Clos Julien - Pinot Noir Reserve

Price: $25
Region: Oregon (Willamette Valley)
Year: 2008

I seem to be getting into the habit of working a little late on Thursdays, and then opening a bottle of wine for a glass or two once I get home. Today is no exception. The difference here is that I usually have a glass and then sit down and write. while tonight, I have not had a sip of this wine yet. We'll see how my initial reaction translates into a review. Unfortunately with this method I am not getting to my substantial backlog of reviews. We had another couple of good wines last week that I would like to get to, and will try to write about this weekend. Nothing in quite some time has really knocked my socks off. Here's hoping tonight is that kind of wine.

This is actually a wine my wife bought me for an anniversary gift. There is a really great 'boutique' wine store here in Delaware that I really don't get too that often (Moore Brothers), but when I do, I love to look around for something I've never tried before. This time I was looking for a decently priced Pinot Noir. Not sure why, was just hoping to catch a break with this particular variety. Some Pinot Noir wines are very opaque in color, and while this one does have some of that characteristic, it is a bit fuller looking. The one thing I noticed about this wine as it has been sitting here for ten minutes, is that when I'm within a few inches of the glass, I can already get a feel for the aroma. I'm not really sure I can quite place the smell, and I'm also not sure I really like it. Anyway, on to the more important aspect for me, the taste..... Well, at least I know I didn't find that wine that knocked my socks off. It is good enough, but the taste just doesn't wow me. Overall, just too thin for my liking. I'll be the first to admit I'm a horrible judge of a good Pinot Noir, but what I do know is what I like to drink, and I'm not sure I'd spend anther $25 on this one. I would guess some people would point to a review like this as my lack of real wine tasting experience, and that's OK, I'm just trying to find good wines at a good price, and this one just doesn't make the cut.

Rating: 2.75 corks (Try the Angeline instead!)