2008 Private Stash Pinot Noir

Wine Spectator - 94 Points
Oregon Recommended Wines

Elegant on the surface, but has a swagger underneath, sailing pretty plum and currant flavors into a refined cloud of fragile tannins. - HS

Wine Spectator - 94 Points

Light on its feet, sailing its pretty plum and currant flavors into a refined cloud of fragile tannins. The finish lingers evocatively. This feels elegant on the surface, but has a swagger underneath. Drink now through 2020. 150 cases made. -HS

Wine Advocate - 93 Points

The 2008 Pinot Noir Private Stash is a bit more deeply colored, displays greater depth and concentration and has enough structure to blossom for another 3-4 years. Mouth-filling and succulent, this lengthy, pleasure-bent effort will offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2023. -JM

Portland Monthly - 93 Points

Oregon's 50 Best Wines - #7 of 50
The late harvest of 2008 shines through with ripe fruit flavor, balanced acidity, and developed yet soft tannins. This wine is creamy and lush with sweet spices— think cinnamon, cloves, and allspice—and ripe berries, like a late-summer fruit cobbler in a glass.

Tasting Notes

Classic Wit's End spice and complexity is the hallmark of this 08 Private Stash. There are full luscious, red velvet pinot flavors on the palate. One can't ignore the rich red berriness of this wine with sides of vanilla, tender spices and cinnamon. Extremely creamy, luscious blackberry flavors, with firm tannins and a lingering finish. No need to reach for flavor nuances here…this is true Pinot perfection with complexity, balance and staying power. Stash this away.

Rollin says...

Classic Wits' End spice and complexity of cherry fruit. Deeply layered earthiness with cinnamon and currant accents. Extremely creamy with luscious blackberry flavors, firm tannins and a lingering finish. A wine for the suppression of time.

Corby says...

Beautiful red fruit centered nose - truly centered. Full, luscious, red velvet pinot flavors on the palate. So yummy I don't want to put it down. Can't miss the rich red berriness of this wine with sides of vanilla, tender spices and cinnamon. This is an elegant wine. No need to reach for flavor nuances here... this is true Pinot perfection with complexity, balance and staying power. Stash this one away.

Production Notes

In the beginning, the '08 growing season did not want to warm up. A dry and very cool spring led to low heat accumulation and July flowering. This is the first year of the 2000's to experience flowering this late in the season.  The 1990's had four such events: 1991, 1993, 1996, and 1999. In the vineyard there was heavy fruit set, but the clusters were smaller than normal and therefore required that we drop less fruit than we did the 1990's in order to have a normal crop. August brought much needed rain to the vines just before veraison. Veraison (fruit berry softening and coloring) requires nitrogen from the soil. This nitrogen cannot get into the roots of the vine without the help of water. September was dry and sunny. October 3rd had a nice cold rain that seemed to perk up those dry and dusty vines. October 11th brought temperatures low enough to frost the valley floor. We harvested ROCO on October 10. These late harvests seem to deliver fruit of extraordinary balance of ripe fruit and bracing mineral acidity. The harvest berries had a wonderful crunchy, apple-like texture when popped into your mouth! The wines have fantastic balance and grace. Dark color and plum to blackberry fruit flavors with sanded tannins. There is excellent acid structure and purity of fruit -both hallmarks of an excellent growing season. These are wines to enjoy over a long period of time. ROCO's Wits' End Vineyard was a great performer this year. It was actually difficult to cull the best barrels out for our Private Stash selection. I would have selected all the barrels from the vineyard for this auspicious wine blend, but Corby wouldn't let me! Only the best of the best will do for this wise woman!

Purchase This Wine

$70.00 per bottle

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