Pinot Noir Mini-Tasting

Tasting a selection of pinot noirs from CA and OR with an assortment of different "pinot-friendly" dishes, over eight days.

• 2010 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard Sonoma Coast 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (1/19/2019)

  30 minute slo-ox. No sediment. Much better than the last bottle in Aug. There were slight aromas of cola and earth. A medium bodied wine with plenty of dark red and red fruits, pepper, spice, cola, and some slightly drying tannins, with balancing acidity. Would recommend drinking up.

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• 2010 Scherrer Winery Pinot Noir King Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  (1/20/2019)

  20 minute slo-ox. Some sediment. Greeted with a (typical) cola aroma. This medium bodied wine drinks quite well and was as satisfying as the bottle consumed almost 3 years ago. Lush dark red and red fruits, some spice, some cola, and plenty of pepper, along with enough acid to balance. Had it with a veal roast wrapped in bacon, and the pairing was great. Probably best to drink up, but may hold for another couple of years.

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• 2012 City Winery Pinot Noir Hute Hyland Vineyard 82 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville

  (1/21/2019)

  15 minute slo-ox. Some sediment. Medium to minus bodied wine, some fading red fruit, spice, and more acidity than needed to balance.
  Only a tad worse than the bottle of this wine that we drank in mid 2015. If 2015 was too early, then 2018/19 was clearly too late. If this wine ever had a drink window, we must have missed it.

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• 2011 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvée 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  (1/22/2019)

  15 minute slo-ox. No sediment. A medium bodied wine with some red fruits (mostly lite cherry), earth tones, and pepper, but with more acidity than needed to balance the fruit. Would guess that this wine is on the down-slope and should be consumed sooner, rather than later.

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• 2010 Hanzell Pinot Noir 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  (1/23/2019)

  A quick decant, but this wine needs more air (maybe 30 minutes) to round out the tartness that can be experienced. A very Burgundian medium bodied wine with notes of cherries, raspberries, some spice, and earth. The acidity is balancing, the finish is medium, and there is a touch of drying tannins. Should hold for several years.

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• 2010 Pisoni Pinot Noir Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  (1/24/2019)

  When the menu changed this wine was a last minute choice. Only a quick (10 minute) decant, but this wine needs more air! Continued to open up during dinner. Virtually identical to the previous bottle about one month ago.
  The final glass was a wonderfully balanced, medium plus bodied wine with lots of dark red fruits, some earthy/black tea notes, no distinctly noticeable cola, juicy acidity, soft and integrated tannins, and a really smooooooth finish. Should hold for a good couple of years.

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• 2010 Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley

  (1/25/2019)

  Slo-oxed for 10 minutes and this wine needs more air. With air it releases aromas of dark red fruits. A medium plus bodied wine that is wonderfully balanced, with a palate full of dark red fruits (mostly black cherry), some earthiness, a bit of cola, and a touch of spice. No evidence of the 14.8% abv on the medium plus finish. Should hold for a couple of years.

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• 2010 Cristom Pinot Noir Sommers Reserve 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  (1/26/2019)

  20 minute slo-ox, and the wine did not improve during the one hour meal. No sediment to speak of. There were some light earthy aromas. The medium bodied palate presented some light red fruit, more acidity than needed to balance, and a touch of drying tannins on the finish.
  Our overall impression is that this wine has passed its peak and is beginning to fade -- similar to the GBBWINO TN follow-on of 2/10/18. Maybe just a "bad" bottle...

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