1993 Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir

(13% alcohol; vinified with 24% whole clusters; 3.57 pH): Amber color. Very ripe, lower-toned aromas of cooked strawberry and mocha, plus a faint maderization note of walnut; not at all a floral style. Sweet on entry, then conveys a slight cooked-fruit character in the middle palate, showing modest real personality. Slightly streaky acidity suggests that this bottle is past its peak. Finishes with a citrussy edge suggesting grapefruit. I'd finish this up in the next few years. A second bottle tasted chez moi : Redder, clearer color. Aromas of strawberry, cocoa powder and spicy oak, plus a faint floral topnote. Then distinctly silkier and fresher in the mouth, with slightly edgy acidity framing red berry and spice flavors. This bottle, too, showed a slight citric streak but it avoided the cooked character displayed by my earlier sample. Unlikely to soften further, but the wine's firm edge avoids dryness and sourness. I rated the first sample 88 but this one merits 91 points.