The Brooks 2007 Pinot Noir is an interesting wine, for it is one of the lightest Oregon pinots from the '07 vintage I have tasted thus far. It also one with the lowest alcohol tasted to date. This is a wine that screams for food, for it could easily be dismissed as a thin or watery pinot if tasted on its own or even at the beginning of a meal.

In the glass, the Brooks is a very light red, with ever so slight cloudiness to it. On the nose, I picked up muted fruit, while notes of raspberry eventually came forth mixed with hints of mint and menthol. In the mouth, this Oregon pinot delivered very modest fruit, bright acidity, and a long finish that at times offered prominent cherry notes.

Overall, this wine really surprised me for what it delivered over the course of our meal (chicken teriyaki thighs with onions on a bed of steamed rice) and even the next day. It held up well after being open for 24 hours, with many of the same smells and flavors remaining as described above.

At $25, there are other '07 Oregon pinot noirs I would prefer over the Brooks, but I am intrigued with this wine enough to buy it again. It's modesty was expected considering its color and alcohol, but its sudden bursts of fruit and other flavors surprised me as it opened up in the glass.

On another note, after reading the tasting notes on the Brooks web site, I have no idea what wine they were drinking that resulted in the descriptions they offer, for the Brooks 2007 Pinot Noir that I opened was far from being "lush, deep and concentrated". Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the wine is bad, just that it's clear there is some embellishment if not recycling of tasting notes on their web site.

Update: Per Janie's comment below, the page included notes from the 2006 vintage, which explains the mismatch in descriptions - it's been corrected now.

Related Links
Brooks Winemaker Notes