WTN: 2001 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir

2001 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills (3/30/2008)
I hate to ruffle any feathers but the aromatics on this wine remind me of Burgundy. Not something I normally say about SRH wines. I have had this wine 3 times over the last year and it has been very consistent but on this night I enjoyed it most. Aromatics of rose petals, flowers, earth and tea but before all this you get a nice scent sweet cherries. Very nice mouth feel with medium tannins on the finish that hold it together. With my 2 previous tastings I thought this was getting fragile and could dry out over the next few years. But having enjoyed this bottle over an evening and not being interrupted by other wines, I think this is holding up just fine. Mid to lightweight on the palate. Plenty of red fruit and no cloying sweetness. (90 pts.)

Cheers,

Jason

[Jenise]

We drank our only two bottles of this wine pretty young and best I remember I found Wes' style on the extracted side with a wall of black fruit. Very enjoyable, but not a wine one would expect to someday call 'Burgundian'. That's a good and interesting development. Also interesting that this wine is holding and will continue to do so where the Siduri CP has long since gone south.

We drank our only two bottles of this wine pretty young and best I remember I found Wes' style on the extracted side with a wall of black fruit. Very enjoyable, but not a wine one would expect to someday call 'Burgundian'. That's a good and interesting development. Also interesting that this wine is holding and will continue to do so where the Siduri CP has long since gone south.

Was it the 01 you drank young? I never tried the wine young. I would say the 03-05 seem to be bigger and darker ... but may they will end up like this. I don't recall tasting the 02. From Wes, I get the feeling the goal for his wines is different than Siduri. He is going for a leaner style that can age. That has to be a process as he goes through each vintage.

Jason