How well do Anderson Valley Pinot Noirs age? I bought this wine at auction (at a good price) in order to find out, and the answer was unambiguous: beautifully. At least, that's the case for Ici/La-Bas, which is made by Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, a winemaker known for making ageworthy wines.
The color is a medium deep ruby, no noticeable amber or browning. Beautiful scents of wild berries and spices, mostly cinnamon. The spices are very bright and elegantly stated, as is the fruit. This is a wine I could sniff all night. In the mouth, the wine has silky Pinot texture, and the wild berries carry over in a long, persistent finish. Not much of the earthy quality of Pinot Noir, but I think that is part of the Anderson Valley profile. I have younger vintages of this wine to try, but, right now, it's hard to believe they could be better than this 1997.
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