The RRV ‘05 is drinking as it should–and your initial notes are spot on. Plenty of cherry pie filling and maraschino, big whiff of some undergrowth and sweet, wet bark; a fairly light body and bright acids. I wouldn’t call it flaccid or thin; it’s just more Burgundian in profile than some prefer.

What I did notice in the mid-palate is what I’ll qualify as “tomato acid”–the tannins are especially rough for such a soft wine, some aromas bordering on volatility. It blew off a little as the wine sat open, so I’m thinking that an additional year or two in bottle will serve this wine well.

I don’t keep any RRV pinots for much longer than 5 years; fruit quality is compromised. I’ve found that northern and coastal climates–Anderson Valley in particular–produce wines that can stand a couple years beyond that, but again, patience over the first 2-5 years is most rewarding.

After about 7 years, even the best pinot noir (and I mean even the baddest monopole offerings from Burgundy) plateau or evolve to neither improvement nor decline. Don’t sit on your WS wines for longer than 5-7 years; you’ll be disappointed. And next time, open it during a good dinner that you haven’t cooked, with company you appreciate, in an instance when you aren’t between moods.

I guess what I noticed is that even with some decanting, this wine seemed a little thin, or flat, or whatever you want to call it. In other words, it didn’t seem to have a lot of aging potential. I’m really starting to think I simply got a bad bottle.