Tasting Notes 66 found

This bottle is past its prime. Very noticeable on the pour with a very brown aged color. Aromas of spice and cherry compote. I see such high ratings here for this producer and their wine; however, maybe with some decanting it will be a more pleasant PN drinking experience. Nothing about this wine makes me think PN. I'll update after it breathes a bit. (491 views)

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This bottle was past it's peak and on the decline. There is still some fruit and it's not bad, but if you have any bottles left I recommend drinking them soon. (3025 views)

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notes of cherry, light strawberry, spice. a tad light on the finish but went well with a cheese flight (3617 views)

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This bottle was past prime and on the decline. If you have some I'd drink it soon. I need to dig out my last bottle and have it soon. (3729 views)

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- Darker color for a pinot, but can still through the wine
- Nose of spice, black cherry, dark fruit and a tinge of heat (listed as 14.1% alcohol)
- On the palate dark cherry, blueberry, cola, and spice. The tannins are relaxed and acidity is decent.
I would drink this soon as I don't see this getting any better and will start declining. (4526 views)

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Nothing at all like other bottles, with sour, lacking fruit, and very syrah-like. Very disappointing to say the least. (4207 views)

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Decanted for about an hour and drank over two nights. Still drinking well, but is at its peak. Tart cherries, cola, and spices. I plan to drink my remaining two bottles within a year. (2330 views)

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Drank over the course of 2 days.
Still hints of blue in the color but clear enough to see your fingers through it.
Nose of dark cherries, spice and even a little earthy element (stronger on day 1).
Palate has a very strong cola flavor (which seems typical of many Sta Rita Hills pinots). Also, cherry, spices, ginger and ripe fruit to the point of having a little sweetness. Decent acidity and the tannins have fully relaxed. (2032 views)

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Finally drank this one after 4 years in the cellar. A lot going on - "wild" is a good word. You know it's Pinot all the way. I don't normally drink Pinot Noir but this one was quite enjoyable. (2200 views)

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Unscrewed and poured. I think this wine is still drinking quite well. It has definitely changed since I opened my first bottle two years ago. The bright young fruitiness has been tamed and the deeper, earthy notes are becoming more prominent. It was very good early on and it is very good now. Structure seems to indicate it has a few years of aging possible (if you like an aged Pinot that is). Sadly, I've only got one more left... (2646 views)

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Bright but semi opaque medium plumb color. Cherries - bright and high toned, funk and mushroom. On the palate: cherries, red fruit - lilting and fairly complex, medium bodied, forest floor underpinnings. Defined and clear fresh flavors for an 2005. Opens on the finish with spice notes. Good value and interestingly good. (2737 views)

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Nice color and transparency, even has a few tinges of blue.

Nose of red fruit including a cherry, pomegranate, cranberry and raspberry.

The red fruit continue on the palate. Flavors of cherry and pmmegranate continue. Good balance and acidity, tannins are smooth and well integrated, and a good finish. This is a good southern cali pinot, especially for the price. 89 - 90 (2624 views)

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Similar notes. More to come. (2794 views)

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Twisted and poored at Yummy Sushi Robbinsville. Still a heck of a tasty pinot, but not nearly as good as it has been in past bottles. Typical ruby color, with typical Santa Rita Hills nose: strawberry, black cherry, slight hints of cola, and some earth and spice. Nice Raspberry and dark cherry on the palate, with some subtle spices and a smooth finish. Still tasty, but I don't see this wine improving any with more time. Will revisit the '04 and '05 side by side soon! More to come! (2879 views)

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Not nearly as impressive as the last few times I had it....luckily my last bottle. Still pretty good, but drink up. (2894 views)

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Drinking beautifully. Ruby garnet color. Light strawberry and earth nose, and same on the palate. Very well integrated, paired well with several courses. Supple, lengthy finish. (3258 views)

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Medium ruby color. Nose of dried cherries, strawberries and cream, fresh soil and some other earthy notes. Similar flavors on the palate with sour cherry and a bit of tart cranberry. Very smooth mouthfeel and finish. Well balanced with nice acidity makes this an ideal pinot for food pairing. (3242 views)

