TN:1983 Calera Reed

[Robert Nesta Marley]

i've defended josh jensen pinot enough here to add another dimension to my expressed opinion, since due to those comments certain people here think i like all west coast pinot. in fact, someone thinks i like it so much that he gave me a bottle of '91 jensen vineyard in january.

i opened it tonight. yes, great vintage for cabernets, hot as it was. maybe that's why he gave me this bottle of '91 pinot , presumably from his private collection? this was so hot, i truly thought of little more than martinelli for the first few minutes, and those tastings where you "get" to taste all 38 vineyards & then don't remember what happened afterwards.

miniscus bricking quarter of an inch or so. nice lighter garnet color. unfiltered, non-brilliant, etc.

oh, but there's that plastic-y way about the nose that i hate because i don't know what it's about. "plastic-y"? opinions on this? what's going on? it seems i get it in a lot of NW pinot, but i haven't done work on it. entire aromatic profile not immediately apparent initially, but there is quite a bit of, say, cherry ludens....okay, fine. ripe, hot, so i immediately start slicing baguette, proscuitto, & petite basque in anticipation.

the alcohol was nearly assaultive. funny how i almost let the heat disguise itself as black pepper or, say allspice. admittedly, i wanted to like it. but this was pretty imbalanced, with the alcohol lingering a bit long and deep on the finish, obscuring some of the fruit.

after about an hour figs start to show. and this distinct nuttiness that, combined with the figginess, really reminds me of pedro ximenez. this is not a great showing for josh jensen. i'll take '97 mills over this, gladly. so i amend my previous comments, perhaps generalized in favor of aging his wines (my purpose of this note).

this should go now. note i wouldn't enjoy it with mushrooms or a truffled cheese. acidity still persists, though.

of course you can always give it away if you're ridding yourself of all your NW wines.