| | Did you ever think about the logistics of putting on a tasting of this size together? Here's some of the wine as it piles up in the front room. More boxes showed up later, too.
 2012 California Pinot Noir - An Early Look I didn't get to all of them but most so here are a few thoughts on my findings.
1) There seems to be a wider profile of fruit flavors in 2012 versus 2011. I love 2011 as they are on the tart berry and rhubarb spectrum. 2012 covers the spectrum from sweet cherry to tart raspberry.
2) Small Vines makes great Pinot Noir. They don't need me telling them that but I told them and everybody else anyway.
3) Ed Kurtzman is a Pinot wizard. The Sandler wines are amazing and superbly priced. The August West label is completely different tasting wines, even from the same vineyard like Peterson.
4) Liquid Farm brought lots of extra bottles, Nikki rolls with a big "Barney cooler", and due to popular demand they were all consumed.
5) The whites continue to increase in quality and quantity at Falltacular. - 2012 Fogline Vineyards Pinot Noir Hillside Block (Estate) - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Cherry colored. Nose is a bit muted and there's spicy red fruit hiding in there. This was just opened and not decanted. Palate is light red fruit, rhubarb and slight tartness. Very delicate mouthfeel. Medium finish and strawberry showing more now. Feminine wine.
- 2012 Fogline Vineyards Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard (Petaluma Gap) - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Color is a little darker than the hillside, some purple appears on the rim. Nose is muted, a little tight at this young age. Flavors of tart raspberry ride a feather light mouthfeel. This is right in the wheelhouse for the AFWE crew.
- 2012 Ceritas Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard Old Shop Block - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Medium garnet color. Nose one this one is great. Graceful wine with a light toast, tart cherry and raspberry. Medium finish. Good good balance. Super wine.
- 2012 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Tina Marie Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
This one of the top five in the tasting for me. Looked a little cloudy in the glass but the nose immediately rips you away, fantastic. Aroma and flavors of sweet strawberry backed with tart cherry and a spicy cinnamon thread. Medium plus finish. Liked it better than the Campbell ranch which is nice too.
- 2012 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Campbell Ranch Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Garnet color. This shows a nice Pinot funk and muted red fruit. Cherry palate with a slight tartness. Medium acid shows well and results in a lighter, nimble mouthfeel compared to Tina Marie. Medium finish and very good balance.
- 2012 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Back up the truck on this wine. Top 5 for me and probably WOTN and serious candidate for WOTY. Slightly darker than a few of the previous 2012 tasted before this wine. Purple hue radiates. Nose has the combination of wood chips and earthy quality. Palate is excellent with the dark fruit mingled with a chalky limestone note. Long finish. No problem throwing 96 points at this one.
- 2012 Lucia Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Darker than other PN which is frequently the case with this producer. Nose is awesome as the oak is showing as a whiff of maple syrup. Palate is very full, big cherry, oak spice, and raspberry. Medium plus finish. As you probably already concluded, everything counts n large amounts.
- 2012 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
On the QPR leaderboard for the tasting with the Sandlers at $25, great price and better wine. Unique maroon color. Crushed dark berry and a touch of earthy funk. Tart raspberry with a gentle feel on the palate. Finishes medium and nicely balance with a swish of acid.
- 2012 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Purple tints in a garnet base. Fruit is bright red fruit and tannins are noticeable but they're fine grained. Medium finish. While enjoyable at this point it'll really show its stuff with a couple of years in the cellar. Hold.
- 2012 August West Pinot Noir Peterson Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Wow, nothing in the tasting resembled this wine, not even the Sandler version from the same vineyard. Very distinctive. Extremely light color, like an aged burg with washed out red and orange colors. It looks like it might be oxidized but it's certainly not. Nose is sweet cherry and orange. Very light mouthfeel and tannins are full resolved with a strawberry taste. Medium/short finish. A popular conversation piece.
- 2012 August West Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
On the darker side for what is a fairly light colored lineup from August West in 2012. I liked this one best as the dark cherry and caramel flavors work nicely together. Medium plus finish.
- 2012 August West Pinot Noir Graham Family Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Interesting, the shows dark plum and a bit of prune but not overtly. Medium short finish and a light tart note.
- 2012 August West Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Dark cherry aromas with sweet cherry flavors. Fine tannins and decent amount of structure. Medium finish. This only improve as the fruit and structure integrate.
- 2012 Small Vines Wines Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Top 5 of the tasting for me and wrestling with Kutch Falstaff of WOTN. Awesome wine. Dark garnet color. There's a unique perfume note on the nose. Light strawberry with noticeable acid and chalk. Long finish. Stems adds to the complexity. Thinks this is 25% whole cluster.
