Tasting Note                         

92+  2004 Mount Eden  Santa Cruz Mtns Estate Pinot Noir   5/17/09 ($50)


Color: Medium deep black raspberry with a touch of onion skin at the rim. (3.0) Bouquet: Very aromatic and lively with outstanding mineral terroir complementing concentrated black cherry and black raspberry fruit. Also has a smell of raw fish when first opened that is interesting and integrates with air. (3.0) Body: Solid middleweight to light heavyweight. This has excellent acidity and fruit with more than sufficient tannin. Also has a full, rich and silky mouthfeel. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with rich black cherry and excellent terroir and acidity being prominent. (3.5) Finish: Parallels flavor, but not as open and rich. Also shows a touch of heat here. Should become longer with a little more time. (3.0)
Overall: This is a terrific Pinot Noir with outstanding SCM terroir, giving it a mineral character, reminiscent of the sea. It also has excellent, rich and concentrated black cherry and black raspberry fruit. Delicious and interesting already, being both forceful and elegant at the same time. This needs a few more years to be at its best, but is delicious right now. It got sweeter and silkier with an hour or more of air. (16.0)