Cultavin Cellars Pinot Noir 99 West

Retail $20. Under agglomerated stopper. I liked this, even really liked this when I tasted it blind for the Fourth Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir, but based on the note then, this is a bit of a different animal nearly two years later. While it was meaty and brooding on the nose then, it is floral, even perfumed today, with rose petal and dark cherry predominate. The palate is initially quite fruity and tart, so much so that …

The Fourth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir : Retail $20. Dark, meaty, almost bloody on the nose, this is whatever beyond brooding is. Rich and “really brooding” again with intense, brooding flavors but great balance with tartness and some tannins on the finish. www.thedrunkencyclist.com