The Lumpkin Family’s friends purchased most of Lazy River Vineyard’s 2002 Pinot Noir. About two weeks after delivery the phone calls started arriving. “That’s really good!” “We loved your wine.” “Bob ________ tasted Lazy River Vineyard and said it was great (not the R. Parker Bob).” We were elated and are now pleased to invite wine lovers to purchase Lazy River Vineyard’s 2003 Pinot Noir.

2003 Lazy River Vineyard Pinot Noir...$336 per case ($28 per bottle).

Shipping...$38 per case

550 Cases

Tasting notes: This wine is flavored with wild cherry, fresh blackberry, a bit of pepper and roses. Its long finish and good structure predict a pinot noir of distinction.

Again, why buy Lazy River Vineyard Pinot Noir? Three good and interesting reasons.

I. Lazy River Vineyard Pinot Noir estate fruit is also used in wine made by such noted Oregon wineries as Andrew Rich, Hamacher, Ponzi and Panther Creek.

II. Panther Creek’s customer Tom LaTour, CEO of the Kimpton Hotels, came to winemaker Michael Stevenson and owner Ron Kaplan because he wanted a pinot noir for the Kimpton’s house restaurants. After tasting many barrels, he chose Lazy River Vineyard’s ‘03. It is now sold as a vineyard designate under the LaTour label. Tom owns a Napa Valley vineyard.

III. Roman Weil is a wine collector and a University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Professor. He has set out to prove that today’s winemakers are so much better than those of the past, their high quality wine make vintage charts obsolete. His thesis undergoes continual testing using students and alumni of the University of Chicago as subjects. His report on Lazy River Vineyard ’02 Pinot Noir follows.

I matched the 2002 Lazy River Vineyard against one of the best known and highest scoring 2002 Pinot Noirs in the classic double bind scientifically controlled testing. Half the 28 testers couldn’t tell the difference between the wine and of the half who could, more preferred the Lazy River than preferred the other. The modal comments about the Lazy River from those who could tell the difference were, ‘fruity, lovely bouquet, smooth and beautifully rounded.

Roman L. Weil co-chairs the Oenonomy Society and frequently presents results of wine tests such as those quoted to the international meetings of the Oenometric Society and the Vineyard Data Quantification.