Van Duzer Homestead Block Pinot noir 05

Scents of rose, hibiscus and violet mingle with hints of black cherry, cedar, barrel toast and mint. Flavors restate the scents, and add dark cherry, cedar, sweet oak and creamy pie spices to a classic Pinot "meaty" quality. As last year, this is a big, weighty wine. It's tight and young, needs cellaring or, if you must, lengthy decanting to show itself at its best. There are very finegrained, silky tannins in the creamy finish.

The Homestead Block Pinot Noir is produced from the Pommard grape vines, planted in 1982, that grow on the gentle slope that was the site of the original homestead for the Van Duzer property. The exceptionally pure dark cherry character of the wine produced from this small plot has stood out in tastings of previous vintages.