Ken Wright, Meredith Mitchell Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Pretty ruby with slight bricking; subdued nose with mostly cherries. On night 1 I thought this was over the hill. There was a silky body, but persistent sourness that didn't go away even after two hours in a decanter. Mentally I had written this off as a failure to drink on time, OR PN's aren't known for ageing anyway. What a surprise on day two--though still dominated by sour cherries, the edge was off, and it actually drank beautifully, with …

Three home runs in a row for KW here. This 2002 has fabulous cherry and cranberry fruit flavors, just a touch of earthiness, and a crisp acidity. It's what makes Oregon great for me.

Stewed prunes. Overripe, no acid, should have been drunk young like a Beaujolais. Leftovers are going into Coq au Vin.

A big disappointment. This heavy bodied wine was reminiscent of stewed prunes.

Best of tasting by several of us in a five bottle blind 2002 pinot tasting (against a Garudet, Spy Valley and two acceptable CAs). Very balanced, slightly more fruit forward than the Garudet but still the most bugundian of the group. I found the 2002 KWC Shea more interesting than the MM, but still a terrific PN.

The 2001 Meredith Mitchell was my introduction to KWC and it blew me away with its quality and luxuriousness. When I heard that 2002 might be the best vintage ever for Oregon pinot noir, I scoured stores to find KWC 2002s. The ’02 Meredith Mitchell has a clean, positive, and pleasant but reserved bouquet. Ripe fruit predominates on the palate, with sweet and soft tannins, refreshing acidity, and a medium body. The components are balanced on the lingering finish. The …