Some of the New World Pinot Noirs can be tough for me to drink, as they are often masquerading as Cabernet Sauvignons and are almost unrecognizable as grapes.  Others tend to take a properly Burgundian style, exhibiting good acid, a fantastic nose, and the pale color that emphasizes the delicacy of the grape.    Sokol Blosser is a winery that is in between the two categories, though it leans more strongly toward New World, while still retaining some of the characteristics of a true Pinot.   I credit Mark Sheppard for introducing me to Sokol Blosser, a wine he discovered in his travels to Oregon.

Josh Brusin, and I were looking for something good to crack open, and the folks at Sokol were generous to send us the '07 and '08 Dundee Hill, and we had meant to get the writers together for a tasting.  It happened rather spontaneous in this instance.

In general, the '07 vintage was mixed for Oregon, while '08 was a blockbuster, which accounted for taste differences.  The '07 was Josh's favorite, and the wine had a woody nose, a reflection of oak aging, with a moderately red, almost garnet, color.  It had a juiciness to it, as Josh had pointed out, almost a concord grape-like quality to it.  There were cherries and raspberries, as well as mocha flavors on the palate, with some notes of yeast, nutmeg, and dill.  Acidity was moderate.

The '08 had a more nuanced nose, and there was less detectable oak and even some flavors of cherries and cocoa butter.  The color was a bit darker than the '07, and it had darker fruit, with strong tastes of cherries, blackberries, and it was somewhat more jammy.   Tight at first, I think the '08 will show great potential with aging and should be outstanding in about five years.

–Brian Ziegler