Tasting Notes 125 found

Next to last bottle. Still fresh; very nice. (598 views)

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Bought on release. Other reviews have suggested it's past prime but this was spot on. 14.#% abv which is a little higher than I like but this was rich with black fruit on the nose; a little pepper but overall, rich dark fruit; mildly lingering. I'll drink my last couple of bottles over the next couple of years. (635 views)

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This was just past it's prime, but still good. (3765 views)

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past it's prime. (4722 views)

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Continues to hold up very well. Light-medium body, very good varietal character. (4409 views)

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Smoked black cherry,graphite, velvety 88 pts (4770 views)

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Last bottle of 5 and best I have had over 4 years. Seems to have gotten richer and more full-bodied over time. Lots of cherry taste. Very good. (5923 views)

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My last bottle of this classic Pinot. (3837 views)

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Not as good as I remember back two years - maybe it has peaked? (3684 views)

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Very nice SLH point. But beware, if you like burgundy, this is not the pinot for you. VERY much a new world wine. Extremely fruit-forward, but still delicious. (3495 views)

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Amazingly for a $17 bottle, this was still tightly strung. Could go another year or two. (3218 views)

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There are many "very good" wines that make the transition to "excellent" and even "outstanding" with just a few years in the cellar. This is one of them. Exceptional bottle tonight -- wonderful nose of cherry, with classic California Pinot Noir profile on the palate. I love how supple and smooth this wine is, and I love the hint of tartness on the finish. Well done, Paraiso. Sadly, my last bottle . . . (2569 views)

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Cloying sweetness has been largely supplanted by earthiness and dark cherry. Pretty tasty. (2367 views)

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Very nice. Cola, cherry taste. Quite complex. (2494 views)

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Still very good. Taste the cherries. (2330 views)

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A medium ruby color with lightening at the rim. Cherries, baking spices, forest floor, and a bit of vanilla on the nose. Medium body with soft, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Spicy, tart cherries with just a bit of earthiness in the background. Medium length finish. Drinking well now, but probably needs killed off in the next year. (3121 views)

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Good. Hearty and Full-bodied. A little rough around the dges but a good solid bottle (3179 views)

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Good. Hearty and Full-bodied. A little rough around the dges but a good solid bottle (3138 views)

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PnP. Clear, med ruby/red color. Decent wine, med body, light finish, nothing off. good every day juice. Nothing off. (3625 views)

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Very good with Thanksgiving dinner. 3 bottles consumed (3381 views)

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Medium ruby color. Forest floor, cherry, baking spices, and a bit of cranberry on the nose. Medium body with soft, ripe tannins and tart acidity. A bit oaky on the palate with cranberries and spice. Fruit had faded a bit and that was the best part of this wine in the past. Shortish finish with earthiness dominating with some spice and cranberries. Either this is a slightly off bottle or it's time to kill this one off, it's a shell of what it was a year ago. (3949 views)

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Lovely aromas of cherries, followed by berries, earth and spice. Took about one half hour for the tannins to soften, but when they did the wine was soft and supple. Have one bottle left after this one, and wish I had more. (4190 views)

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Big scale furit forward Cali pinot. No mistaking it for anything else. Seemed to be in better balance on Days 2 and 3. Not mind-blowing, but nice enough. Hardcore burgphiles will not like. (4163 views)

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A medium ruby red color. Earthy, cherries, dried leaves, vanilla, and a hint of oak on the nose. Medium body with soft, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. A bit more oak on the palate and finish than the nose leads you to expect. Finish gets a bit spicier. Nice length. Not one to plan on cellaring for several years, figure next 1 to 2 years. (4381 views)

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Again, this was great. I could definitely see it improving with another year on its side. (5193 views)

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Excellent wine. Great balance. Consistent w/ prior note, but a 48hr slow-ox reveals an addiitonal note of smoke on the deep palate. (5275 views)

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medium weight, bright dark cherry, vanilla, opended up very well. (5535 views)

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Second bottle confirms this is a fairly serious pinot that still needs time to unwind. Surprising from an entry-level SLH pinot, but there you are. 89+ again. (5679 views)

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This wine is continuing to evolve. It starts out typical of previous bottles but after few hours in a decanter, it opens up into a nice pepper/spearminty nose. The palate is rich and smooth from pour to end. The evolution of the nose results in an extra point for this bottle. Seven more bottles to go! I will wait 6 months for the next bottle, then I will decant and then wait at least an hour before drinking. (5553 views)

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A medium to heavy pinot, went well with Beef Burgundy. Was overshadowed by the '03 Bordeaux. (5635 views)

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Excellent strawberry and cherry balanced with vanilla and earth. Some toasted oak further complicating this tastey juice.

