Dr Loosen and J Christopher, 'Two Worlds' Pinot Noir, 2007
What a wacky idea -- blend grapes from two very different places: Germany and Oregon. And that's exactly what's in this particular bottle (90% Germany and 10% Oregon). The bottling was done here in Oregon. So wacky, I went searching for this when I heard it was available.
And honestly -- surprise, surprise -- it tastes a lot like a German Pinot.Now, I've (clearly) drank my fair share of Pinot, and not a few bottles were from Germany. So it's worth noting that, "this ain't no Oregon Pinot", on the other hand, it's not -- exactly -- a straight German Pinot either. There is something slightly Oregon in there. The label says the Oregon part adds "structure". Perhaps, a bit.
First, the nose is fairly sharp -- somewhere between cayenne and a chemical smell. I don't want to say the smell is bad, but it's certainly not any sort of Oregon Pinot magic either. The taste is fruit! Not jammy like Oregon, but more like a jelly or a fruit juice. It's not sweet exactly, but it seems that way. It tastes like pomegranet with hints of raspberry and cranberry and Royal Ann cherry. The weight is pretty thin -- very much typically German. Yet, this particular wine has slightly more weight that normal (maybe that's that Oregon structure). And the color was very consistent and without any cloudyness you can find in some Oregon Pinots. In addition to the fruit, there's mineral in there too. Not exactly earthly, but it's not typical of the "jammy" Oregon style either. The fruit lingers a bit, and then finally it ends slightly bitter, like an artichoke taste.
Not terrible, but not my favorite Pinot -- that's for sure. Interesting, but honestly, I won't buy this again.
Cost:
Rating:
5.0
Re: Dr Loosen and J Christopher, 'Two Worlds' Pinot Noir, 2007
Great review, I am sitting with the bottle right now and was intrigued to see what the buzz was. Excellent call on the cayenne/chemical---well said. Overall, a bit of an oddball, but certainly interesting. I agree, I might not buy it again, but I'm not regretting buying it in the first place.