Tasting Notes

Release Date:  Fall 1988

For me, the 1985 vintage epitomizes everything possible from our vineyard, with its deep raspberry aromas, youthful tannins, and a beautiful, silky elegance. Quite forceful on the palate, the '85 promises great development in the bottle. This kind of year comes along only once in a great while. Unfortunately, the yield was unusually low: 300 bottles per acre. Therefore, it will be quite scarce.

Production

200

Tech Notes

The grapes were picked at 23.5° brix, with a pH of 3.45, and 9.0 grams per liter titratable acidity. The finished wine has a pH of 3.6, titratable acidity of 6.4 grams per liter, and 12.8% alcohol.

Reviews

92 points Wine Spectator - January 1990

Jim Laube Agreeing to Disagree on Pinot Noir

This wine defines elegance in Pinot Noir; it is very charming, with plenty of complex flavor and expensive oak that tastes smoky aromatic.

90 points Wine Spectator - June 1988

A beautifully elegant style with soft, silky cherry, spice and vanilla flavors, firm tannins, toasty oak and lean acidty. Has all the elements for greatness

California Grapevine - October/November 1988

Medium to medium-dark brickish ruby; attractive, intense, concentrated, smokey, cedary varietal aroma with notes of vanillin, spice and ripe fruit; medium-full body; rich and concentrated on the palate with forward, ripe, toasty fruit flavors and good balance and structure; moderate tannin; slightly rough and harsh on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Superior quality. This silky, elegant wine showed the most attractive, Burgundian-like aroma of this group and show potential to improve with several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

The Underground Wine Journal - 1988

This medium-dark-colored wine has a perfumed nose of cherry-and berry-like fruit with a lovely exotic spice essence, and nuances of light, toasty vanilla. The spicy, slightly tart flavors of cherry and berry have hints of smokiness and vanilla, and are complex and layered, with good depth and balanced acidity and tannin. The finish is moderately long, clean and lingering. This is a lovely, spicy Pinot Noir with a bit more depth and complexity than the 1984. It will need three to five or more years to develop. Two great recent releases from Mount Eden – their outstanding ’86 Chardonnay and this lovely ’85 Pinot . 17 Very Good

Rating Scale for The Underground Wine Journal:

18-20 Outstanding

15-17 Very good

12-14 Good

Under 12 Below Average