91-92+
David Schildknecht - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Tasted from its eight barrels – twice the number that there were in 2001 – the Cameron 2011 Pinot Noir Clos Electrique leads with strikingly penetrating and high-toned scents of kirsch, holly berry distillate, black pepper and green herbs. “Since this is an earlier, warmer site than Abbey Ridge,” relates Paul, “I usually think of a vintage like this as favoring it.” Moreover, tiny berries and a high rate of millerandage associated with the heritage vine selections planted here (for more about which consult my Issue 202 Cameron coverage) tend toward concentration of acids as well as ripe flavors. The overall effect is richly flavored yet vividly bright, a downright mouth-shaking as well as refreshing finishing the wine’s myriad pungent, tart, piquant, and incisive elements.
John Paul – for much about whose history, philosophy, and vineyard sources, consult my Issue 202 report – considered it necessary to chaptalize all of his 2011 musts, which came in through November 2, and even so all of the wines finished at just 12-12.5% alcohol. Paul acknowledges amazement “at how much color and texture we got” considering the large clusters and challenging conditions that attended this vintage. Due to late assemblage and bottling combined with the paucity of 2010 juice, I tasted the 2011s here in July still unassembled from barrel – so my notes represent an amalgamation, while my scores reflect leeway – and I was not offered an opportunity to re-taste the 2010s from bottle. (A portion from each of Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique was blended-off to generate a generic Dundee Hills 2011 but I was unable to taste it after its late-summer assemblage and bottling.)"