Before I replanted half of our vineyard in the mid-1990's, the best wine each year was a composite blend of each of the three main blocks. Nothing has changed, except that while the younger vines came of age, the blend was of the old vines on the west and south sides of the vineyard. While I missed the other block, its loss wasn't readily apparent as it always served as sort of a bridge between the elegance, perfume and sweet fruit of the west block, and the dark fruit, spice and tannin of the south block. Now that the younger vines have gained some age, they are once again playing a part in the blend. Over time we expect to begin blending more and more of this lot into the wine, but each year the blend will only be determined after the various lots have had many months to express themselves.

This year's version shows all of the typical character of this vineyard—spice, earth, and concentrated fruit, but it is, like the other '04's, darker than usual. It is very rich and slightly rustic with lots of cherry, earth, and spice. While quite supple, it does have a slight tannic edge, which should soften with time in the bottle. In the meantime, it should be great with grilled game, wild mushrooms, and other hearty fare. Give it a year or two before trying it with my favorite pinot noir pairing—wild salmon. 327 cases bottled.

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