2003 Pinot Noir Cuvee des Comtes d'Eguisheim

(from vines on the Eichberg border, half inside and half outside this grand cru vineyard) Deep red with ruby highlights. Perfumed, nuanced aromas of black cherry, dark berries and venison; suggests a highly concentrated wine. Wonderfully sweet and fine-grained but very young and in need of aeration. Densely packed, very tannic pinot that calls for four or five years of aging. The small grapes here were like coffee beans, noted Beyer, who blended in some of the Reserve juice in order to bring back some freshness of fruit. The water-retentive clay soils here were an advantage in his hot, dry summer. Also tasted: 2004 Muscat*.