WTN: 2004 WesMar Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard

2004 WesMar Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard (Sonoma Coast) 14.4%
I knew this would be young to my tastes considering the WesMar style but I thought I better try their Hellenthal before they release the 05s. The only other wine I have had from the Hellenthal vineyard was a 03 WH Smith. Not my favorite so I was curious to try a wine from another producer.

Exotic nose. Wild raspberry and spices jumping out of the glass. If you like bold aromatics, which I do, you would happy to just smell this wine. This has more aggressive aromatics than other WesMars I have had. A first sip you get tons of clean pure fruit but it is slightly cloying. Very primary and the flavors are not currently integrating. If you are sensitive to stemmy flavors then beware or be patient. Right now there is a green streak but it is not out of control and there is tons of fruit and decent acid. The perceivable was also sweet. It has a clean silky texture. I will not open another bottle for a few years. The verdict is out for my because of the way the fruit was cloying. 89-92 pts

Cheers,

Jason

Dude.. .. you need to open some of this for me.. everywhere I go you are touting it!!

I'm also sitting on some of that W.H. Smith..... it definitely has gotten some bad press.

[Jenise]

What's the bad press, Jim? I've got WH Smith on my list of to-find wines, and if the 03 Hellenthal is to be avoided, I'd want to note that. Spill the beans!

Jenise, I have had it a couple of times and while I don't think it's the greatest Pinot, I don't think it is as bad as others say. In tastings, it has been one of the most maligned bottle on the table. It is tight as a drum, no doubt, but IMHO, it will come around. Others don't think so.

OTOH, the critics have liked it. I like to think I have their insight.

Maybe Mr. Hagen will opine.

The W.H. Smith is drinkable and could be pleasing to many but it is a cocktail. This is the first vintage from Hellenthal for WesMar. They love the fruit but for me I think I prefer the RRV WesMars.

Jenise, from what I can tell you should take the W.H. Smith of the "to find wine list" and wait until you can taste. Better if someone else paid for it I have tasted a few other W.H. Smith wines. They ranged from "enjoyed as a cocktail" to Hot bitter cherry stuff.

As a side note, Mark V. is opening the 94 Seven Springs and the 94 O'Conner at our dinner tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jason

Dude.. .. you need to open some of this for me.. everywhere I go you are touting it!!

Did you buy any of it. The two 04s I have tasted need time. When the time comes I will gladly share with you...as long as you bring your better half

Cheers,

Jason

[Jenise]

Jenise, from what I can tell you should take the W.H. Smith of the "to find wine list" and wait until you can taste. Better if someone else paid for it I have tasted a few other W.H. Smith wines. They ranged from "enjoyed as a cocktail" to Hot bitter cherry stuff.

As a side note, Mark V. is opening the 94 Seven Springs and the 94 O'Conner at our dinner tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jason

Jason, our palates seem to be so well calibrated that WHSmith is now gone from my list until further notice.

Both 94's? Wow, hope you get good bottles. My stash was impeccably stored, and one bottle of the SS last Christmas was PERFECTION. But two since, the last two, were OTH. Better the one at Christmas turn out well, though. It was a dinner party where each guest was to bring three vintages of the same wine--I took the 94, 97 and 02. They were splendid, it was a perfect showing. The 94 O'Connor should be interesting--I drank mine up ages ago because the common wisdom was they wouldn't last, but they got nothing but better with time and of course the last bottle was the best. I wouldn't count them out at all. He's getting that vineyard back, isn't he, but under a different name. That will be a nice homecoming.

Both 94s will be out of magnums...so fingers crossed. We will also have the 04 7 Springs and 04 Anden.

We are having the dinner at the old O'Connor vineyard now named Belle Provenance. The Belle Provenance owner is partners with St Innocent.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Jason

I'm sure, Jason, that somehow this trip must be business related, right??

I'm sure, Jason, that somehow this trip must be business related, right??

Oh yeah...I am in Portland right now having a board meeting. Life is good.

J