Friday, March 28, 2014

The Original

We’d spent the weekend with the WRXers, and toured the district looking at sights.  To cap off the day, a lovely meal with barbecue, everything cooked to perfection.  Our contribution was a bottle that Grannianni had passed on to SWMBO with the instructions: “Just enjoy it!”  So the top was broached and away we went.  The wine was the 2001 Daniel Schuster ‘Omihi Hills Vineyard Selection’ Pinot Noir.  Danny Schuster was the modern godfather of New Zealand Pinot Noir, making the benchmark St Helena 1982.  It was the original of the genre, and brought him fame rather than notoriety.  Danny went on to establish his own label, and the wines ranged from more ordinary to spectacular.  This 2001 was seen as in the latter category.

I’ve had the chance to see this wine many times.  In its youth, it was black and concentrated, but not overly so to the extent it lost its Pinot Noir-ness.  It has remained that way ever since, clearly a wine with all the potential to live well, while developing greater complexity on the way.  This time, it was definitely in the secondary spectrum, with red and brown fruits, a softened palate with very smooth flow.  Savoury game and earthy notes prevailed.  Yet it still had stylishness and clear brooding depth to go another 5-7 years easily.  How did Danny get this one so perfect?  So much built into it, yet not too much.  As layers peel off, there's another layer there.  The vinous Russian Doll.  It was an original and still is.

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