SRP: $39. A beautiful, seductive nose of juicy, ripe cherries and plums, white flowers and roses, and a hint of earth and licorice. The palate is harmonious -- great structure, great mouthfeel, a really fantastic wine.
SRP: $40. A ripe, expressive nose of raspberries, cherry pie, and blackberries, backed by cola, piecrust, and a hint of toasted oak. On the palate, the wine shows great weight but is light on its feet.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $48. The nose is marked by cherry cola, spices, and all sorts of red-fruit preserves (strawberries, raspberries, etc.), along with some baked fruits. The palate matches, displaying very good structure and juicy acidity.
SRP: $35. A dark, sweet nose of ripe cherries, blackberries, anise, and cedar. The palate is lush and shows even darker fruits. A very good Pinot for those who like bigger wines.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $42. A wonderfully earthy nose with dark cherries, raspberry preserves, sandalwood, and a hint of cinnamon, clove, and leather. The palate shows tarter fruits and mouth-watering acidity.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $55. The nose opens with oak. Underneath the oak are some ripe, dark cherries, plums, and blackberries, along with some cola and spice. Supple but structured tannins and great acidity, but the oak treatment is too obvious. A disappointment, as this wine clearly has some expensive fruit inside!
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $48. A rich, lush nose of dark cherries, ripe raspberries, and roses – backed by a hint of cinnamon and oak. The palate is harmonious – great acid and tannin structure, with wonderfully ripe fruits lingering for quite some time.
SRP: $22. A ripe, simple, warm-climate Pinot of black cherries, strawberries, and a hint of eucalyptus. The palate shows tarter fruits and really nice acidity.
SRP: $48. Dark cherry, slate, and river bed, backed by a hint of raspberry jam, potpourri, vanilla. The fruits are wonderfully delicate on the palate, and the finish just keeps going.
SRP: $35. The nose is marked by black cherries, lavender, plums, and dark soil. On the palate, the wine is lush and velvety. A great wine for those who like ripe Pinots.
SRP: $50. A laundry list of aromatics -- tart cherries, dried strawberries and raspberries, sandalwood, forest floor, coffee, and so much more. The finish is a bit hot, but this is clearly a well-made wine.
SRP: $60. The nose is extremely aromatic – marked by baking spices, cola, dark cranberry juice, and black cherries. On the palate, the wine really sings – everything is balanced and in perfect harmony. A delicious wine.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $33. A classic, prototypical Russian River Valley nose of dark cherries, cola, pomegranate, and a hint of earth and oak. On the palate, the wine is very well-structured – and it’s fantastically gulpable.
SRP: $60. A beautiful nose of sweet, black cherries, blackberries, cola, and a hint of something savory. On the palate, the weight is perfect – it’s both lush and light on its feet.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $45. A beautiful, must-be-from-Russian River Valley nose of bright, sweet cherries, plums, black tea, raspberries, cola, and some fruit pie. The palate shows more delicate fruit and has fantastic structure. A really delightful wine.
SRP: $65. An intense nose of slate and gray riverbed, backed by black cherries and dark raspberries, Asian spices, and dirt. The palate opens with great acidity and weight, but finishes a bit short.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $30. A beautiful nose of perfume and dark cherries, along with a hint of cranberry. A small bit of brett shows itself, but it’s inoffensive. On the palate, vibrant acidity and a lingering finish.
SRP: $35. A fun nose of wild raspberries, fresh, juicy plums, black cherries, and a hint of brown sugar and earth. The palate is both lively and silky.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $42. On the nose, slate-driven, black cherry, tart raspberries, dried cherries, and a hint of sweet baking spices like cinnamon and clove. The palate is very ripe, but also lively and bright. Very well-structured with a lingering finish.
Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
SRP: $17. On the nose, smoky strawberries and black cherries, cedar, and dried herbs. The palate matches and shows juicy acidity, but the smokiness makes for an odd finish.
2009 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Elk Prairie Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County
SRP: $39. A beautiful, seductive nose of juicy, ripe cherries and plums, white flowers and roses, and a hint of earth and licorice. The palate is harmonious -- great structure, great mouthfeel, a really fantastic wine.
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2009 La Follette Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $40. A ripe, expressive nose of raspberries, cherry pie, and blackberries, backed by cola, piecrust, and a hint of toasted oak. On the palate, the wine shows great weight but is light on its feet.
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2010 Gracianna Pinot Noir Bacigalupi Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $48. The nose is marked by cherry cola, spices, and all sorts of red-fruit preserves (strawberries, raspberries, etc.), along with some baked fruits. The palate matches, displaying very good structure and juicy acidity.
