We bottled our 2008 main estate blend in early October. We think it's pretty good, but we've had no one outside our facility taste it yet. So last Sunday we had a call for an appointment and I remembered that I had a case of 08 in my trunk. These bottles were going to be used for samples because the labels were all at odd heights - every time you change a roll of labels on the machine you hope you've set it in same place as the last roll. Sometimes you're a bit off.
So I decided this group would be the first "outsiders" to taste one of my 08s. I poured them the 07 estate, 05, 06 and 07 reserves and the 08 estate. This was an experienced group - they've been drinking Oregon Pinot for 20 years. The 08 estate, even with only a month of bottle age, was really impressive. They forced me (OK, strongly encouraged might be more accurate) to take them into the barrel room to try the 08 reserves which are still aging in barrel. Then they went and bought two cases of reserve futures (I don't even usually sell futures - they were persuasive) and most of the case of the 08 samples.
So all I can conclude so far is that the 08s will be very well received when they are released. These are very elegant Pinots. There may be an Uh-Huh bottling and there is a strong possibility of a completely new label. If I can get the bottles, we will bottle our first magnums ever.
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