2008 Scherrer - Pinot Noir Sonoma County
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The 2008 Pinot Noir (Sonoma County) is an excellent choice for readers who like Pinot with a bit of bottle age. Time has brought out the wine's earthy, tobacco and licorice aromas and also darkened the fruit a bit. Even so, the nearly ten years of age, the 2008 is drinking very nicely. It won't get meaningfully better from here, but it does have enough depth to drink well for at least another handful of years.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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Scherrer's 2008 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley has a little more density, sweetness and inner perfume than the Sonoma County bottling. Juicy dark cherries, dried flowers, tobacco and leather jump from the glass in an expressive Pinot. A soft, caressing finish rounds things out nicely.
The 2008 Pinot Noir Sonoma County wafts from the glass with dried cherries, worn-in leather, flowers, mint and tobacco. A soft, approachable Pinot, the 2008 is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2016. As I enter the spacious cellar, I am greeted by faint, mellow tones that are clearly those of a Martin D-28. Fred Scherrer coaxes those same soulful notes from his wines. Scherrer offers his wines in two distinct offerings – younger wines for the retail mailing list and older wines for the trade – so keeping up with new releases across both channels of distribution is a bit of a challenge, but hopefully I have managed to capture the best of what is in the cellar today. Relative to most of his peers, Scherrer prefers longer elevage, while rackings are kept to a bare minimum. At times, I feel some of these wines might benefit from being bottled earlier, which might also preserve more freshness. Tel. (707) 824-1933
Vivid red. Complex bouquet of raspberry, redcurrant, rose and spicecake, with a bright, intense mineral quality adding lift. Deeply pitched red fruits and cherry on the palate, along with suggestions of allspice and licorice pastille. Shows fine-grained tannins and firm mineral spine, finishing with very good clarity, tightness and vivacity. I like this wine's cut and precision.