Patricia Green Cellars Blog
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January 20, 2008

2003 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir tasting

These are my notes on the progress of 9 of the wines we bottled from the 2003 vintage (wines not tasted were Oregon, Shea Vineyard, Quail Hill Vineyard, Estate Vineyard Etzel Block, Eason and Four Winds). This was the hot vintage all over the world. I went through the harvest book and found a cuvee that topped out at 28.7 brix. Every vineyard had some portion of it come in at at least 26. Numbers ripeness and actual physiological ripeness did not happen simultaneously or even close to that. While lots of people were done picking in mid-September we waited it out some and finished at the end of the first week of October. Fortunately most of the vines were at least 15 years old. I remember the young vines giving up the ghost early that year and their leaves turning yellow in the 3rd week of September.

This is obviously an atypical vintage here as it is most everywhere. The goal was to make wines that were still recognizable as Pinot Noir. I felt like we achieved that and in the process actually made some wines that will be killer bottles of wine over time. Ramesh was kind enough to open up his cellar so we could have a showing now that they have been in bottle for a bit over 3 years. A lot of 1994 Oregon Pinots did not fair so well after 3 years. I have not had that fear with these wines. My question was how the wines would handle their mass (and alcohols) over time and would they be wines that could ever unfurl completely. These notes pretty much represent my thoughts on the wines.

Anden Vineyard: There was a big split over this wine. Some liked the incredible blast of blackberry/coffee/plum that rolled out of the glass, others found it a bit much and coming with a touch of VA. People’s sensitivity to VA probably will have a lot to do with whether they like the wine or not. It is not awash in it but it is there. The wine is dark, incredibly dense and more like Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir than anything else in the group. I was surprised at the lower-than-I-expected tannin level in this wine. This is intense stuff that will give people who love Syrah or big Cali Pinot a ride. It will be interesting to come back to this wine in a couple of years and see if it calms down any. For my tastes this was a bit much and Anden is usually one of my favorite wines we bottle. I would go personally 87 but if you like huge wines it is probably a 90 or so.

Balcombe Vineyard Block 1B: This was one of my 3 favorite wines of the evening. It manages to wrap black cherry/mocha notes around a core of pure red fruit in the nose. Aromatically very complex. This is a big wine as well but with more purity, definition and grace than the Anden. The acid/tannin/glycerin balance is very nice in the wine giving it a richness and polish in the face of an intense amount of fruit. This was one of the youngest tasting wines and while it is very suave still seems somewhat in need of more development. I did not get any sort of alcohol hit on this wine. The finish is long and has a great spice character to it that gives it both breadth and length. If pressed I would say this was my second favorite wine of the night. I think this has a long life in front of it. Easily 92.

Goldschmidt Vineyard: This was in between, style-wise, between the first 2 wines. There is more to the nose than the Anden but it is less well-defined and complex than the Block 1B. There is more of a brown sugar/caramel note to it that takes away from the purity of the very sappy fruit. Again, this is probably more like Cali Pinot (esp. Russian River) than what one would expect from Oregon. Texture is very plush, bordering on unctuous. Tannins are low but present. Fruit is intensely sweet giving the wine a cocktail-like element to it. This would be a turn on for Cali Pinot or Syrah fans. You would have to know you were drinking ’03 to know it was from Oregon. Again, will be interested to see if it melds into itself a bit more. Have had some Russian River stuff that, with some age, had a sense of old-school, leather easy chair in the library style to it. I think this could get there in a couple of years. I would put it down as 89+ with room for upgrade.

Estate Vineyard: This came from the blocks that were planted in 1997-2000. Probably the darkest wine of the night pigment-wise and that’s saying a lot. Much “cooler” nose to it than anything in the first flight. Dark fruits mixing with coffee ground, dark chocolate, earth. Expected more of a gamy sensation to it that was not there at all. Very pure aromatically. Dense and compact in the middle of the wine although this may be a reaction to the sultry nature of the first 3 wines. Chewy, surprisingly good lift of acidity toward the back. This shows a dark side but does it in a very different way than the first 3 wines. There is not as much unfolding of flavor but I cannot tell if it is still just developing and holding back right now or if it is monolithic. Very solid stuff. I was expecting this to be hedonistic and am pleased that it has such a stout nature to it. No sign of aging at all. I think this will do well over time. I would go 90 at this stage but I think this might have room for improvement if it ever unwraps.

