Product Description:
2004 Flagpole Block Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
A swirl of the glass suggests blackberry pie, followed moments later by a bouquet of fresh earthiness, cedar, cinnamon and clove, cocoa, fresh truffle and mushroom that is typical of the Wädenswil vines planted in the Flagpole Block. On the palate, ripe blackberry and dried blueberry are accompanied by graham, spice and dark chocolate. The very ripe flavors assume weight in the mid-palate and finish with an impression of chocolate-raspberry truffle.
ACCOLADES
 All of the three Van Duzer Pinot Noirs tasted were darker-colored and richer in style than any of the other Pinot Noirs in the lineup. I liked this one for its floral notes in the nose and on the palate. Nicely balanced, with a tangy finish featuring a citrus edge. Also worth a look: 2004 Van Duzer Homestead Block Pinot Noir and 2004 Van Duzer Blagpole Block Pinot Noir.
- -PinotFile
Dr. Rusty Gaffney
PinotFile
February 12, 2007 90 Dark red. Deep blackberry and cassis aromas are distinctly ripe, with exotic Asian spice notes adding complexity. Darker, liqueur-like kirsch and bitter chocolate flavors on the palate, with supple tannins and an earthy tobacco quality carrying through the finish. More weighty and serious than the Dijon Blocks; this will pair nicely with grilled lamb or aged beef.
Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
May/June 2007
THE VINEYARDS
The old (1982) Wädenswill grape vines planted on Flagpole Block produce exceptionally rich, ripe fruit. The Wädenswil fruit suggests the grape’s origin in Burgundy where it is also characterized by an earthy, mushroom quality. The small block – just one and one-third acres – is a steep, well drained slope below the flagpole that marks the entrance to Van Duzer Vineyards. Daylong sunlight and an east-west orientation of the vine rows assure that fruit will reach full maturity. The above-average daily high temperatures in 2004, moderated by the Van Duzer Corridor cooling effect and judicious irrigation, contributed to the concentrated fruit we harvested from the Flagpole Block.
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TECHNICAL DATA:
| Vineyard: | 100% Van Duzer Estate, Flagpole Block | | Vinifera: | 100% Pinot Noir, Wädenswil clone | | Alcohol: | 13.4%% | | TA: | 0.66 g/100ml | | pH: | 3.58 |
WINEMAKING
Following our usual practice, hand-sorted grapes are destemmed and cold-macerated. The wine was aged in 50% new French oak barrels and 50% once-filled oak barrels. We use tightly-grained barrels from the Vosge forest and coopered by Remond in order to subtly enhance the fruit character of the wine. Aged for 10 months in barrels, the wine was then blended and returned to barrels for five more months of aging, a time during which the wine flavors deepen and integrate with the tannins.
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