie & dried blueberries. All lead to a rich mid-palate and chocolate truffle finish.
"The enticing aromas feature spice, raisin and licorice. There is some prominent cranberry notes on the palate. Finely-tuned and well balanced, the wine is still a bit closed at this early stage." -PinotFile
A swirl of the glass suggests blackberry pie, followed moments later by a bouquet of fresh earthiness, cedar, cinnamon and clove, cocoa, fresh truffle and mushroom that is typical of the W?denswil vines planted in the Flagpole Block. On the palate, ripe blackberry and dried blueberry are accompanied by graham, spice and dark chocolate. The very ripe flavors assume weight in the mid-palate and finish with an impression of chocolate-raspberry truffle. - the winery
Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews:
Introduced in 1999 as Van Duzer's first vineyard-designate wine, the Flagpole Block Pinot Noir is produced from an approximate one-third acre of old Wadwenswil clone vines located near the entrance to the property. The steep vineyard takes its name from the flagpole located at the top of the slope. The east-west row orientation combined with the slope allows for full sun exposure the entire day and the grapes from these vines produce exceptionally ripe and rich fruit.The hand sorted grapes were destemmed and cold-macerated as is Van Duzer's general practice with Pinot Noir. The wine was aged in 60% new French oak barrels and 40% neutral oak barrels. Yje winery uses tightly-grained barrels from the Vosge and Allier forests in order to subtly enhance the fruit character of the wine. After 9 months in barrels, the wine was blended then returned to barrels for 5 more months of aging in order to integrate and deepen the flavors of the wine.
