Second flight of our pinot noir blind tasting....

The first wine turned out to be the 1998 Kistler, Kistler vineyard, "Cuvee Catherine" pinot noir (sonoma coast). I could barely drink it. Unbalanced and off-putting in the mouth. Such a disappointment for a wine with such reputation. 1 star out of 4.

Next was the 1995 Littorai Hirsch vineyard pinot noir (sonoma coast). I guessed by the nose so my notes are not without bias. The tannins had faded and the color showed its 12 years of age. Cinnamon and orange peel, with leather on the nose. Gentle and delicious, yet fading. Only 12.5% alcohol!! 3 out of 4 stars.

Then came the 2002 Marcassin 3 Sisters pinot noir (sonoma coast). Prune, leather, orange on the nose. complete and complex. Spicy. Ripe and complex with a delicious candied finish. LONG. "Wow". reminded me of Cote de Nuits because of its power (and by this time of the night I even guessed it to come from near Clos Vougeot.) 10+ years old. 3.5 out of 4 stars. An amazing wine but hitting its mature phase at 5 years old.

the last wine was the 1999 Vincent Girardin Charmes-Chambertin. higher VA in the nose but a youthful color. Medium bodied with orange and ripe black fruits. I said it was 5-10 years old. 3 out of 4 stars.


Final note... the take away was how constant these wines were. With only the DuMol and Kistler odd balls, they all were extremely high in quality and delicious. Thanks again for our host and our cellar master. I had a great time!