2007 Benton Lane Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

So, as you will notice, posting will be slightly less frequent - the goal is less wine, but better wine. Getting hit with an unexpected bill convinced me to do the only logical thing one should do - drink.

A very nice nose - chocolate, cola, cherry, blueberry,

Interesting - chocolate (maybe carob?), barnyard (maybe that's the carob hint on the chocolate), tobacco, cherry, black pepper, a decent amount of earth, and just a touch of green, sort of grape stemmy, almost minty kinda thing. The tannins are integrated very well - this is a nice, easy drinking, bottle to be sure. Another wine I refer to as dangerous since you can easily down it quickly and dig it, but a bit of time, a bit of air, and more than a bit of contemplation will pay off.

A reasonably lengthy finish of barnyard, cherry, and some mild menthol notes.

I'm quite digging this one and, quite frankly, am being forced to reassess my view of New World Pinot Noir. At $26 from the winery, this isn't a bargain, but it's more or less right. Don't get me wrong, I wish it was cheaper, but realistically speaking, if you want decent PN you gotta pretend you're looking for love - which means you gotta pay.

Score: 90