I am currently experiencing a phenomenon that I could not have fathomed a decade ago: I am awash in samples. According to my inventory, I am currently hovering around 200 bottles that were sent to me to taste. Since I am a bit of a math geek, I did some calculations: If I average going through 15 bottles a week (three a day—I try not to “work” on the weekend), that comes out to about 13 weeks of wine.

A quarter of a year.

But that does not tell the whole story as they also keep coming, day after day, week after week. I do not recite this as a sort of “ humble brag” but rather to point out that I had no idea it would ever get to this point—I am having to tell people that I can’t try their wines for the time being. That is a tough pill since many of them have supported me from the beginning.

There is an additional issue: often suppliers send two bottles of the same wine (essentially, it is sent in case the first bottle is flawed in some way). I have no idea what to do with those bottles (there are currently close to an additional 200 bottles that fit that description). Most of the time, I just toss them into the cellar, hoping I figure it out at some point.

Then, one day it hit me: I should drink them. Yeah, I know, a radical concept.

Despite adding roughly 13 weeks to the above timeline, I am determined to catch up by the end of the year (I am not quite sure what being “caught up” will look like yet, but that’s immaterial at this point since I am certainly not there right now) and in that vein, while trying to keep up with current samples, I have begun to pop the second bottles that were sent for my Second Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir which occurred in the Fall of 2019 and included 100 different wines, about half of which also included a second bottle. I toned it down a bit the following year (100 wines is just too many) for the Third Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir when we tasted “only” 54 wines, with again, about half sending a second bottle. And then there have been two more tastings after those.

So, I needed to have a plan. The best that I could come up with? Stop yapping and pull some corks. So here are a few of those second bottles of Pinot that have accumulated over the last handful of years.

2017 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Machado, Sta Rita Hills, Central Coast, CA: Retail $85. Under wax and cork. I received this from the great people at Jackson Family Wines (who acquired B-C shortly before this fruit was harvested) in December 2021, shortly after my annual American Pinot Noir tasting. Oops. Well, this had been sitting in my cellar until my wife randomly grabbed it tonight. Good choice. Whoa. The nose is rich, fruity, brambly, and loaded with character. The palate is all New World in style, this would never be confused with a Pommard or a Nuits-St-Georges, but nor does it try to be. Rich, even unctuous, loaded with red and dark brambly fruit, this would likely piss off every French wine drinker on the planet, but this is a big, tasty gem. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2018 Broadley Vineyards Pinot Noir Jessica, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $22. Under DIAM10. I really liked this a few years ago when I tasted this blind as part of the 3rd Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir. Quite dark in the glass in both color and aromas: black cherry, raspberry, and even plum (which is not common for Pinot). Dark on the palate as well, with plenty of black cherry and a considerable amount of spice. A lovely tartness brings it all together and lasts through the lengthy finish. Excellent. 92 Points.

2014 Ferrari-Carano Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, CA: Retail $38. I received two bottles of this wine as samples back in July of 2017 and I am finally getting around to popping the second bottle. Good thing as I don’t think this is going to get any better. Don’t get me wrong, it is still quite nice, but it seems to have slipped a bit since I tried that first bottle nearly six years ago. Still quite a bit of fruit on both the nose and the palate, with ample acidity and nice balance. The only real difference I can discern? This bottle ends up a bit short on the finish, but I think I nitpick. Excellent. 90 Points.

2019 Hyland Estates Pinot Noir Old Vine, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $45. This was part of my Fourth Annual Tasting of American Pinot Noir and I liked it back then (91 pts.), but I like it even more now. Quite fruity on the nose of this nearly translucent red-ruby wine, with dark cherry, some spice, and, well, a whole lot of verve. All this and more on the palate with wonderful fruit, considerable depth, and, yes, verve. The acidity perfectly balances the fruit and the wine has well-above average length. I need to bump this up a notch. Excellent. 92 Points.

2015 Left Coast Estate Pinot Noir Latitude 45, Willamette Valley. OR: Retail $40. Under cork. Big Ass Bottle. Another leftover from the Second Annual Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir and this certainly seems better with another couple of years on it. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it back in 2019, but now, the closed nose of two years ago is much more open with beautiful red and dark cherry, black raspberry, and freshly tilled earth. Yum. The palate is fruity and fresh with wave upon wave of fruit, plenty of lip-smacking acidity, and an earthy edge that is compelling. Really close to a Whoa. OK. Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2017 Maison Roy & Fils Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $45. Under cork. I first tasted this over three years ago for the third(?) Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir. That day (actually two days), we tasted 100 Pinots and this was not, frankly, a standout. Sure, there were a lot of wines those two days, but this wine did not rise against the rest. Today? Much better. Surprisingly, mostly dark, even brooding fruit on the nose, with some forest floor and an herbal aspect (sage?). The palate is tart and fruity but the acidity reigns here. Much better than I remember that first go around. Excellent. 91 Points.