2010 george Vintage VIII Hansen Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.6% alc., 195 cases, $60. I have never been fond of george’s bottling from this vineyard which sits next to a dairy farm and smells and tastes a little bit like poop. A wine critic once said, “Good Burgundy smells like shit,” so this must be good and many sommeliers relish the Pinot Noir from Hansen Vineyard. The 2010 vintage is the best I have sampled from this vineyard going back several years. · Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Aromas of black cherries, barnyard and old shoe. Middleweight flavors of dark cherries and black raspberries with a subtle note of fecal matter in the background. Well-proportioned tannins and good acidity make for a balanced wine. A distinctly different wine that is the ultimate reflection of terroir, smelling and tasting like the cow waste adjacent the vineyard. A very unique wine for the adventuresome Very good. Reviewed April 4, 2012

Winery: george wine company
From article: Recent California Pinot Noir Releases