Domaine Serene Pinot Noir

We sampled the 2003 Domaine Serene Fleur de Lis Pinot Noir yesterday, and I have to say, it was one of the most unusual Pinots I’ve tasted in a while. The first sniff reminded me of something familiar, an alcoholic beverage other than wine.  At first, I thought it was Scotch–maybe the peet–but I don’t drink Scotch.  Then it hit me.  A margarita with salt!  Gail said she could see where I was coming from, as could Miguel, who brought the bottle.  Sean said he was more in line with my first comparison.  We also found cherry, pomegranate, and strawberry topping, then later cocoa and spice.  The alcohol was 14.1%, and it did seem a little hot for a Pinot Noir, though that blew off after some time.

Image source: Farley Walker