- 2012 Small Vines Wines Pinot Noir MK Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
This too made the Top 5 from the tasting, two wines from one producer. Garnet color and lighter fruit in the nose. This shows more oak and the tannins are grippy at this point in time. Stems are adding to the complexity LONG finish. Wish I could afford to drink Small Vines regularly.
- 2012 Small Vines Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Garnet color. Beautiful nose which is the sweet oak, I'm a sucker for that aroma. Lighter fruit than the other bottlings from Small Vine but the stem notes and tannins are in full bloom here. A bit green. Medium finish. This just needs time.
- 2012 Small Vines Wines Pinot Noir Baranoff Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Dark colored with purple edges. Cherry and ripe raspberry with fine tannins providing a nice framework. Big long finish, great.
- 2012 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Light red color. Red fruit and berries in the glass. Palate is bright strawberry. Medium plus finish and perfect balance. Good lord, this was only $25.
- 2012 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Violet color. Sweet strawberry and light oak nose, very entertaining. Palate shows sandlewood and crushed red berries with a spicy backbone. Excellent balance and finish.
- 2012 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Boer Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone
Wine is dark violet color. Nose is muted. Muddled berry and a big dose of rough tannins providing for a very grippy finish. This wine has the most structure of all the pinots and is wrapped around the axle. Hold, hold, and hold to find the pot of gold.
- 2012 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Peterson Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
This is completely different than the August West version. Light red color. Nose is a bit muted with red fruit sneaking out. Medium tannins with strawberry showing at the end. Excellent balance and a medium finish.
Miscellaneous - 2011 Cabot Vineyards Pinot Noir Nash Mill - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Very light color, even a bit of orange at the rim. Fruit is red berries and a beautiful fresh cut cedar presence. Medium finish.
- 2011 Cabot Vineyards Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
I enjoyed this more than the Nash which was nice too. Light burg colored. Nose is complex with sandlewood and spice. Palate is driven with cedar and sandlewood wrapped around a strawberry core. Medium plus finish.
- 2012 Matthiasson White Wine - USA, California, Napa Valley
Top 5 of the tasting and my favorite white of the tasting. Muted yellow color. Ripe pear and sweet honey aromas. Palate is pear with a medium plus weight. Beautiful. Long finish and medium plus acid.
- 2012 Tercero Roussanne Camp 4 Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Top 5 of the tasting. I really like all of the Tercero whites and this is at the top of the list with the Viognier. Gold color. Aromas of yellow apple and honeysuckle, and fresh flowers. Awesome palate. Medium plus weight and yellow apple and pear flavors with baking spice. Medium plus finish.
- 2012 Point Concepción Pinot Grigio Celestina - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Orange colored Pinot Grigio? Go figure. Tree fruit and medium plus acid. Light and crisp. Medium finish.
- 2011 Comptche Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
Medium plus opaqueness for 2011. Spice box nose and muted berry.palate is dark plum, berry, and strawberry. Feminine and beautiful. Medium plus finish.
- 2009 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Very nice Pinot, in fact, super Pinot. I wasn't writing notes at the point which I poured this but I thought to myself "damn, this is good."
- 2011 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
Quick addition to my comments from a year ago. Basically the same but an olive and tapenade note has emerged in the last year. Nice mineral structure as well.
- 2012 Kessler-Haak Brut Kessler-Haak Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Had the pleasure of tasting this with the owners during the event. Bubbly is becoming popular in SRH and we'll see more I'm sure. This is a nice straight forward sparkler with fine soft bubbles. I needs a bit more cellar time to develop some depth.
- 2011 Ladd Cellars Pinot Noir Moore Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Huh, had to create this wine in CT, falltacular must be the coming out party for this vintage. I'm tasting this on day 2 and it's beautiful, still acting youthful after 24 hours. Color is dark maroon with very good clarity. Spice box nose from the oak. Dark cherry, cinnamon, good layering, and fine tannins. Long finish.
- 2010 Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir Pommard Clone Kessler-Haak Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Excellent. Tasting this on day two. Very dark as you'll find in SRH. Its not crazy fruit forward but heading that way. Moss and dark cherry nose. Ripe raspberry, big dark ripe plum and earthy flavors surrounded by chalk and tannins. Medium finish.
- 2011 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Barrel Fermented - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Tasted after being open for 3 days. The wine is dark golden color. Aromas of herbs and a little cat pee. Lots of lemon zest and pine sap. Tart melon, lime, and bright citrus fruit. The wine is high acid. Medium weight but the acid cuts through it effortlessly. Medium plus finish.
It's all over.
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