03 Owen Roe, Sharecropper's Oregon Pinot Noir

Inky purple. Extracted. Deep, brooding flavors of dark bruised cherries and plum. Initially wild nose that is forced to yield, after a couple hours of decanting, to the ubiquitous berry fruit. Parching, peppery tannins and moderate acidity. Juicy, with an increasingly creamy finish of cocoa powder and alcoholic exhaust. The 03 Sharecropper is an unnerving wine that more closely resembles a zin/petite sirah than Oregon pinot. This has neither the overtly fruity tendencies of Oregon, nor the elegance and earth of some Burgundy. Instead, I'm reminded of the more intense 02 California offerings like Sea Smoke's Ten. In the end, however, a ripened cherry fruit with its hallmark high acid prevails, cutting through the chunky tannins and heady steam. This is more than a wine -- this is a declaration of both a vintage and a winemaker, a grape and a motive.