1996 Left Field Shea Vineyard

The 1996 Pinot Noir from Oregon's Shea Vineyard called Left Field is the first wine from Sine Qua Non that has not received an outstanding rating. The color is medium ruby/garnet, and the nose complex, with plenty of smoky new oak intermixed with plum, damp forest aromas, and berry fruit. Like many 1996 Oregon Pinot Noirs, there is a slight austerity and hollowness in the mid-palate. This elegant offering could easily pass for a classy Burgundy in a blind tasting. Giving the moderate tannin in the finish, it should improve in the bottle, but the mid-palate deficiency worries me. Drink it over the next 3-5 years. All the Sine Qua Non wines reviewed in this segment are bottled with virtually no fining, and rarely any filtration. Readers are advised to get on the mailing list. Tel. (805) 649-8901; fax (805) 640-1230