Enjoy over the next four years. 88 -JS (5694 views)

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Good, smooth wine. (5716 views)

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Very similar to last note but this one has a touch of eucalyptus as an added element on the nose. (5756 views)

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Served at Martha's dinner. Paired great with salmon. Light bodied, good nose with mild fruit. (5934 views)

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Brought to a pot luck thanksgiving day dinner party and went well with most dishes. (5937 views)

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Just realized we've killed 6 bottles of this wine and I haven't taken a tasting note.
Nice ruby color in the glass. Cherries, forest floor, dried herbs, vanilla, and a hint of oak on the nose. Medium body with soft, ripe tannins and good acidity. A fresh ground pepper note comes out on the palate to compliment the earthy cherries. Not as in your face fruity as past bottles, so I'm liking this even more. Seems to be in a real nice drinking window. No hurry on drinking remainding bottles, but I don't think this will "make old bones". Figure one, maybe two more years. (6226 views)

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Great wine - a hint of sourness on the first glass. (6241 views)

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1 Hr decant, disappointing overall. Light fruity nose in an acceptable/funky way, almost like breeze of morning freshness (aftershave/bath products). Too heavy on the oak with not enough fruits leading to a tarty/sour finish. This was suppose to be a WS92, but there may be bottle variation from a 11000 case production wine. I hope the next bottle isn't like this. (6213 views)

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Always a solid wine and sad I drank my last bottle but it was good. Fruit is very upfront with a little sweetness and texture was silky smooth. (6509 views)

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Consistent with previous notes, cherry on the nose and palate. Long tart finish: 30-40 seconds. (6475 views)

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Cloying sweetness, artificial candy like flavor. Not really doing it for me tonight. Ok (5943 views)

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Pop and pour to a quick 15-min splash decant @68F @initial tasting. COLOR- translucent, dirty magenta. NOSE- not exuding much more than light notes of mixed red and blue berries with flowers and some cola fizz in the nose; gains some spice and intensity on the covered-swirl-sniff. PALATE- medium bodied but presenting itself somewhat viscous like a high molarity sugar water solution. Flavors of sweet then bitter berries with a floral backdrop are fleet-gripping, showing here, vanished, then there. The finish is light and wispy, what I would call medium-minus in length. Alcohol-presence is well managed. Low acid leaves this with little structure or foundation (tannins not apparent). I imagine this might have had more guts and focus when WS (92pt) scored this back mid last year, but as it shows mostly serviceable if not a touch boring. I'd like the fruit to show a little more character. (6277 views)

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Dark fruits, spice and earth with good grip and a nice, firm structure. Excellent intensity and a nice finish. (6240 views)

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a wonderful light bodied pinot noir, paired with a chicken salad. My last two bottles -- taste consistent with earlier tasting notes 1/10/10 and 2/8/10 (6031 views)

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Medium weight. Nose of smoke, cocoa powder, and dark cherries. Has a fun zip on the front palate and then changes to cherry soda, chocolate, and raspberries.