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2010 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Carneros 91 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
SRP: $35. A dark, sweet nose of ripe cherries, blackberries, anise, and cedar. The palate is lush and shows even darker fruits. A very good Pinot for those who like bigger wines.
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2010 Brancott Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough 85 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
SRP: $15. A simple, not-very-aromatic nose of cherries and strawberries. Balanced on the palate, but virtually no complexity.
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2009 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Floodgate Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $42. A wonderfully earthy nose with dark cherries, raspberry preserves, sandalwood, and a hint of cinnamon, clove, and leather. The palate shows tarter fruits and mouth-watering acidity.
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2009 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $55. The nose opens with oak. Underneath the oak are some ripe, dark cherries, plums, and blackberries, along with some cola and spice. Supple but structured tannins and great acidity, but the oak treatment is too obvious. A disappointment, as this wine clearly has some expensive fruit inside!
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2008 Saxon-Brown Pinot Noir Hayfield Block Durell Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $48. A rich, lush nose of dark cherries, ripe raspberries, and roses – backed by a hint of cinnamon and oak. The palate is harmonious – great acid and tannin structure, with wonderfully ripe fruits lingering for quite some time.
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2010 Jacuzzi Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $22. A ripe, simple, warm-climate Pinot of black cherries, strawberries, and a hint of eucalyptus. The palate shows tarter fruits and really nice acidity.
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2010 Chehalem Pinot Noir Stoller Vineyard 92 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
SRP: $48. Dark cherry, slate, and river bed, backed by a hint of raspberry jam, potpourri, vanilla. The fruits are wonderfully delicate on the palate, and the finish just keeps going.
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2010 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $35. The nose is marked by black cherries, lavender, plums, and dark soil. On the palate, the wine is lush and velvety. A great wine for those who like ripe Pinots.
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2009 La Follette Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino Ridge
SRP: $50. A laundry list of aromatics -- tart cherries, dried strawberries and raspberries, sandalwood, forest floor, coffee, and so much more. The finish is a bit hot, but this is clearly a well-made wine.
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2009 Chamisal Vineyards Pinot Noir 93 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
SRP: $60. The nose is extremely aromatic – marked by baking spices, cola, dark cranberry juice, and black cherries. On the palate, the wine really sings – everything is balanced and in perfect harmony. A delicious wine.
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2009 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $33. A classic, prototypical Russian River Valley nose of dark cherries, cola, pomegranate, and a hint of earth and oak. On the palate, the wine is very well-structured – and it’s fantastically gulpable.
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2009 Jacob's Creek Pinot Noir
Australia, South Australia
SRP: $13. The nose is oddly artificial – it shows some cherries and cinnamon, but both seem oddly fake.
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2009 Chamisal Vineyards Pinot Noir Califa 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
SRP: $60. A beautiful nose of sweet, black cherries, blackberries, cola, and a hint of something savory. On the palate, the weight is perfect – it’s both lush and light on its feet.
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2009 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Appian Way Vineyards 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $45. A beautiful, must-be-from-Russian River Valley nose of bright, sweet cherries, plums, black tea, raspberries, cola, and some fruit pie. The palate shows more delicate fruit and has fantastic structure. A really delightful wine.
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2008 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve 91 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
SRP: $65. An intense nose of slate and gray riverbed, backed by black cherries and dark raspberries, Asian spices, and dirt. The palate opens with great acidity and weight, but finishes a bit short.
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2010 Evolve Pinot Noir Lennox Vineyard Russian River Valley 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $30. A beautiful nose of perfume and dark cherries, along with a hint of cranberry. A small bit of brett shows itself, but it’s inoffensive. On the palate, vibrant acidity and a lingering finish.
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2010 Landmark Pinot Noir Grand Detour 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
SRP: $35. A fun nose of wild raspberries, fresh, juicy plums, black cherries, and a hint of brown sugar and earth. The palate is both lively and silky.
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2009 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Russian River Selection 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $42. On the nose, slate-driven, black cherry, tart raspberries, dried cherries, and a hint of sweet baking spices like cinnamon and clove. The palate is very ripe, but also lively and bright. Very well-structured with a lingering finish.
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2011 Wakefield Pinot Noir 85 Points
Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
SRP: $17. On the nose, smoky strawberries and black cherries, cedar, and dried herbs. The palate matches and shows juicy acidity, but the smokiness makes for an odd finish.
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