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Wow, a big difference to the prior year's offering. Garnet in color with a little bricking on the edges. Interesting forest floor funkiness, forest fruits and strawberries on the nose. Green bell peppers, stems and asparagus on the attack but quickly the fruit comes through with strawberries and cherries with a nice acid on the finish. The greenness seems to dissipate the more the wine opened up so a little decanting might help get rid of some of the funk. Medium to light body with a nice silky mouth feel. Solid Pinot. (3467 views)

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Brought to and drunk at Cindy and Andy's. Nice bottle. (3598 views)

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Delicious pinot noir! Our experience is essentially the same as both valecnik and *Vine* below. A wonderful surprise, and seemingly good for another year or two. (3594 views)

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Dinner at Luke's with Jeri and Michael. Good food - should try again. Wine a nice complement for the lamb dish I had. (3605 views)

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Definitely more mature than when I last had it a year ago. More funk and earth on the nose, and some coffee too. Velvety mouthfeel, lots of scrumptious cherry, and a deep, rich breadth of flavor. Nice lingering finish. (3677 views)

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Slightly better than last bottle. Unscrewed and poured....first few tastes are always disappointing, light, spritzy, overly acidic.....but over time the wine really improves...takes on additional weight, complexity, and becomes smooth. There is lots of cherry, but also some hint of earthiness and spice. For $24 this a really good value Pinot. Drink now and over next 3 years. (3622 views)

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1st bottle opened, 5 more remain. Classic style very similar to earlier Sanford Pinot vintages that i loved. I'm glad Richard took the maigic with him! (3757 views)

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God I love this wine! (3791 views)

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Light and fruity. Soft cherries and tannins. Very enjoyable. (3825 views)

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delicious as always (4124 views)

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Great bottle of PN drinking well right now. I think this wine has a tremendous amount of depth. Not quite the complexity of some but the balance of the tannis and acid give it a meaningful depth. Full bodied (new world) pinot. Dark red flavours with some smoke. Limited opacity. This wine is drinking well now but has some legs. Will be better in two years. I wish I had more. (3885 views)

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nice for price (3934 views)

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Opened not decanted. Brought up from Santa Barbara by S&R. Opened not decanted. Strong spice on the nose with a touch of cold tomato sauce; on the palate: lots of sour citrus notes that ends with an dry, orange juice finish with some heat. A little lean but, Good. (3359 views)

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Dark for an 05, with some softening around the edges. A little green on the nose, with cinnamon and sweet cherry. Overall, a solid wine showing balance but a little one dimensional for the price. Its fair to expect more from this producer. (3648 views)

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A little disappointing. So one dimensional. Boring. Just not that great. (3407 views)

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Opened and poured into Riedel Burgundy stems. Garnet hue around the rim. Profound nose...wasn't expecting such complex aromas...strawberry, raspberry and other assorted red fruits plus forest floor, earthy mushrooms, herbaceous floral aromas (lavender?), and a savory, spicy element almost reminiscent of a lighter Cotes du Rhone that evolved throughout the night. Medium body. Palate not nearly as profound as the nose but nonetheless nicely balanced and still quite enjoyable with more ripe, red fruits plus hints of stone.
I would drink this now for the heady aromas, which seem evolved and peaking at present. IMHO, much better than the 2004. (2651 views)

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This wine is young and drinkable - I do not think it will get better wine age. Beautiful nose with hints of berries and cream but on the palate it was thin and simple. Good wine to drink before eating food to start the night but would worry about trying to match this with any intense food. (3221 views)

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Medium garnet in color. Strawberry and red fruits on the nose. Bright and bursting with fruit. Strawberry- rhubarb and red rasberry. Some spice with soft tannins and minerality. (824 views)

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This was a Superbowl XLII. No formal notes. Remembered it being very tasty but nothing too special. Had nice bright fruit and a little bit of that Pinot funk. (2987 views)

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Very nice red fruit, earth, some foresty elements. Fruit is upfront, tasty, but it lacks some depth. Finish is fine, just not too complex. A nice buy for an easy-drinking pinot. Would buy more. (2890 views)