Day 2 is pretty much the same but the aroma and flavor is more vibrant. I think this has the potential to improve 1 or 2 points in the short term. (5575 views)

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Served @ dinner party...big hit with all..wish I had more (5949 views)

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Yummy (5772 views)

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This has evolved over the past year and is drinking very well. (5763 views)

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This wine is rich and chewy for a pinot with lots of cedar and vanilla but it has balance issues due to some heat on the nose and some astringency on the pallet. Great value and will enjoy my next bottle. (5361 views)

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Notes in line with the last bottle (4578 views)

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This was a decent enough Pinot but was overshadowed by the 2005 Ampelos Pinot we opened just prior to drinking this. Wasn't bad, but the fruit tasted a bit candied and a little too sweet for my tastes. Finish was a bit awkward. Otherwise a decent Cali Pinot for this price point -- I've certainly had more expensive Pinots that were not as good as this. (4207 views)

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Good California pinot noir and QPR. Lots of red ripe fruit but not overripe fruit. No real tannins. None of the cola flavor that is often in California pinot noir and that's a good thing. Just a little too much residual sugar and could have used more acidity for my taste. Brought it to a cooking class and it went well with the various dishes. (3817 views)

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Sad this was the last bottle. Full bodied, ripe, heading toward Syrah territory, great QPR. (3754 views)

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Not as good as last bottle. Off balance and somewhat astringent. Hopefully just an off bottle. (3760 views)

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not horrible, but a bit sweet and too fruity. Not my style. Will not buy more even at 16.99. (3788 views)

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Once again this wine shines. (3690 views)

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Ruby colored. Nose of root beer, cherry, cinnamon. Medium body. Very sharp, tart cherry, spice. Hot aggressive acidic finish. Way out of balance and still so after 8 hours. I just cannot really award this even a good rating. Really only tolerable in small sips. Surprising, since looks like consistently strong ratings on this. I'd like to try again some day, but it won't be on my dime. (3449 views)

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popped and poured. fruit forward, cherries and strawberries, with toasty spice to follow. medium bodied and light in color but a wine of substance. Hint of anise on the finish. long finish. (3560 views)

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Nice, earthy, fruity Pinot. Less backbone than necessary for a higher score. Fantastic for the price. No formal notes, but we were very impressed. (2980 views)

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Red fruit, cherries, ripe style, light pepper, great QPR. 92 (3157 views)

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1+ hr decant on day1, then vacuumed in fridge overnight, now tasting cool from glass on day2. COLOR- the darkness of a mixed Pinot . NOSE- so so w/ berry topping (strawberry, blackberry, sugar, spices), vanilla, star-gazer lilies, and a little funk of 1/2-day old fish-skin; pretty-enough though for me not particularly correct for the variety, more like a fruity Zin w/out the pepper. PALATE- well-balanced, straightforward fruit, and long in the tail filled with baking spice and cookie dough. There are rails of acidity leading the way for a creamy yet not clumpy nor thin wine that's primarily showing blackberry fruit with a little red-currant and cherry, ending with a medium-long finish as described w/ some oak fatigue. Tannins aren't really to be found in this delicious styled Pinot that will probably improve with time, despite it lack of structure, due mainly to its fine expression of balance, close to peerless at it's $15-$20 price point. (3332 views)

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Big sweet cherry fruit, a little vanilla and a good bit of oak on the the nose that mellowed out a bit with air. Really good ripe fruit. Maybe a bit "simple" but the flavors were so good its hard to find fault. (3304 views)

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wine spectator had it right on -- cherry fruit with hints of anise in the finish. light bodied, classic pinot. (3187 views)

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Last bottle of the case. Similar to previous notes expect that this was a little more acidic than prior bottles even on the second day (flawed bottle not included). I guess file under bottle variation. (3217 views)

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Opened two bottles at a dinner - both exactly the same and both very enjoyable. Red fruits with some oak , spice and with an earthy/brambley character. Not at all overripe, flabby or soft - quite the opposite, they had a lot of structure for a pinot and very good grip. Compares favorably with many $30+ pinots. (3092 views)

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Hmm, I'm finding this wine a little too candied for my tastes. I've liked previously bottles much more but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it technically. It is just seems overly ripe and flabby. A bit better on day 2. (3036 views)

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Everything a good Pinot should be (2888 views)

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Completely agree with WS rating. An outstanding Pinot (2931 views)

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Big sweet cherry fruit with some baking spices mixed in. Cali all the way. Very popular with the crowd. Not my favorite style of pinot but I can appreciate it. (2947 views)

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Sweet red fruit, vanillin, easy to drink. (2907 views)

