Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA
The first bottle I've opened of about seven WS Pinots from 2004 and 2005 including some single vineyard wines.
14.4% alcohol
Red-violet color (garnet to amethyst)
Dark berries/cherries on the nose along with some cardamom spice. Nice fragrance. Not sure if the swallow theory (how many swallows you take reflexively with the first sip of a wine) is a barometer of quality or not but I took many swallows from the first sip of this wine. Lush, full-bodied presence on the palate.
Flavors of dark cherries and boysenberries with a bit of anise. A tartness on the finish that is not unpleasant.
I paired it with baked chicken one night and steak filet simply broiled with garlic salt and steak sauce another night. Looking forward to the rest of my stash.