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Beautiful nose of cherries, earth, and forest floor. Nice full mid palate which leads into a nice finish with smooth, ripe tannins. Excellent -- barely any noticeable alcohol even as it warms up. At under $30 this is a nice buy in California Pinot and is real fun to drink now. (2718 views)

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Medium bodied, decanted. Brown sugar, a touch of sous bois and a nice spice-box infused pomegranate make this a tasty pinot. Very penetrating fruit, with a fleshy finish. Well done. (2732 views)

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A precocious youngster with notes of maraschino cherries, wood smoke, caramel, and earth. A big departure stylistically from the 2004. (2416 views)

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This wine took about 30 minutes to start opening up and really giving off of the nose. We got candied cherries, dried cranberries and flowers from the aroma. The taste was more cherry with a surprising amount of zingy spice. My pre-conception was that this might be a fruit bomb, but it was quite balanced and had some nice earthy tones as well. (2499 views)

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Delicious pinot from the Santa Rita Hills. Gorgeous ruby color true to pinot. Smoke, dark cherries, asian spice on the nose. Very intoxicating. Very nice old world/new world combo. Definite dirt component but "clean" dirt along with tons of cherry and raspberry jam flavors. Super silky smooth on the mouthfeel and a nice lingering finish. Definite steal at around $25. This is a rebuy. (1079 views)

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No formal notes - nice nose of cherry, herbs and some floral notes. Well balanced with good cherry fruit with hints of cranberry, a subtle earthiness, and brisk acidity. A nice food wine that paired well with our Christmas goose. (1181 views)

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Central Coast road trip (California Central Coast): Dry. Sharp taste, Not sweet. (3163 views)

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Raspberry, rhubarb, and spice aromas and flavors. Turns a touch candied on the finish, but there is nice balance and complexity in this wine. (2501 views)

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Saturday night after Thanksgiving - with leftovers from t-day. A nice wine and good pairing with the turkey. (2579 views)

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Perfect with Thanksgiving dinner! Loads of cherry, but quite a bit of vegetation as well. This is a great food pinot. (1310 views)

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Beautiful, complex aromas, though not subtle. First sip was very unbalanced (lots of elbows). Integrated well after an hour, and developed nicely over another hour. Rather rich and overwhelming Pinot (nothing old world or subtle here). Lots of acidity; definitely a food wine. Shows only a little fine tannin, suggesting it will not age well. Another bottle with (slightly sour) beef stew made for a great pairing. A pinot for hearty food? Score reflects two hours of air. (2262 views)

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Voluptuous fruit, some creamy oak, but not syrupy. This might merit an even higher score - I only was able to have a quick taste. Very typical but well done Santa Rita Hills pinot. (2787 views)

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An evergreen forest in a bottle. Lovely pine and cedar smells, alongside bright cherry licorice and autumn smokiness. Yes, a great autumnal wine. I could roll around in that smell. Woodsy on the palate too, plus ripe red fruit, with good structure and a medium finish. Very expressive. Decanted for about 45 minutes, and when this thing hits the sweet spot of the right air/temperature combo it positively explodes. (2706 views)

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best pinot i've found for the price (2695 views)

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Remember Jolly Rancher candy kisses? Cherry, strawberry candy. Bright, but still in balance. Let rest and it will soften up a little. A fun wine. (2521 views)

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This is getting better! Darker spice, more funk, less alc. burn. Beautifully floral, well rounded Pinot. Tasty tasty tasty! +pts (2718 views)

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Candied apple and raspberry nose. Fruity style with raspberries and cherries. Very light bodied. (980 views)

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Alcohol: 14.1%
Acidity: slightly tart but crisp
Price: $26.99
Aromas – Moderate to Intense; jolly rancher candies, raspberries, cherry, floral hints, green bell pepper and herbal tea
Color – Moderate color depth. Ruby
Tannin – soft tannin, easy drinking
Flavor – Medium bodied. Medium Dry; Moderate to Intense flavors. strawberries, raspberries, interesting mineral quality, white pepper corn
Finish – Medium to Long

