2005 Heron Lake Winery Miss Olivia Brion Wild Horse Valley Pinot Noir

13.8% alc., 400 cases, $40. David Mahaffey planted Heron Lake Vineyard in 1980 at 1,400 ft. A boutique grower and producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with vineyard manager John Newmeyer, he has made about 600 cases a year since 1985. His current 14-acre vineyard (downsized from the original 24 acres after unsuitable sites were pulled out) is planted to Dijon and Pommard clones. The label says this wine is a homage to Olivia Brion, suffragette and descendent of a great French wine family. In 1905 she won a huge wager by outrunning a locomotive. Later in life she ignited a furor by publishing passionate letters from her many paramours including Warren Harding and Paul Gauguin. · Very attractive violets, strawberries and cherries on the nose. Black raspberry flavors and a woody and rustic bent, leading to a dry finish with lively acidity. Good without being special. Reviewed February 18, 2008

Winery: Olivia Brion
From article: Wild Horse Valley