Chicago Pinot Days

I only had about one hour and probably only tasted 1/4 of the wine available to taste.

• 2012 Aberrant Cellars Pinot Noir Confero

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Strawberry and raspberry aromas with spice hints. Similar flavor profile with some cherry as well, more robust spice. good nuance and textures, slightly firm finish. Will likely integrate a little more, so better in a few years. Good.

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• 2011 Aberrant Cellars Pinot Noir Virtus Ex

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

  Tasting, brief note. All red berry to start with baking spice and some floral hints. Good red berry and cherry flavors, very pure fruit with good concentration and length. 90 point potential here.

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• 2011 Aberrant Cellars Pinot Noir Carpe Noctem

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Also lean styled and red berry driven, like the other Aberrants tasted. This is a little larger scaled and fatter vs the Virtus Ex from the same vintage, but perhaps less texture and energy. Good.

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• 2010 Amalie Robert Pinot Noir The Uncarved Block

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Moderate red cherry and berry flavors and aromas with very subtle spice. Simple, but balanced and enjoyable.

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• 2009 Amalie Robert Pinot Noir Dijon Clones

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. I will be the first to say color hardly matters with Pinot Noir, but this was an incredibly pale red for such a young Pinot Noir. Pale raspberry aromas and flavors with lean textures and a hint of sweetness at the very end.

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• 2009 Amalie Robert Pinot Noir iPinot

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Probably my favorite from the Amalie Robert wines served today. More intensity and showing a wider cross-section of red fruit aromas and flavors. Good length.

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• 2008 Amalie Robert Pinot Noir Amalie's Cuvée

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Lots of red cherry with some floral hints along with forest floor. Good now, but probably already at its peak.

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• 2011 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Jane's Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Red cherry and berry aromas and flavors. Fat fruit, good spice. Toasty with new oak rather pronounced. Heat on finish. Better balance and integration in another year?

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• 2011 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Jane's Vineyard - Garfield Block

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. To me, a real step up from the larger Jane's Vineyard cuvee. More intense and interesting red cherry aromas and flavors with more nuance. More intensity, balance and depth. Still a bit oaky.

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• 2009 EIEIO Pinot Noir Cuvée E

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Ripe, fat fruit, lots of easy pleasure. Simple, but fun since I think this is intended as a relatively value oriented wine.

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• 2010 EIEIO Pinot Noir Cuvée E

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Leaner and more firm vs the 2009 just tasted. Longer and better textured, but less fun for near term consumption.

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• 2012 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Azaya Ranch

  USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Marin County

  Tasting, brief note. All red fruit with spice hints, moderate intensity, overall good balance. Good.

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• 2012 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Angel Camp

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Lots of red cherry start-to-finish, fatter than the Azaya with less textural nuance. Still well balanced.

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• 2012 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch Emerald Ridge

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Bigger fruit with both red and black cherry aromas and flavors. Lush palate with a good intensity, still retaining nice balance. Good.

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• 2012 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch Freestone Hill Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. The toughest wine in the lineup for me to assess, this is the most ripe with lush, dark fruit. Very good start but finish comes across as slightly short and simple right now.

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• 2011 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Russian River Selection

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Forward red fruit, simple but good. Slightly lean for Russian River, with good balance.

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• 2012 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Toboni Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Very ripe fruit with sweet cherry and some cherry cola. Unmistakably RRV. This has the structure and firmness to age and evolve.

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• 2012 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Dijon Clones Hallberg Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Also very ripe black cherry with good power, some leather character, slightly sweet finish.

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• 2012 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Easily my favorite of the Gary Farrell wines tasted today, this is also ripe but with more power, density and structure. Good energy as well, helping provide good balance and length.

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• 2012 Migration (Duckhorn Vineyards) Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Lots of black cherry, cherry cola, brown baking spice. Good intensity and power, but a touch of sweetness and heat on finish.

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• 2011 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Rich and lush fruit but with the structure to provide balance. Better in a few years.

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• 2011 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Tasting, brief note. More intense and powerful vs the Anderson Valley blend, but less complete and nuanced. Shows some heat on finish.

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• 2010 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Winemaker's Block Selection Russian River Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note.Black cherry and blackberry on both nose and palate. Good intensity, moderate spice, slightly unexciting ever-so-sweet finish.

