Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir, 2004

My son, who has a good sense of smell and taste, has declared this relatively inexpensive Louis Latour Pinot Noir as one of his favorite wines. When he was home for a few days, I opened a bottle of the mature 2004 for him, and he was delighted. So was I.

The color, as usual for Valmoissine, is very light--almost transparent around the rim. Ordinarily, I would not consider this a good sign, but the bouquet of the wine made it clear that there is nothing at all lacking. Pinot earth at first, then a burst of wild berries and just the right amount of Pinot spice. Ethereal and lovely. The palate feel is similarly delicate but, again, bursting with complex flavors of ripe red berries. Hints of black pepper on the silky finish. If I were scoring, I would give this wine 93 points. My son thinks it should be higher.