2005 Boorman Estate Pinot Noir

Boorman Vineyards is a relatively new winery located in southern California's Temecula Valley. They are a very small operation (1,500 cases total) using state of the art equipment to craft their wines in small lots. Their focus is on creating a few unique wines with a degree of quality and finesse not found in larger operations. Boorman currently offers: Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, including a few Bordeaux-style blends. They also make a unique pinot noir.

The 2005 Pinot Noir is a huge wine! When I say "huge" I mean heavy bodied flavors with lots of alcohol (14.5% ABV). Southern California's warm climate tends to produce much riper fruit than normally found in traditional pinot noirs. Boorman ferments their pinot noir for a longer period of time to breakdown the additional sugar in the ripe grapes, adding to the high alcohol content.

Tasting Notes:

The flavors and aromas are intense to say the least. Complex aromas of raisins, dark cherries, and pepper radiate from the glass. I compared this to a bottle of Leacock's 10 year Madeira and the aromas were almost identical, very unusual for pinot noir. Tart cherry flavors combine with black pepper and a healthy dose of tannins. I suggest decanting or aerating this one early to help soften the tannins. The high alcohol content adds a tremendous amount of heat to the finish, making the wine seem out of balance. This is more like a tenacious young zinfandel than the delicate pinot noirs I have become accustomed to. Hopefully the 2007 is a little more balanced.