1994 Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir

(12.9% alcohol; 25% whole clusters; 3.64 pH): Palish red-amber. Sexy cinnamon, fennel and caraway seed notes perfume the fruit aromas of redcurrant and red plum. Enters the mouth a bit thin, then turns surprisingly juicy and penetrating and expands on the back half. An element of minerality in conjunction with a sound acid/tannin balance gives this wine a serious structure. There's also something cool here in a positive way. Finishes salty and persistent but edge-free, with enough tannic spine to hold it for at least several more years.