Revisiting California Pinot Noir and...a Conundrum

After a few months of tasting Pinot Noir across New Zealand, I came home to discover a few California Pinots in my cellar that I bought a few years ago. The first is 2004 Etude Carneros and the second is 2005 Baker Lane, Sonoma Coast, Hurst Vineyard. I remember buying the Baker Lane after reading a stellar review about it on vinography. I wasn't sure how long to keep them, but curious to open at least one of them, I brought the Baker Lane on my Ensenada cruise last weekend.

We opened the bottle on Sunday night, and it was definitely the best of the three bottles we brought (2004 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon and Caymus Conundrum* being the other two). The aromas were black cherry, jammy, and bright berries. It was definitely ready to drink and paired excellently with my mushroom soup starter and my norwegian salmon main. Everyone at the table loved it, and I was glad I had saved it for a semi-special occasion.

To close the gap in my cellar, I also purchased an Etude Carneros Pinot Noir from '05 so that I can do a vertical tasting with the '04/'05 at a later date.

*I've had two Caymus Conundrums in the past week - a 2007 and a 2006. Both vintages teetered on the edge of an off-dry riesling more than the predominant Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier blends that I recognise from previous years. The website indicates that the blend of grapes is still true to its roots, but maybe there is more Muscat in recent vintages to give it the higher sugar content? Either way, I still thoroughly enjoy this wine, and consistently find it to be a crowd-pleaser and to pair with a variety of foods. I trust Caymus on this one, but I am still really curious to know what's inside the bottle!