Started into a case of Pinots last night. The FessParker '94 and the BonnyDoon PinotMeunier '94 were pretty shot. These two passed muster:
1. BonnyDoonVnyd PinotNoir Calif (13.9%) 1994: Med.light color w/ some bricking; some smokey/oak/cedary/pencilly some earthy/forest floor Pinot/black cherry compote complex oldPinot nose; bit tart rather cedary/pencilly/smokey/oak bit earthy/Burgundian/loamy/forest floor some oldPinot/stewed cherries flavor w/ light/smooth/gentle tannins; very long oldPinot/stewed cherries some smokey/cedary/pencilly/oak bit earthy/forest floor complex finish w/ light smooth/graceful tannins; an attractive/interesting oldPinot who is gracefully fading into the sunset.
_______________
2. W.H.SmithWines PinotNoir HellenthalVnyd/SonomaCoast (YoungVines; TW) Joan A.Smith/Angwin 1994: Med.color w/ considerable browning; some cherry/black cherry/PN fairly earthy/cedary/pencilly/oldPinot bit smokey/toasty/Fr.oak complex nose; tart/lean rather cedary/pencilly/oldRed bit cherry/black cherry/PN rather toasty/charred/oak some earthy/loamy complex flavor w/ light/smooth tannins; long cedary/pencilly/oldPinot slight black cherry/PN rather smokey/charred/oak bit earthy finish w/ light/gentle tannins; still hanging in there and pleasant to drink.
_________________________
The wee BP:
1. Both of these Pinots were definitely starting to fade into the sunset. But they offered up some pleasure because the tannins were smooth & velvety and had not yet started to dry out.
Not sure where the BonnyDoon Pinot grapes were from. This was probably his last crop off his vnyd in BonnyDoon afore Pierce's devestated it, plus maybe Pinot from BienNacido.
The W.H.Smith may have been the first crop off the HellenthalVnyd, planted way out near the Hirsch vnyd.
Tom