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Lots of wild berry, zesty fruit with some vanilla. Decent acid. Medium light tannin. Medium finish. But no earth. Not my favorite style of Pinot. Don't see what all this fuss is about. (3211 views)

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Flawed... extremely acidic and I wonder if over sulphured too??... not like any of the other bottle from the same case. (3383 views)

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great pinot and cant beat price like others have said.
hot initially but wore off. smoke, earthy on nose. cherry, vanilla...nice length.
need to buy more. (3290 views)

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Great Pinot Noir. Spice and cherry on the nose, cherry on the palate. Wonderful finish. All for $19 . . . My father is looking very smart for buying a case of this. (3264 views)

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One of the best pinots I've ever had, and when you throw in the price...this one is one of the best QPR wines out there. (3032 views)

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Well, I didn't make it 6 months, but I did go 3 since the last bottle. Similar notes as before, but a slight uptick in score as the balance seems better. The last bottle will probably go on Thanksgiving. (3249 views)

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light, cherry, nice. classic cali PN - good for price, but nothing to go crazy about which is what everyone has done. (3235 views)

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The marriage of ripe fruit and oak is on full display here. Nose: Vanilla, cedar box, ripe cherries/cherry pie, candy apple, ripe raspberries. Palate: Candied cherries and strawberries framed by cedar/oak on the attack. Ripe fruit carries through to the finish. Tons of candy on this pinot, with just enough acidity to maintain some balance. This is my 5th or 6th time having this pinot, and this time is the most memorable, vs the previous fairly hot and uncomplex showings. Delicious. (3151 views)

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This wine did not impress the first time or two that I had it. But after trying it after being open for a day it matured into a very nice pinot that was not a fruit bomb. It became quite complex with some wild strawberry and straw notes. Very pleasant and not over the top. (3158 views)

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WS nailed this one. A great bottle of wine, esp given that more than 11,600 cases were produced. Nose of a Burgundy, with cherries and spice on the palate. Silky smooth. Probably would cellar well, but why wait. A decent value at $20. (3282 views)

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Red raspberry, clove, and vanilla on a silky frame with an intensity that sneaks up on you, given the up front fruit. Very easy to drink. (3269 views)

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This wine is delicious. The nose has a good balance of earth and fruit. Taste of strawberries with a rich mouthfeel. For the price it can't be beat. (3326 views)

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This is a fantastic value. Super smooth with a nice earthy finish. Took about an hour and a half in the decanter to really show its own. Looking forward to more. (3343 views)

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Dark purple in color, with nice aromas of cherry, smoke, and liquid minerals. Ripe, sweet red and black fruit flavor profile, with floral, light spice, and mineral layers rounding out the palate. Nicely balanced, with plenty of stuffing and a medium-long crisp finish. (3473 views)

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Popped and poured - was just slightly tight and never really had a chance to open -- probably better with some airtime. Intense, ripe, bright, fruit forward flavors of pomegranate, cranberry and the same brambly component as a prior bottle. Medium bodied with vibrant acidity and a decent finish. Slightly one dimensional, full flavored, but not overdone, and nicely balanced. Edges were sharp, but not harsh. Again, very enjoyable. (3386 views)

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Continues to impress for the price. (3258 views)

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Red fruit and brambly nose with similar flavors on the palate. Mid-weight with a nice smooth but not round, mouthfeel. A bit fruit forward, but with nice balance and very good grip. Nothing not to like about this wine, and probably as good a < $20 pinot as I have ever enjoyed. (3482 views)

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California Night (Binny's Highland Park, highland park IL): nose: very nice nose of dark berries, spices, dark red fruits and some bits of sour cherries

taste: excellent medium feel with good tones of dark berries, spices and sour cherries. Nice depth with good balance and tartness on the tones

overall: A very good pinot. Good balance to it with good tones on both the nose and palate (2272 views)

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Opened decanted and consumed. Fairly one dimensional, fruit very forward bordering on stewed, but very good wine for the money. Drank after an 07 Red Car Trolley and a 05 Capiaux Pisoni, so may not be fair. (3583 views)

