Martinelli Russian River Pinot Noir, 2001

When I opened the last bottle of this wine on February 14, 2016, I commented about how beautifully it had aged. Nearly five years later, I am even more impressed by this wine and its ability to defy the advancing years.

The color has lightened a bit but is still what you might expect from a 10-year-old, rather than a 20-year-old Pinot Noir. In 2016, I smelled cherry, cranberries and gingery spice; today, the scents and flavors are riper and more mellow--red plums and flowers--but by no means flabby. In the mouth, the wine is exciting, stimulating the sides of the tongue as well as the mid-palate but leading to a very ripe, long and satisfying finish. This is my last bottle; if I had more, I would be in no hurry to drink them.