Tasting Notes from Winemaker Byron Kosuge
2006 Alazan Pinot Noir
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470 cases
14.5%
Fall 2007
$28/bottle
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After a year off from making Alazan (there was no 2005 Alazan) we are back with a bottling of our top Pinot Noir. A lot has changed since the last Alazan, with new blocks coming into production in the vineyard and a new winery in which to make our wines. The 2006 growing season gave us a modest sized crop—smaller than the 2005 crop, but more than the 2003 or 2004 seasons. Harvest was a little later than average.
I think the wine shows what we’ve learned over the four years we’ve been making Pinot Noir and what we have learned about our vineyard. While the previous Alazans were good wines, in my mind, the 2006 represents a significant step forward—the most successful marriage yet of purity of fruit, completeness across the palate, and concentration without excessive extraction or ripeness. We are very close to what I originally felt was the potential in the vineyard. Yes, I am happy with the wine.
In terms of flavor specifics, I find lovely black cherry and other berries on the aromas and the palate and a hint of spice and smoke. This wine is seamless on the palate—rich and delicate at the same time. Like all our red wines, it needs a little air when young, although I don’t think it needs decanting. Just savor it in a large glass, and swirl it around a lot. It should improve for several years.
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