2009 Estate Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
Well into its second decade, the 2009 Pinot Noir Estate signals that its best days were before the end of its first. What remains are tired, stewed fruit and cola aromas coalescing around toasted remnants of new oak and a core of alcohol. The winemaking at Pisoni has thankfully been refined since this era, and although the wines are still decidedly ripe and clearly marked by their barrel program, I am hopeful that recent vintages will age more gracefully.
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched aromas of cherry-cola and dark berries, with a strong kick of fresh flowers. Juicy and broad on entry, then tighter in the mid-palate, offering dense red and dark berry flavors and a late note of bitter chocolate. In a serious style, with strong finishing grip and building sweetness. Jeff Pisoni told me that his fruit showed the most extract ever attained here, "probably the result of four straight years of drought."
The 2009 Pinot Noir Pisoni is a big wine with powerful tannins that frame a core of dark, black fruit. Today it is the structural elements that dominate the wine's balance, but this could merit a higher score if the fruit begins to emerge. My sense is that the new oak (65%) may be a bit on the high side. The Pisoni was made from four separate blocks and vinified with 20% whole clusters.