2009 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir

After crafting very small amounts of wine from 2005 to 2008, 2009 was Jim’s first large vintage—he made a whopping 1,500 cases. It was a warmer growing season in the Dundee Hills, similar to 2006, although yields were higher and clusters were bigger. “The wines didn’t have the density and concentration of the 2006s,” Jim explains, “but that made them slightly more elegant. It’s a juicy vintage.” Medium garnet, the 2009 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard explodes with intoxicating perfume! Powdered raspberry and dried strawberry are accented by wafts of shiitake mushroom, charcuterie and soaring floral perfume. The palate offers incredible concentration for its slender frame, its flavors seamlessly supported by chalky tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a tremendously long finish. After a couple of hours in the glass, it begins to reveal tertiary aromas of resinous herbs and mushrooms, and its flavors blossom dramatically. It hasn’t quite reached its peak.