A big Pinot Noir, but from fruit, not slathered oak. Sage, laurel, fennel and allspice over a mix of cherries, from tiny, wild, and tart to big, ripe, Michigan cherries, plus a tiny hint of underlying wild blueberry. Acids and tannins are well in balance. Individual flavors still stand out, rather than blending together, in a way that hints of improvement with some additional cellar time. Drink with pan-roasted rabbit.
WHO: Bouchaine
WHAT: Pinot Noir
WHERE: Carneros, Napa Valley, California
WHEN: 2007
HOW MUCH: $25 (media sample)
