Beaulieu Vineyard Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir 2002

With this vintage, BV's Reserve Pinot Noir contains our first serious percentage of the new Dijon clone selections, in addition to several of the top BV selections propagated over the past four decades from our vineyards. The result is a wine with a dark ruby-violet color, more so than most Pinot Noirs reveal. The aromas evoke ripe cherry, even black fruits, with a touch of vanilla and black pepper along with spicy oak scents. On the palate, the wine shows medium full body, a rich velvety texture and flavors of dark cherry, game and cocoa. The mid-palate richness and concentration is reminiscent of a fine Cote de Nuits Burgundy, such as Nuits St. Georges. The finish is dense, powerful, slightly tannic still, and suggests the wine will need 4-6 years evolution. Great with roast lamb, game dishes and duck pasta.