98 Yamhill Valley Vineyards, Tall Poppy Pinot Noir

You wait for things like this to happen. One of the few truly Burgundian Oregon pinots I've ever had (as opposed to the many watery mistakes that winemakers-cum-PR-execs elevate to the hollowed pseudonym), it's a wine that brings new charisma to the tacitly French varietal. Despite the sappy garnet color, I'm convinced that Tall Poppy's choice vines have at least one errant root extending to the Cote de Nuits. The exotic Asian spice, beef broth, and berry aromas take me back to an alluring Jayer-Gilles I had all but forgotten until today. The wine powders in my mouth, plushly blanketing it with savory flavors of beef boullion, macerated dark cherries, sage, and plums. The concentration is deep but yielding. The finish shows great life. Thank you, Michael.