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Nicely balanced with red and black cherry flavors. Just a hint of cola and a touch of vanilla. Nice fruit and good value for the money. (3419 views)

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excellent value (3402 views)

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Had this again last night. It did not disappoint, especially for the price point. Very fruit forward, though maybe a little less complex than I remember the first bottle. (3400 views)

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Wonderfully rich nose and lovely, long lasting taste. Bought six at $15 at a Wine Down Wednesday tasting of Pinots in the area, plus won another in a drawing. Literally one of my favorite wines and an amazing value even at list price. (3565 views)

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Big, ripe, almost not even a Pinot! Great value. (3416 views)

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Nice wine for the price. Bright fruit and a nice finish. (3460 views)

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Similar to previous bottle. Really good pinot for the price. (3367 views)

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Beautiful black cherry and spicebox nose. More aggressive than most pinots I've had from the region, but luxurious and smooth and very well put together. Definite crowd pleaser. Probably could give this another point if I gave it more than 5 minutes to open up, but I'm impatient and if I don't type my notes right away, they'll never get in. Would definitely buy more at this price. (3285 views)

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89- Needs time to open (30-60min), nose of brown sugar, cherries with a mineral component-not too earthy or over oaked- good balance. Mid to light weight on the palate with a respectable finish. 89+ (3447 views)

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14.3% alcohol. This is a nice everyday drinker that provides good value. Dark cherry color. On the richer, riper side of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Blackberry and earth on the nose, with a touch of oak that blew off after a few minutes. In the mouth, round texture with pleasing blackberry fruit, a hint of black cherry, good acidity, and a solid finish. B+ (3040 views)

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I love pouring a wine like this that I can smell before I even swirl. The aromas leap from the glass before it is raised to the nose! The taste of cherry and bright berry flavors are noteworthy along with tea like, spicy, and mineral like components. A very forward, nice drinking red that I will buy again if I can find it in stock and you certainly can't beat the price! I've had two and am looking forward to the next bottle. (3470 views)

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Crisp, clear dark cherry color with cherries and raspberries on the nose. Strawberries, cherries, raspberries, minerals and spice mingle with soft tannins and mild heat and acidity. This is a fruit bomb of flavor! Very long and persistent finish. Ranks up there with the best of Archery Summit. (3321 views)

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Drank it over three days and it got better each day. Initially a little restrained with nice nose of red fruit and flowers. The palate opened up next day and the wine was drinking beautifully on the third with the flavors of cherries and raspberry with nice floral finish. (3266 views)

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(STP) (3151 views)

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Nice Pinot for the price. Silky smooth with a nice bit of strawberry fruit. (3555 views)

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Drank the first one slowly, sipping intermittently over 6 hours, and the aroma and flavors became steadily deeper and richer over that time. By the end, I was convinced that this was the best $25 pinot I had ever had, and I was thinking 90+. It evolved to show a powerful nose of dark fruit and earth with a touch of funk. Flavors featured dark cherry, black raspberry with balanced tannin and acid. Mouth feel was a bit coarse, but overall a very tasty pinot for the price. The second one was decanted for only fifteen minutes before we began drinking with a grill-roasted pork butt. This one seemed much less rewarding, offering much less on the nose and more subdued, less engaging flavors ... no better than 87. I'll give the next one plenty of time to open up and see what happens. (3106 views)

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Quite impressive for the price. Nose of ripe cherries, strawberries, raspberry and cola. Big but not overdone round palate, with nice acidity, and showing some currants and cola. Finish is lengthy, without heat, with some dark fruit influence, mineral, spice and touch of vanilla. Fantastic QPR, just a hair simple, but great wine to drink now. (3005 views)

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Central Coast Pinot Noir (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): fog influence for sure. 1st to plant in the highlands.
spice/wood notes is really clonal selection. not so aromatic, the nose is being difficult. tight, not so tight, but not giving up much more than structure. roast to the finish. (3313 views)

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Tour - Napa / Sonoma 2009; 8/25/2009-8/29/2009 (Napa / Sonoma, CA): Tasted at Rutherford Hill Winery on Napa trip. Extra tasting after initial flight. (1646 views)

