My impression of the Great
Oak pinot noirs in the first years was
that they were almost syrah like. They
werenít overblown but they were so
structured, so dark and so tannic that
they did not resemble other pinot noirs
in the Russian River Valley. However,
with a little bottle age, the rusticity begins to fade and a wonderful elegance
begins to emerge. They still have that
same haunting black fruit character.
In fact, everything seems to be dark,
but there is never a heaviness that you
so often see in pinot noirs whose first
descriptor is about dark fruits. The
2007 is no exception and in fact may
be, at this stage, the most drinkable
yet. There are loads of dark red to
black fruits, including a black apple of
my foggy memory (Black Arkansas?),
plums, and raspberries, along with
subtle spice and a slight hint of licorice/clove. In the mouth it is medium
bodied and fairly light on its feet. The
tannins, while noticeable, are kept
in check by the wonderful fruit and
ample acidity. The finish is long with
a slight, almost sweet impression. My
instinct is to lay this one down for a
few years, but it is drinking mighty
fine right now. (As a side note there
will be no 2008 Great Oak Pinot Noir
for release next year. All of it was
needed to make the CuvÈe de Trois the
best that it could be.) 119 cases bottled.
