Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir 2005

All of Dom. Drouhin Oregon's Pinot Noir is handpicked into 25-pound totes, then hand sorted and de-stemmed at their four-level gravity flow winery. Fermentations are long and careful. By the middle of November, all of their wine was safely in barrel. Dom. Drouhin Oregon uses approximately 20% new oak with their Pinot Noir, which allows the character of the wine and vintage to show through. Barrels are custom made for them in Burgundy, using oak from France's best forests. Their goal is to produce Pinot Noirs with balance, elegance and finesse.

From their earliest days in barrel, the 2005 Pinot Noirs have been deep, dense wines. In contrast to the more delicate 2004, the 2005 is built on larger shoulders, with a strong backbone that will certainly reward with extended aging. Pinot Noir's more delicate heart beats beneath, but for now the 2005 is true to the vintage. Of course, one can happily enjoy the wine now with its expressive nose of lilac and violet blossoms, and a wild array of red and black fruits, white pepper, clove and orange peel. The body is rich and the finish long and silky, suggesting a minimum aging of 7 to 10 years.