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.

2016 Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $70. This is another second bottle from the Third Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir (this Fall will be the 6th). I was not a huge fan then and, well… For me, Pinot needs to toe the fine line between fruity and zingy, between robust and earthy, and between boisterous and refined. Well. Not so much here. Loads of fruit from the get-go with most of it being cooked, reduced, or stewed. While that is not, necessarily, a bad thing, this wine is a throwback (in my opinion) to California Pinots of yore when grapes were allowed to linger on the vine for no other reason than they could. Yeah. While I certainly respect the winery and believe that this Pinot had potential, this is a bit of a jammy, fruity, and stewed mess. Good. 86 Points.

2020 Flaunt Wine Company Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $40. I first tasted this blind as part of the Fourth Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir a couple of years ago. The brand, from Dianna Novy Lee, former partner of super-brand Siduri, includes Pinot and sparkling wine and I have been impressed with those wines that I have tried. Bright red and dark cherry on the nose with a light ruby color, the nose is certainly inviting. The palate is lighter than expected, but that is by no means a bad thing. The focus is clearly on the acidity with the fruit coming in on the mid-palate. It is reminiscent of a Hautes Côtes de Beaune, light but layered, fruity but restrained. An excellent quaff. Excellent. 91 Points.

2018 Fullerton Wines Pinot Noir Bella Vida Vineyard, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. This was part of the Fourth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir back in 2021. And I liked it. Today? Almost two years later? Yeah, I am digging it. Quite dark in the glass, opaque, and more black than red–really dark for a Pinot. The nose, as one might guess from the color, is also dark with mostly blackberry and dark cherry coming through. The meaty aspect that I noticed originally is still there, just not as prevalent, and there is also an herbal note, that is enticing. The palate is certainly fruity, but also nicely balanced between the fruit, tartness, and spicy/herbal aspect. Yes, I liked it then, but it is more now, maybe much more. Excellent. 92 Points.

2019 Lange Pinot Noir Reserve, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. Under screw cap. I first tasted this nearly two years ago as part of the Fourth Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir. While I liked it back then, it was a bit difficult to place as it had more secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors, which was a bit odd for a two-year-old wine. Now, with another (nearly) two years in the bottle, it makes a little more sense. Those meaty characteristics are certainly still there, but the fruit is more readily accessible and plays a larger role. I have never visited the winery, but I think that needs to change as it is part of the old(ish) guard in the valley (established 1987) and consistently turns out solid wines. Excellent. 90 Points.

2019 Sanford Pinot Noir Vista al Rio La Rinconada Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $78. Under cork. I first tasted this for the Fifth Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir and I liked it. Today? Another solid experience from one of the original Sta Rita Hills producers (I won’t get into any of the “rest of the story” at this point). Fairly dark in the glass, with plenty of dark fruit to match that color: black cherry, maybe some plum, you know the drill. Tart and fruity on the palate as well, with body, a bit of richness, and a lengthy finish. Very nice. Excellent. 91 Points.