WTN: '04 Swan PN

Last night, with a light dinner, we opened a bottle of:

2004 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir "Cuvée de Trois"
nose: initially, oaky, cherries; later, minerals, smoke
palate: initially thick and soft, taking on a leaner, more precise profile later, good acidity, smooth finish, good fruit

Purchased last May at the winery, this wine struck me as a wholly different beast upon first opening. However, after 15-20 minutes, it had become something closer to my memory of it, showing good tart fruit, a mineral streak and a bit of smokiness to accompany the red cherry fruit. This Pinot Noir is Swan's largest (and cheapest) offering. Still very attractive, it augurs well for the fate of the single vineyard bottlings.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Isn't that a nice wine for the price? IIRC, he charges $23 for that.

The Cuvee de Trois is indeed a good value.
Rod deliberately makes that wine in a style that's suited to the restaurant trade, which is where most of it goes. The '04 could possibly be falling into a bit of a hole now, and be better in a couple more years. We'll see!

John

Thanks for the note. Always a nice wine ... sometimes a great wine and a killer price. We drank the 06 last night. Ultra young and primary ... even for the CdT or MaT is Dietz calls it. But still shows promise.

Jason

Besides the '06 Menage a Trois we also had a 1982 Swan Pinot that, while definitely showing its age, still had plenty of dried cranberry fruit and structure and an acidic backbone that made it very interesting to taste.

Howe the heck, Jason, do you already have an 06 Swan MaT????

Howe the heck, Jason, do you already have an 06 Swan MaT????

Our buddy G-Dawg brought it. He is selling it now.

On a very tangential note, would anyone agree with my pedantic observation to Rod that, in the absence of a noun, it should Cuvée du Trois instead of Cuvée de Trois?

Mark Lipton

(Who vividly remembers his education on why it's a carte du vin and not de vin)