External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2013
2010
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2014 and 2018 (based on 2 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.6 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 9 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 2/2/2018 & rated 92 points: Last bottle was 2.5 years ago. This bottle is even better.
The wine appears light ruby at the core, fading to a tawny rim. It has thrown quite a bit of sediment and is a bit cloudy in appearance.
The nose is quite refreshing, with bright red pinot fruits, lots of cooking spices, some background vanilla bean, a hint of coffee grounds, and some wet forest floor aromas.
On the palate, the wine is medium in body, with striking and immediate red fruit flavors, with spicecake, and cola, followed by a citrusy freshness and lightly refined tannins that show up on the cheeks in the medium length finish.
This is a very good RRV Pinot, very textbook in the best of ways. I am always brought back to the possibilities of truly great PN in California when I taste Swan wines. (701 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 1/20/2017: Utterly stunning in its purity and verve. Light cherry color. Intoxicating, soaring nose of red and black cherry, with ample baking spice backing it up. In the mouth, velvety, pure, and forward cherry fruit. It expands across the palate and sails along with baking spice, good acidity, and a fantastic, long, juicy finish. Superb. A (998 views) | | | Tasted by Chris@77 on 10/31/2015 & rated 90 points: 2.5 years after bottle #1 wine has lost color saturation but turned darker, tannin resolved, pronounced acidity that will insure long life. Aromatic nose without bottle bouquet. Wine has entered drinking plateau, caveat - based on this bottle. Purchased from winery, stored at 55F. The baby fat fruit is gone, replaced with sweet-side, smooth pinot fruit flavor but without the distinct flavor elements present when the wine was younger. I'm surprised it has been this evolved, look forward to what it becomes although based on this bottle it isn't as exciting as when issued. To anyone holding these ... the acidity is high enough so that you will want to decant it to take the edge off. It will drink very well with food, i.e. red meat or flavorful poultry. The good news is I have more bottles ready to drink! ... Later, moved remaining bottles to front cabinet to drink. Surprise but should not have been surprised ... wine has thrown a lot of sediment, consistent with evolution. (1052 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 6/3/2015 & rated 91 points: PnP at Mei Japanese restaurant.
Very nice tart red cherry fruit, with allspice and forest floor aromas. Flavors are echoed from the palate, showing velvety tannins and med acidity, goes well with food. Nice med+ length finish, this wine is drinking beautifully now and will continue to do so through 2020 or so. (1261 views) | | | Tasted by Chris@77 on 4/18/2013 & rated 92 points: This is a unique Swan pinot. Initially light in color, aerating to medium ruby. Strong, aromatic typical pinot nose. Entry is softer than typical Great Oak pinots, initially seemingly less acidity (esp than Trenton Estate), with significant mulberry/raspberry flavor on every sip ... this is a sipping wine, albeit a simple side of the flavor palette, pinot fruity sweet. Medium body, long finish, no vegetal notes mid palette or finish. No flaws. At this point in time this is a very enjoyable, young pinot. I'm reluctant to score it because of youth (shipped to me 10 days ago). Suffice to say I am pleased to have 4 more bottles. I believe it will drink well young, it will drink well old. Very pleasant. Wish I'd bought more.
If a weakness ultimately appears in this wine, it may be complexity of flavor. The pinot flavors are so strong now, without hint of nuances of others, it isn't obvious more will appear. But now is gratefully received, and will be good later, given what it delivers. I'm fine with this. The enjoyment derived is reward enough.
4/19/13 Drinking second 1/2 of bottle. Wine has opened up more, superb expansion of flavor, completely balanced now, soft tannins, RR beet root flavors. I like it well enough to have just sent a note to buy more. To be clear this is not a highly complex pinot, just a very enjoyable one that I believe will age well and drink well for a long time. I believe score will rise with time but 92+ is my best assessment. Stay tuned because I will have 6 bottles. (1895 views) |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, May/June 2013, IWC Issue #168
(Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Great Oak Vineyard Suicide Hill Russian River Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Joseph Swan Vineyards Producer website
Producer Location (Google Maps)Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.Great Oak VineyardVineyard notes:
Over the years this vineyard has generally yielded fairly dark, well structured, almost rustic wines. One look at what the poor vines had to work with and it was easy to understand. Fractured rock, mostly shale and sandstone deposited around 100 million years ago, still forms the basis for the “soil”. Exceptionally well drained but with a dearth of organic matter, the vines struggled not only to produce fruit but merely to survive. Now, after many years of hard and expensive vineyard work, the results are beginning to show. While much still remains to be done (many vines have needed to be replaced. When planting, the ground was so hard that many of the planting holes didn’t allow for the roots to reach downward. Instead they simply turned upward—so called J vines), overall the vineyard has made progress toward becoming financially sustainable!USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyRussian River Valley Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia |
|