My Notes: The moment the bottle was opened the air filled with almost a candied-quality fruity scents. Reminding me of raspberry and cherry Jolly Rancher. Taking a closer sniff I got delicate floral aspects, bell pepper and an herbal tea. Beautiful nose. What a treat! On the palate, strawberries and red cherries but not sugary sweet. Bright and Fruity. Mid palate gives way to a mineral taste and then the fruit seem to exert itself back into the taste. Finish was delicious and long with just a very faint hint of white peppers. Mouth feel was wonderfully full and surprised me for a PN. The wine was well balanced with the soft tannins and acidity that made the favors dance about the tongue. Little pricy but for a pinot it priced below many other PN’s that don’t come close to this complexity and balance. (2872 views)

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From memory - a bit light on the palate (2692 views)

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OUTSTANDING
Another great bottle....a little bit more subtle on the fruit but the Burgundian Terroir is still hangin round! (3264 views)

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Enjoyed this bottle at Blue Point Grill in Princeton which used to be one of my favorite BYO's. unfortunately their food has gone downhill, as well as their portions. Great pinot though! Enjoyed this next to another couple who was enjoying a '97 Insignia....boy did I feel cheap! (2778 views)

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Translucent ruby red. Vibrant flavors of sour cherry and berries, with a beam of wood spice. Medium bodied, with obvious but fine-grained tannins. A variety of flavors are there on the long finish, adding complexity. Seems like it could stand to integrate further, which would produce a superb Pinot. (2643 views)

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A little hot and tannic but very nice on receipt....the rest can rest about a year. (2437 views)

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Nice PN. Very clear, light ruby in color. Lots of ripe stawberries to taste with some barnyard. I like this. (2506 views)

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OUTSTANDING
This was one of the better Burgundian style wines I have had from a producer I previously did not know. The Manure and Earthy fertilizer flavors on the nose are unreal. This wine rivals some of the "Hype" CA Pinot's! (2910 views)

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Ruby color. Clear. Nose of florals, strawberry, forest floor, some herbs and even dry straw. A little tiny whiff of funk petrol blew away almost immediately. On the palate, a medium to light bodied energetic burst of cherry fruit. Sour cherry. Bright, nice acidity and earthiness in the mid palate, and a nice soft-round tannin finish. You think the finish is done about 20 seconds but a somewhat spicy, somewhat licorice-like 'after-finish' hangs around for another 30 seconds. This wine has a lot of 'levels'. I'm looking forward to it opening up in the glass. Plan to pair with sauteed/fried pork medallions. Update: 2nd night: Oh WOW!!! had to raise the score from 90 to 92. Tonight I'm getting tons of cherry and strawberry, a little smoke and just 'deliciousness'. WOW WOW this is great juice. No more funk, just great fruit and acidity is much more in balance now...not overly jammy either...it's a california pinot but with--burgindian influences...for lack of a better term. It's not burgundy...but it's in that 'direction' for a great cali pinot. The wine was stored overnight at room temp but with a serious amount of vacu-vin applied...so it shouldn't have advanced much...but prior to this the bottle was left open. Bottom line is I think you should air this (or decant it) for 2 hours before drinking it this young if you want to get best enjoyment from it. Even though it started great...I can't believe how much better this is now! (2816 views)

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Wonderful Pinot I enjoyed this effort. (2844 views)

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Nice real wine. Garnet color. Amazing nose of capers, grapefruit peel, wildflowers and get this, St. Joseph's children's aspirin. Nice taste, takes the grapefruit direction. Very drinkable, but short finish with a bit of heat. (2867 views)

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My first time with their wines. This is light in style, yet packed with flavor. Bright cherry, raspberry fruit....sweet candied spice, rose florals, dried herbs, red wine vinegar tang. Almost like a "bigger" KB Rose'. Pretty and pure Pinot fruit...just the slightness of alc. heat(14.1). Shows how pure 2005 is going to be for Calif. Pinot! Great start from this Winery for me! (12629 views)

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