Kistler Cuvee Natalie Pinot Noir

2008
Pinot Noir
Silver Belt Vineyard
Sonoma County



Many thanks to my dear uncle for providing me with the ammo I would need tonight a couple of years ago. It is most likely advisable that I should have saved this wine a couple more years. However, today was one of those days that call for something out of the ordinary. The world looks different tonight. A light has gone out in my corner of the planet. My wonderful, supportive, unconditional-love-giving grandmother died today.

This velvety, silky, heavy-bodied cherry in the woods wearing a leather jacket was just what the doctor ordered. I've no regrets. Life is too short. I've enjoyed every last drop and am . . . comfortably numb.





Come on, come on down,
I hear you’re feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.

Relax, relax, relax
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move, but I can’t hear what you’re saying.

I have become comfortably numb.

Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb


9.0 out of 10
14.1% alc. by vol.
$145 / 750 ml. bottle

Kistler Cuvee Natalie

2007 Pinot Noir
Silver Belt Vineyard
Bottle No. 05109 (12,456 bottles produced)
California

The Dead Arm Shiraz, The Holy Trinity and Kistler's Cuvee Natalie. Those, so far, are my top three wines of my life. :)

I had a wonderful winetasting week last week and have listed my Thanksgiving week wines on the left of this blog which I will be reviewing. However, following the fantastic wines from last week, I opened this. Cuvee Natalie easily moved to the top of the posting list.

Let me tell you, it is recommended to let this age for the next 10 years, and I can't imagine how incredibly awesome it might evolve to as it was beyond pretty darn good right now. The scent is black fruit with warm, slightly sweet baking spice mixed with herbs. The flavor is right on with the scent and is LONG and heated and really SMOOTH with a subtle minerality (it's a bit like ME actually - hah!). A most excellent wine.

This wine was a gift from my Uncle Bob and it was indeed a gift. We loved it SO much that we have savored it. I shared some with my mother when she dropped by last night. I gave her half a glass which she downed in no time, commenting on how delicious it was with each sip. After she finished, she reached over and popped the cork again and said she wanted "just a little bit more". Yes! It is that good. You don't want to take it or leave it. You just want to take it. Yet, you also want to leave it . . . for later. Because you just don't want it to be gone.

Robert Parker gave this a 94-96 rating.


I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice when I'm not around

~RADIOHEAD~


9.5 out of 10
14.1% alc. by vol.
:0 $120 - $159/750 ml. bottle :0 (clears throat, not quite budget material)
www.kistlervineyards.com (You can buy it direct from the vineyard for *only* $90)