2005 Bjornstad - Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard Pinot Noir - USA - California - Sonoma - Sonoma Coast - Red

Very ripe aromas of cherry liqueur, menthol and blueberry merge into spicy, delicious, rich, opulent and distinctly lush flavors that offer good volume and pretty good depth but not much delineation on the otherwise very long and notably warm finish. This is a hedonistic wine that is as much about its style as it is about the underlying material and I suspect that as a consequence, it will polarize pinot lovers. Those who enjoy the lush and seductive school will find much to admire and those who want more elegance and detail will look elsewhere. For me, it's a bit too warm on the finish for me to warm up to it but in the context of the style that it's made in, it's a fine example as there are no edges to be seen.

Bright, dark red. Crushed berries, musky espresso and mocha on the nose. Juicy and primary, with very fresh but slightly clenched flavors of crushed raspberry and maraschino cherry. This has shape and intensity but is distinctly tight today, finishing with firm-edged, dusty tannins.

The aromatics of his dense ruby-colored 2005 Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard bring to mind an Indonesian market. Spicy, sweet cherry, and chocolaty aromas are followed by a powerful, full-bodied, harmonious, sexy Pinot to enjoy over the next 5-6 years.

Intense and concentrated, with a complex mix of earthy raspberry, black cherry, mineral and spice, gaining depth and richness on a long, persistent finish. The tannins are firm and ripe. 100 cases made.

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