Ruby, clear, bright. Clean, lovely, New-Worldly smell, with big fruit, moderate earth and minerality, touch of oak. Palate acidic, medium level of ripe tannins, moderate alcohol. Smells better than it tastes.
Ruby, very clear. Nose dominated by earth and minerality, mint and oak; evolved beautifully but remained more restrained than the St Clair. On palate, ample flavour profile, high level of harsh/astringent tannins (both oak and grape), high acidity. Moderately long and complex, but many years from ready.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
Bright purply-ruby, transparent. Nothing at all at first pour – totally closed. Opened slowly for nose and palate with earth and minerals, modest fruit (strawberry), and some oak. High/sharp acidity, some tannic astringency. Simple and unbalanced. Disappointing.
Garnet. Oxidized Sherry-like nose, with earth, minerality, slightly rotted fruit and a MLF-gone-wrong kind of smell. Lowish acidity, flat, simple, short, some VA. Half the Sommeliers picked this as the WOTN and thought it was the Grand Cru. My worst.
Ruby, clear, bright. Nothing much on the nose to start; evolved some slight berryfruit and hard-candy aromas, along with some oak. On palate to start, some one-dimensional strawberry; put on weight and complexity with time in the glass. Good length, but limited breadth. Still, I like it.
Dark, approaching garnet. Captivating nose of big fruit, big earthiness, big minerality, dried flowers. Very flavourful, rich and clean earth, umami, smoke; nicely acidic, rich/smooth tannins, excellent body and palate weight. Balanced, long, complex. WOTN, for me and half the group.
2006 Saint Clair Family Estate Pinot Noir Pioneer Block 4 Sawcut 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Ruby, clear, bright. Clean, lovely, New-Worldly smell, with big fruit, moderate earth and minerality, touch of oak. Palate acidic, medium level of ripe tannins, moderate alcohol. Smells better than it tastes.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Pipers Brook Vineyard Pinot Noir Reserve 87 Points
Australia, Tasmania
Ruby, very clear. Nose dominated by earth and minerality, mint and oak; evolved beautifully but remained more restrained than the St Clair. On palate, ample flavour profile, high level of harsh/astringent tannins (both oak and grape), high acidity. Moderately long and complex, but many years from ready.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux 84 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
Bright purply-ruby, transparent. Nothing at all at first pour – totally closed. Opened slowly for nose and palate with earth and minerals, modest fruit (strawberry), and some oak. High/sharp acidity, some tannic astringency. Simple and unbalanced. Disappointing.
Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1996 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir 79 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Garnet. Oxidized Sherry-like nose, with earth, minerality, slightly rotted fruit and a MLF-gone-wrong kind of smell. Lowish acidity, flat, simple, short, some VA. Half the Sommeliers picked this as the WOTN and thought it was the Grand Cru. My worst.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2003 J. Hofstätter Pinot Nero "Barthenau" Vigna S Urbano 89 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
Ruby, clear, bright. Nothing much on the nose to start; evolved some slight berryfruit and hard-candy aromas, along with some oak. On palate to start, some one-dimensional strawberry; put on weight and complexity with time in the glass. Good length, but limited breadth. Still, I like it.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2000 Montes Pinot Noir Limited Selection 92 Points
Chile, Casablanca Valley
Dark, approaching garnet. Captivating nose of big fruit, big earthiness, big minerality, dried flowers. Very flavourful, rich and clean earth, umami, smoke; nicely acidic, rich/smooth tannins, excellent body and palate weight. Balanced, long, complex. WOTN, for me and half the group.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue