Tasting- Comparing 2001 vs. 2002 Pinots

On Oscar Sunday, Greg Piatigorski had another epic Pinot Tasting at the Wine Chest in Walnut Creek. The goal was to blind taste the 2001 vs. 2002 pinots from the same winery and vineyard. Based on the results, one could deduce a stylistic preference and effectively compare vintages.

By inviting various winemakers like Ed Kurtzman of August West and Freeman Winery; Brian Loring of Loring Wine Company; and Michael Browne of Kosta Browne, the group had insightful discussion during the tasting.

Here is the summary:

Wine Pairings & Group Ratings
(Total number of attendees- 20)

1. 2002 Siduri Hirsch- 13 votes


2. 2002 Loring Garys'- 11 votes (extremely uniform pairing)


3. 2002 Nicholson Ranch- 15 votes


4. 2001 Tandem Pisoni- 14 votes


5. 2002 Copain Hein- 14 votes (extremely uniform pairing)


6. 2001 Kosta Browne RRV- 12 votes


7. 2001 Siduri Clos Pepe- 16 votes


8. 2001 Siduri Cargasacchi- 17 votes


9. 2002 Loring Clos Pepe- 18 votes


10. 2001 Testarossa Rosella's/2002 August West Rosella's- tie; 10 votes each


11. 2001 Tandem Keefer- 13 votes

Observations:

With the exception of 2) 2002 Loring Garys' and 10) 2001 Testarossa Rosella's/2002 August West Rosella's, each pairing had a clear winner.

Though 2002 was regarded as an epic year for Pinot, the 2001s held their own nicely. However, no vintage was a clear winner. Yields were really down in 2002, especially in Central and South CA vineyards.

Since Kosta Browne '02 was recently bottled and undergoing bottle shock, the slight preference for the '01.

Garys', Clos Pepe and Cargasacchi explode with fruit and concentration. This time the other vineyards stood their ground. However, their color was darker. This is important because people drink with their eyes.

My favorites were (in no particular order):
2002 Copain Hein
2002 Loring Clos Pepe
2002 August West Rosella's
2001 Tandem Keefer