1994 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

Lightish ruby. Lovely savoury edge. Fruit very slightly drying but great flavours. (JR)

Coincidentally, I had seen some less than enthusiastic tasting notes on this wine on one of the on-line interactive electronic networks. Admittedly the wine is not a blockbuster, nor does it possess a great deal of depth. But it does offer an extremely charming, seductive, and attractive mouthful of wine. The color is a medium dark ruby. The nose opens to reveal sweet, smoky oak, and jammy berry (mostly black-cherries) aromas. The bouquet is followed by a soft, round, gentle wine with no hard edges. The initial attack is filled with fruit, and the glycerin and moderately high alcohol add texture. After that, the wine falls off, as if the yields were too high. This is a very good Pinot Noir, but is it up to the standards expected of this famed producer, especially in view of the fact that 1994 is Oregon's finest Pinot Noir vintage to date? Drink it over the next 3-4 years. Tel. (503) 538-7485