Estate Vineyard, Old Vine: This comes from the 1984-1990 plantings. I thought there was some whole cluster in this but looking at the harvest book it appears not. This wine was probably more where I expected it to be than any other wine. Lowest alcohol of the bunch at 13.6 and it shows. Lightest color, too. Expressive nose that has both red and black fruits, spice, sandalwood, minerals and a little bit of sweet oak still. Most medium-bodied wine of the night. Well integrated tannins and a nice uptick of acidity. Great lift toward the back of the wine. Flavors are broad and showing nice layering between the fruit and mineral aspect. Only wine that does not necessarily taste like the 2003 vintage. Excellent balance and good focus. The difference between this wine and the Estate bottling is so evident here with this giving you a clearer idea of its overall nature and direction. I think this will be a very feminine and charming wine for a long time. Would not be surprised to see this holding up well in 15 years. My 4th favorite wine of the evening. Solid 91.

Bonshaw: Cream of the crop. In all ways this is the superior wine in this tasting. Gorgeous nose of fully unfolded roses, ripe cherries, cream and incense. Could just smell this wine for a long time. Palate is smooth, rich, velvety and while not quite ethereal it may some day get to that point. Flavors run the gamut from currants, blackberry, cherry into sweet chocolate and pain grille. Tannins are perfectly harmonious with the super suave texture of the wine. This is 13.9 alcohol (2nd lowest) but it carries it immensely well allowing the viscosity to lend itself positively to the nature of the wine. This is from a block planted in 1990 and is a steep west facing hill. The 2005 was my favorite wine of the vintage. I don’t remember being as fond of the 2003. Simply amazing stuff. Apparently my note taking was not as thorough back then, but I think we bottled 4 barrels of it. Utterly delicious right now but no hurry to consume this. 94 with no problem.

Whistling Ridge: This was my least favorite wine of the evening although I still liked it. The nose is too hard for me to get past even though I think the wine has a delicious quality to it. Much like the Anden the sensation of the vintage is so present in this wine that it gives off just a touch too much VA for me (I am super VA sensitive though). Past the nose the wine has a great lift of red raspberries which is the flavor profile I most commonly find in this wine. The tannins are big and not as well refined as in the other wines from Ribbon Ridge. This was our first year with this vineyard and I think the wines have gotten more suave over time although this bottling does have a lot of largesse to it most years. The 15% alcohol on it gives this wine too much heat for me too handle. Again, Cali Pinot lovers might find this wine to be less off-putting in the nose than do I. I do like the flavor of the wine itself. A pretty critical 86.

Broadway: This is the bottling we do for Oregon Wines on Broadway. This was ½ Goldschmidt, ¼ Anden and ¼ West Etzel Block from the Estate (a northwest oriented part of the vineyard). Pretty amazing how the portion of the Estate reins in the Anden and Goldschmidt. This is toned down enough that the aromatics which I found wild and huge in those 2 wines are more precise and floral. Still a very big, sappy wine but with a touch more personality than the Anden and none of the brown sugar quality in the Goldschmidt. Dark fruits in the plum and blackberry spectrum. Fairly soft tannins but good acidity so the wine is at once very approachable but not just a flabby mess. Finish fans out quite a bit and there is a red earth sort of spice on the back. Lots of sweetness and lushness but it is contained enough that it is still highly enjoyable. Wouldn’t want to pair this with anything subtle as far as food goes but it does have a lip-smacking sort of goodness to it. I would go 90 and say that this might be best over the next 3-5 years.

Notorious: I have had this wine many times over the past year so I knew what to expect. This is 5 barrels of Balcombe and 1 barrel of Goldschmidt all of which were new. This eats up the oak, actually none of the wines smelled very oaky and I’m sure the Bonshaw was 50% new as (it turns out) were the Goldschmidt & Estate Old Vine. Extremely intense but with a forcefulness to it that gives the wine a lot of energy. Still very youthful and tight at this point. I think in the long run this is probably the best wine but I would venture to say that might be several years in the offing. The flavors run in the cherry tones but there are hints of asian spicing, game, black tea, raw tuna (not fishy, but that sweet rosy/meaty/fruity quality you get in really good sashimi) and mocha. Great complexity. At this point this was only upstaged by the magnificence of the Bonshaw and the come-hitherness of the Block 1B. Long life in front of it and if this ever is able to fully unfold and unleash every thing there it could be simply awesome. Given the nature of this vintage I cannot be 100% certain that will ever happen. I’ll go with a 92 now but in 10 years that might look conservative.

Comments? If anyone has questions or would like further information about the tasting or the notes I am always happy to answer them. I can be contacted at the winery or by my personal e-mail which is pgcwinery@netzero.com.