2009 Auteur Back Block Reserve Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

14.6% alc., 69 cases, $75. Three favorite barrels in 2009 from Shea Vineyard. 10% whole cluster. 10 day cold soak, 7 day post fermentation maceration. Aged in 2 new French oak barrels and 1 1-year-old French oak barrel. · Dark reddish-purple color in the glass. The nose is closed for business offering demure aromas of nondescript darker fruits and forest floor. The nose takes on a roasted, pruney note over time. Very ripe array of plush dark fruits including black plum and cassis with accents of dark chocolate that are currently buried in prodigious tannins. A muscular wine that has potential, but veers too far to the ripe side for me. Good (+). Reviewed January 11, 2012

Winery: Auteur
From article: Embarrassment of Riches: California