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Popped and poured. Nice balance. Rasberry and tart cherry fruit. Medium finish. Light acidity. (3062 views)

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Broad strawberry and black cherry flavors carry this rather brawny pinot, which is bold, spicy and surprisingly smooth without quite achieving purity or elegance. Ground pepper on the nose adds interest, though it's not an element I look for in a pinot. Some new wood on the finish suggests it still has some integrating to do. All in all, this wine stands out not because it's amazing, but because it's so hard to find another pinot at this price that is even half-decent. 88+

A brief addendum: After five days open, I expected this bottle of wine to have fallen apart. Instead, it tasted great, with the rough edges gone but the fruit holding strong. I expected some staying power, as indicated in my initial rating, but I didn't expect this much structure from a wine at this price. Revised rating: 89+ (3115 views)

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Excellent nose and nice fruit. Strawberry, cherry, nutmeg and spice on the palate. Finish is lacking in acidity and somewhat dominated by tannin. I will let my remaining bottles sit for at least six months. (3003 views)

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A really big pinot with a rich fruit/glycerin mouth feel. Smooth and long finish. Ready to drink now. Big bouquet that matches that big forward fruit. 2007 is a big pinot year in California and this one is my favorite example. (3100 views)

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Nice nose, classic Cali pinot noir. Up front on the palate: strawberry and cherries. Mid-palate showed a little heat with some smoky character. Finish a bit short. All in all not bad and really, really nice for 20 bucks. (3056 views)

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Well made wine that is easy to drink. Upfront fruit with cherries and berries. Nothing complex but a great QPR. (3131 views)

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excellent wine, great QPR and superb finish. Very balanced, slightly sweet first impression but then classic pinot characteristics with strawberries, a bit of spice, rhubarb and that tasty finish. (3212 views)

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The nose jumps out immediately. I like the smoky descriptor on the back label. Nice fruit and good finish. As it opens there is some candied cherry but not too much. Quite spicy with some oak, pretty full. Quite delicious, "pretty" comes to mind but ultimately a bit simple. recommended. (3109 views)

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Mediumbodied with loads of black cherry, some strawberry, and a little bit of subtle spice. Some vanilla/oak but not really that noticeable. Very nice value and great pairing with grilled tuna with a teriaki marinade. (2993 views)

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Thanks for the heads up from everyone on cellar tracker to grab more of this before I had a chance to try it. Definitely a great deal for under $20. Very well integrated, smooth and balanced, with a great nose. The integration and roundness in the mouth clearly bumped it up past the 90 mark for me. (3144 views)

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Another fantastic QPR from this vintage. The pop and pour was perfect, earthy nose with some strawberries and currants. Really nice persistent soft strawberry flavors with red and dark fruits. Love the weightly, glycerin-like mouth coating texture. Plenty of acidity that keeps things lively and refreshing. While not as complex as the '07 La Crema SC I opened up recently, this is still fun to drink and hits the spot on a warm summer night. One to buy by the case for easy but enjoyable drinking over the next year or so. (3242 views)

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Fruity and smooth. Best value pinot I've had. (3540 views)

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Barbeque Reds and Whites (Farpointe Cellar): The nose was very jammy, and had strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and a slight hint of earthiness. The palate was soft, and had a lot of minerals, some herbs and earth, and a good finish of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry (3520 views)

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Black cherry and raspberry fruit mixed with a bit of smoke and a nice finish. Very good value pinot. (3494 views)

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Wine 6 of 10 presented by Scott Woodward of Appellation Wine Co.
A nose of funky earth and red currants. Very bright and aromatic. Nice spiciness with hints of tea.
Very velvety mouthfeel. Really nice acidity. Nice tea and spice flavors. A good bit of earthiness and a really long finish of red currants. (3108 views)

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much more of a nutty component to the wine. Deep dark notes hiding in there, but spice cabinet and cherry expression dominate. hints of smoke. (3107 views)

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Methol and cherry notes, richer palate than Baileyana. The clones here give you cola bean, spice, bright cherry. A spice cabinet of a Pinot. Much more spice box of a pinot. What a pinot for $23. A touch of smoke and young Pinot. (3175 views)

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