WTN: 2001 Siduri Clos Pepe Pinot (Santa Rita Hills

[tjaehnigen]

2001 Siduri Clos Pepe Pinot (Santa Rita Hills?)

This was tasted at the November 2003 DC Crü event

I disagreed with jaimetown here. This was a super wine. It was unlike any pinot that I have ever had. It had shades of the Kistler Cuvee Elizabeth Pinot I had in June wandering about (no it was not like it, but there were elements that could be construed as similar). I got gobs of cherry buttercream and vanilla on the nose, which later developed into wonderful floral essences. Upon consuming, this had bucketloads of fruit – especially mid-red fruits. I do not think this is a very friendly Pinot Noir in that it was not something that you could pair food with easily. After it’d been open for a goodly while (I nursed alittle bit of it almost to the end of the evening), it lost the gushiness it had in the beginning and had settled into its transformation. I think that, if decanted for a few hours and then consumed over several more this would be quite a stunner. For now, it was a delicious boisterous, but brilliant child. Call him Mozart. This sucker was worth 92+ TJ points. With this rating this my WOTN.

(Jaimetown’s TNs)-- I was in the minority here, but this wine did not do it for me. Too big and thick, it lacked the grace I look for in Pinot. Maybe bottle age will help this, but I'm not sure.

(Fred’s TNs)— This was the troublemaker of the evening and would have provided us with problems had we tasted it blind. This was mostly because everyone tasted this and guessed that I poured out the Pinot and refilled it with either Zin, Shiraz, or Cabernet. It had a classic Cabernet nose when we first poured this. the pallete was filled with really jammy fruit that with intertwined with great floral notes, lavendar and honeysuckel. Big finish with solid tannins. I loved this wine. Quite frankly it overpowered the venison but I don't care I thought it was very good.

(Dinwiddie’s TNs)-- My WOTN. When I first took a whiff I would have sworn it was a big Zin. Gobs and gobs of fruit. Almost port like. Wonderful. Boysenberry and cherrys with a kick. What a wine. Thank you Fred and bring more to another dinner if you want.