WTN: Schindler List

[Jenise]

A friend of mine who gets lots of free wine sent to her brought over this pair of recent Panther Creeks.

2013 Panther Creek Pinot Noir Schindler Eola - Amity Hills
Opened side by side with the '14. Great nose but difficult on the palate--harsh and out of balance with acid ripping thru the scant fruit showing, even over two days. This reminds me of the old days when you had to let pinots sleep between years 4 and 7-8. LET THIS PUPPY SLEEP.

2014 Panther Creek Pinot Noir Schindler Eola - Amity Hills
Expansive aromas of happy, plummy fruit with lots of savory elements like warm earth, mushrooms and a little soy.

[David M. Bueker]

Harsh and out of balance does not sound like something fixable through time.

[Jenise]

May not be. Or maybe I should have just used the word 'cranky'. A '13 shouldn't be that cranky at this point, but I've run into it before. The nose was great so the lack of fruit on the palate was a surprise. The potential's there.

The last few times I have visited the tasting room I have been disappointed, as I think they are trying to make bigger, riper wines. But they have had a lot of owner/winemaker changes in the last few years, and i think they aren't as good as they used to be. But maybe they are improving again? I think the 2011s 2012s and were the last I tasted.

[Jenise]

I will admit that once upon a time I liked the wines a lot but a visit to their tasting room some 5, 6 years ago (don't recall the vintage) disappointed greatly--I liked nothing. So I was happy to find that this '14 actually tasted like what I used to love about Panther Creek (should have said all that in my TN) with that warm earth minerality which surprised as I know there have been winemaker changes, and this isn't a vineyard I had any prior experience with. What that indicates I have no clue, but