How long do Pinot Noirs last?

[jwmenehune]

I "inherited" around 30 to 40 bottles of wine. All of them red and many Pinot Noir. They ( the Pinots) are all between 2003-2005. I know I should try and drink them before the Cabernets or other reds but how much pressure am I under? I was thinking of bringing the following to Thanksgiving
2004 Shea Wine Cellars Willamette Valley
2004 Lange 3 Hills Cuvee also Willamette Valley

I confess I don't know if these wines were ever good

[AuntiAndi]

I am enjoying a San Simeon 2002 Pinot Noir (Monterey County) and it is excellent. I am researching the shelf life of wines....very interesting, I must say! Good tasting and happy Thanksgiving.

[jwmenehune]

Again thanks for calming my fears. The Lange was very good.

All the bottles are down in my pantry but it is very cool in there. All the wines are in total disarray ( I am sure you would all be aghast!)
I am going to sort them out over the next few weeks so I can get help from this board understanding what I have. I'll make myself a crib sheet from your input. Now that I will be drinking with far more consciousness I might learn!
Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and that your wine selections were the perfect accompaniment to your day!

[Bkeats]

Its one of those truisms that cabs age better than pinots. Like having reds with meat and white with fish. Plenty of exceptions to the rule. At 5-8 years, the wines should be fine for drinking right now and if they have been well made and properly stored, you’re in no imminent danger of them turning. They can keep developing. If you have multiple bottles of the same vineyard and vintage, you should try one and see what shape they’re in to see if they would continue to age well. Willamette Valley is one of the US centers for Pinot. Great choice for TD dinner.

[jwmenehune]

Thanks so much. someone told me they wouldn't last. They have been in our basement for most of their lives. I did have the movers pack them but I got them lying down within a couple of days.
As for the Shea, I will just put it away for awhile! to replace it for TD how about one of these.
What about 2002 Wieninger Pinot Noir Grand Select
2003 Wine by Joe (doesn't sound that promising)
2003 Antica Terra

My husband bought all this wine. He bought alot of Pinot because he knew I liked it but I never paid any attention to what it was. Just drank what he poured. I have other wines as well all red though. I really like white burgundy too but I guess we must have drank that up as he bought it. Thanks again for your advice.

[SteveTimko]

The Antica Terra sounds like the best one to drink now. It's got a good reputation.
I've seen Wine by Joe but never tried it. It's pretty much a budget wine. The 2003 might not be any good.
The Wieninger is a an Austrian wine. I know nothing about it. Austria is generally not known for their reds, but they can be excellent.
Try a couple and see how they are holding up in your storage conditions. Remember you want them in a place that's cool and doesn't have great temperature swings.

[njfoodies]

I've had the '03 Antica Terra on 3 occasions as of late, and it is drinking in a great place. This was before Maggie Harrison (former assistant winemaker at Sine Qua Non) bought the land and started farming it. I want to say that she bought it in '04 or '05 maybe, and did some serious vineyard work there. They did all their pruning and what not to restore the vineyard, and declassified all the juice in 2005. No idea if they sold it off or what, but they didn't make any wine. Their first vintage was 2006, and I still have quite a few of these, along with the '07's. I also just received my '08's, and haven't tried them yet. Regardless, it's a great winery. -mJ

[SteveTimko]

Assuming the wines were properly stored, they will be fine.
Now for the bad news. You're probably committing infanticide on the Shea. It's a respected name in Oregon wine and will probably be continuing to improve for the next five years at least. Consider decanting it or opening the bottle several hours in advance to give it a chance to breathe.
The Lange is not as highly regarded and now is probably a good time to drink it.
Pinot noir can last a long time.
Now is a good time to drink the 2003s. It was a hot vintage around the northern hemisphere and they are not as long lived.
The 2005s will be very long lived.