2004 Etude Pinot Noir Heirloom

Good dark red. Subtle nose offers cherry, raspberry, flowers, minerals and musky underbrush; quite Burgundian. Then sappy, rich and light on its feet, with well-delineated flavors of raspberry, spices and minerals. Offers an understated sweetness without any impression of weight. Finishes tactile, spicy and long, with pure fruit flavors of wild strawberry and raspberry. Less fleshy and full than the Deer Camp but ultimately finer and more perfumed.

Etude’s finest Pinot is always the Heirloom, and the 2004 is a gorgeously textured, rich, full-bodied Pinot Noir with sweet plum, forest floor, and gamey notes intermixed with plenty of sweet cherry and plum fruit. Beautiful texture, full body, terrific depth, and richness suggest this wine might even deserve a higher score with another several years of bottle age. It should age nicely for up to a decade. Tel. (707) 257-5300; Fax (707) 257-6022