Tasting Report: 2007 Red Car Heaven & Earth La Boheme Pinot Noir

A brief programming note: The Wellesley Wine Press hit 500 subscribers today!  After typing away here for the past couple of years it was a great Christmas present to receive.  Subscribers are, more than anything, what I've been focusing on in the past year.  The idea that so many of you are interested in hearing what I have to say means a lot to me.  Happy Holidays.

Oh, and check out this deal from Petit Robert Bistro from Buy With Me.  $25 for $50 and I hear they're BYOB-friendly at their Needham, MA location every night with a $15 corkage fee.

I usually like to write about current release wines here because they're actionable suggestions.  However, the 2007 Red Car Heaven & Earth La Boheme I enjoyed last week was such a memorable wine I thought I'd share my impressions.

I purchased two bottles of this wine from Lower Falls Wine Co. about a year ago.  The first I considered outstanding (93 points) and the second I had with friends over dinner last week.  An interesting thing about this wine - although James Laube from Spectator thought it was out of this world (97 points), Robert Parker thought it was so-so.  He rated it 88 points.  I think Laube got this one right, and the market seems to have responded accordingly.  Although the wine initially sold for $60 it's now going for around $135.

Here are my notes:

2007 Red Car Heaven & Earth La Boheme Pinot Noir
14.5% Alcohol
292 Cases Produced
97 Points Wine Spectator
88 Points Wine Advocate
92.6 Average on CellarTracker
Release Price: $60
Current Value: $135

I thought this wine was tremendous and it's showing beautifully at this point in time. Vibrant and intense with red raspberry aromas and flavors on top of other typical CA Pinot Noir markers (strawberries, cherries, a little earth, silky smooth tannins). Incredible depth of flavor and length of finish. Up a couple points from the last bottle I tried over a year ago. Drink now but hold if you'd like more secondary characteristics to further develop. 

95/100 WWP: Classic

The call to action is to keep an eye out for their 2009s at retail, and if live in a state they can ship to, consider joining their mailing list: http://redcarwine.com. I hear their 2009s are supposed to be spectacular.

Further Reading: An interview with Paul Sequeria from Red Car from last year when Spectator rated the Heaven & Earth Pinot Noir 97 points. 

Question of the Day: Have you had Red Car Pinot Noirs before?  If so what did you think?  If not, what have you hear about 2009 California Pinot Noir?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/YJ5KFbnw6Mc/tasting-report-2007-red-car-heaven.html

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