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• 2010 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Tasting, brief note. Forward, fat black fruit aromas with dark chocolate, liqueur notes. Moderate intensity and spice, with good length but a slightly sweet, ripe finish.

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• 2010 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Toyon Farm

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Tasting, brief note. Fat and lush red berry and cherry. Ok spice. Medium-short finish.

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• 2012 MacPhail Pinot Noir Toulouse Vineyard

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Wild berries to start, very enticing aromas. Flavors show combination of early earthy elements and ripe fruit. Good power, ok length. Bit of heat at the end. Definitely good.

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• 2011 MacPhail Pinot Noir Sundawg Ridge Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Some forest floor along with red fruit. Well balanced, good, slightly short/simple finish. Good young.

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• 2011 MacPhail Pinot Noir Pratt Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Very lean and elegant with lots of red fruit on nose and palate. Very good balance, acidity and structure. Only 13.1%, this is refreshing vs most wine tasted today. Good length with burst of energy. Very good. I preferred this vs the 2012 Pratt recently tasted.

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• 2011 MacPhail Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Fatter, simpler fruit vs the other 2011s in the lineup. Good, but less nuanced.

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• 2009 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir Sonoma County

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Tasting, brief note. Ripe red and black cherry aromas and flavors start-to-finish, with good balance, particularly for its 14.5% alcohol. I was told this is declassified RRV fruit. Simple but prob a very good value wine in the more elegant style of Pinot Noir.

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• 2010 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Ripe cherry aromas with a hint of cherry cola. More power and depth vs the 2009 Sonoma County, but also more hints of heat at the end.

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• 2009 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir 'Big Brother'

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Black fruit with baking spice aromas. Slight floral notes. Black cherry and berry flavors, slightly less pronounced spice flavors. forward, ripe, but with good balance and textural qualities.

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• 2009 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard Sonoma Coast

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Slightly preferred this vs 2009 Big Brother, but not quite as much as 2008 Platt. Fat fruit, ripe and forward. Good fruit, ok spice, slightly less energy. 90 point potential for me.

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• 2008 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard Sonoma Coast 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Red and black cherry aromas and flavors with subtle spice throughout. Very well textured with good energy. Very good, very elegantly styled.

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• 2011 Siduri Pinot Noir Parsons' Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Black cherry aromas and flavors with sweet baking spice. Forward, lush and friendly now. Enough concentration and stuffing to keeps its 14.9% in check. Good.

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• 2011 Siduri Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Tasting, brief note. Lots of fat black fruit, liqueur hints. Lush and forward, with just modest depth and length, giving it a slightly one-dimensional character.

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• 2012 Siduri Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Tasting, brief note. Slightly reductive start. Large black fruit on nose and palate. Forward, sweet, easy to enjoy while retaining balance.

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• 2012 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Tasting, brief note. A slight step up from the RRV, this shows a more broad array of cherry aromas and flavors with good textures and moderate length.

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• 2010 Stoller Pinot Noir Reserve Dundee Hills

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Tasting, brief note. Some earth along with black cherry, boysenberry, hints of new oak. Good fruit, wish there was a bit more structure. Drink young.

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• 2012 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Gisèle

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

  Tasting, brief note. Forward fruit, easy to enjoy. Simple, but reasonable balance through moderate finish. Seems like a wine best to drink young.

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• 2011 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Pierre Léon

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

  Tasting, brief note. Comes across as much more complex than the 2012 Gisele. Intense red cherry aromas and flavors with spice start-to-finish. Good balance and length. Better in another year or two.

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• 2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Big fruit on nose and palate. Fat and ripe, but retaining good balance for its level. Good.

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• 2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Ripe and intense red fruit aromas, flavors. Also manages to retain balance, even if slightly sweet on the very finish.

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• 2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Red and black cherry with very good spice. Leaner styled with very good textures, so best balance and length of the Sojourn wines tried today. Very good.

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• 2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Ridgetop Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Tasting, brief note. Lots of ripe and fat black fruit, very easy to enjoy. Very good fruit, perhaps slightly less dense, slightly less nuanced vs the Rodgers. Still good.

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