2005 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Over and Out

Ruby-red. Exotically perfumed nose features energetic raspberry and blackberry scents complicated by cinnamon, mace and fresh rose. Plush and sweet, offering powerful red and dark berry flavors, suave tannins and impressively chewy finishing grip. Less a pinot than a Sine Qua Non wine, and that's not a bad thing.

Sadly, Sine Qua Non’s final Pinot Noir will be the 2005 “Over and Out” Arita Hills Vineyard. That’s a shame as their Pinot Noir has always been one of my favorites – always rich and full-flavored rather than a dumb-downed, wimpish, and diluted faux-French imitation. This beauty has put on considerable weight since I tasted it twelve months ago. Made from Dijon clones 115 and 777, it reveals a classic Cotes de Nuits-like perfume of damp forest floor intermixed with sweet cherries, plums, figs, and spring flowers. This could easily be mistaken for a Clos de la Roche from Morey St.-Denis, but with purer fruit and a more savory texture. Dominated by its beautiful fruit and complexity, with the oak component kept in the background, it should drink well for 8-10 years. Tel. (805) 649-8901

Sadly, Sine Qua Non’s final Pinot Noir will be the 2005 “Over and Out” Arita Hills Vineyard. That’s a shame as their Pinot Noir has always been one of my favorites – always rich and full-flavored rather than a dumb-downed, wimpish, and diluted faux-French imitation. This beauty has put on considerable weight since I tasted it twelve months ago. Made from Dijon clones 115 and 777, it reveals a classic Cotes de Nuits-like perfume of damp forest floor intermixed with sweet cherries, plums, figs, and spring flowers. This could easily be mistaken for a Clos de la Roche from Morey St.-Denis, but with purer fruit and a more savory texture. Dominated by its beautiful fruit and complexity, with the oak component kept in the background, it should drink well for 8-10 years. Aug 2007, www.robertparker.com