| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2014 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Kanzler VineyardSonoma Coast more |
4/21/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 pointsPrior bottle was just over 11 months ago and this wine continues to drink quite well. Black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry and spices continue to make up the nose. Between medium and full bodied with a very similar fruit profile of black cherry and blackberry. Upfront, the expression may have gotten a touch more open and rounded while the mid-body continues to show slightly better depth than the 2013. There are some nice black raspberry notes through the middle and towards the back that add a touch of balanced power. Tart black cherry, spices and minerals through the finish. With more depth, more blackfruit expression, slightly more complexity and slightly better overall integration, this wine remains a small but distinct step ahead of the 2013. Given that this bottle took several hours open to fully come together, I would estimate it has several years left in front of it at a high level. |
| Red |
2013 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Kanzler VineyardSonoma Coast more |
4/20/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 pointsPrior bottle was 11 months ago and my notes were generally consistent, but for some serving temperature derived variations. Red cherry and red raspberry along with earthy, forest floor notes on the nose. Remains between medium and full bodied with very pretty rounded black cherry upfront with some red cherry accents. Mid-body is better integrated now showing both red and black cherry with some red raspberry highlights towards the back as well as some plum notes. Tart red cherry, earth, spices and minerals through the finish work with the acidity and tannins to provide contrast, structure and finishing length. Of my original 3 bottles, I think this one showed the best, but still in line with expectations (hence, no score increase). It's the integration of the acidity and spice notes coupled with overall balance improvements that made this bottle so enjoyable. Should be able to maintain this level for least another year or two, possibly more. |
| Red |
2014 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge VineyardSonoma Coast more |
4/19/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 pointsPrior bottle was 14 months ago and this wine remains in a very good drinking window, perhaps even slightly better than I'd expected. Black raspberry and spices continue to dominate the nose with black cherry and earth behind. Still between medium and full bodied and with an essentially unchanged fruit profile of black cherry, black raspberry and blackberry. There's good depth through the middle and the fruit remains balanced due to the tart notes, spices and acidity on the back. The middle does show a good amount of rounded and open fruit notes, but that actually helps it contrast with the tartness and acidity behind. The finish lingers with length a a result. I did have concerns that this wine could fall out of alignment, but so far, those fears are quite premature and based on how well this bottle showed, it clearly has time left at this level. |
| Red |
2018 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Mo ChuisleCayuga Lake more |
4/14/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 pointsPrior bottle was a bit over 2 years ago and this wine continues to show well. Mostly red cherry, spices and earth on the nose with some black cherry and floral qualities. Medium bodied and the overall fruit profile was virtually identical to my prior bottle with rounded and open red cherry upfront, perhaps showing a touch more depth than previously, followed by black cherry and darker red cherry and supported by tart red cherry, spices, tannins and nice burst of acidity that lingers through the finish. As compared to the 2017, there's noticeably more depth here as well as much better balance. Based on these notes over two years, I'd say that balance and integration may be able to improve slightly going forward, but I don't expect additional complexity. This clearly has time ahead (glass cork) and should show its best over the next two years. |
| White - Sweet/Dessert |
2014 Hermann J. Wiemer Late Harvest Riesling Josef VineyardFinger Lakes more |
4/8/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 pointsPrior bottle was 21 months ago and this bottle was a clear step above my prior ones. Pineapple, golden peach, passion fruit and a touch of orange on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with pineapple, golden peach and passion fruit the primary fruit notes, closely matching the nose. The mid-body seemed to have a bit more depth than my prior bottles (better serving temperature?) and the honey notes seemed to have integrated a bit which allowed the other fruit notes to be more expressive upfront and more defined on the back. Tart citrus notes along with acidity continue to provide the structure and contrast, but again these elements seemed in better shape with this bottle than my prior one. The contrast between the acidity and fruit worked particularly well. I've had this bottle since release, so positive bottle variation is most likely. This was my last bottle, so very pleased it could go out on such a high note. |
| Red |
2017 Antica Terra Pinot Noir CerasWillamette Valley more |
4/8/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 pointsPrior bottle was 18 months ago and this wine has continued to evolve along the lines I'd hoped and is drinking beautifully. Red berries, red and black cherries and mix earth, spices and minerals on the nose. Medium bodied with black cherry and red cherry upfront, followed by darker black cherry through the middle and tart red cherry on the backside. There's a lot of nuance to the fruit notes and while the Botanica might have slightly more nuance and complexity, the Ceras has a bit more depth and structure. The tart notes, along with the tannins and acidity balance the fruit notes expertly, such that the wine feels complete, well defined and harmonious. The earth, light spices and mineral notes linger on the finish. This wine is in a great spot at present and should drink well for a number of years to come. I will open my next bottle in either July or November 2024, again alongside the Botanica. |
| Red |
2017 Antica Terra Pinot Noir BotanicaWillamette Valley more |
4/8/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 pointsPrior bottle was a bit over 18 months ago and this wine is showing impressively. Beautiful and aromatic mix of black and red cherry on the nose along with spices, floral, mineral and earth qualities. Just above medium bodied with a very similar fruit profile to my prior bottle, showing a complex mix of black and red cherry upfront, adding darker black cherry as well as plum and blackberry through the middle with tart black cherry on the back. But beyond just the fruit notes, it's the brighter notes alongside the more rounded notes and the shifting nuances through the middle and backside that give this wine its true complexity. It comes off as silky and elegant. Tannins, acidity and tart notes on the back leave the feel feeling complete and showing excellent integration. This wine is in a great spot at present, perhaps even better than my prior bottle, but in line with the high expectations I had. Considering how well this is showing, I will open my next bottle in either July or November 2024. 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2019 Arianna Occhipinti Il FrappatoTerre Siciliane more |
4/8/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 pointsPrior bottle was just over a month ago, but the occasion called for it, so I was happy to open another bottle and was well rewarded. Red cherry, earth and spices on the nose, with some black cherry aromas in the background. Again took about two hours or so to fully open up, demonstrating again this wine has a good number of years ahead of it. Close to medium bodied with an essentially identical fruit profile of red cherry, darker red cherry, red raspberry and then tart red cherry and tart strawberry on the backside. These fruit notes show a mix of roundness and brightness that evolves over time and adds to the complexity. Balance continues to be one of this wine's significant strengths with the tart notes, tannins and acidity bridging from the mid-body fruit to the minerals on the finish. Quite distinctive with an obvious volcanic origin. Next bottle for me will probably be July 2024 and will probably pick up a few more bottles. |
| Red |
2017 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Mo ChuisleCayuga Lake more |
4/13/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 90 pointsPrior bottle was a bit over 2 years ago and the wine remains in a good spot. Red cherry on the nose along with a good amount of spices as well as earth and mineral notes. Between light and medium bodied and still showing red cherry, red berries and darker red cherry as the primary fruit notes. More balanced upfront than previously, but perhaps a bit less balanced on the backside. The spice and acidity notes on the back don't have enough fruit or depth to fully balance. Mineral, earth and tart qualities continue to make up the finish. Overall, the lack of balance remains the biggest issue and I don't see room for positive evolution with additional time. This should be drunk over the next 1-2 years. |
| White |
2021 Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex et de la SallePrié Blanc more |
4/8/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 90 pointsTart, white orchard fruit on the nose (especially apple and pear) along with nice minerality. Between light and medium bodied (12% ABV) with white apple and pear the dominant fruit notes for now, but hint through the middle suggest additional complexity to come. The acidity and tart notes on the back provide excellent structure as well as contrast. Balance between fruit and structure is also a plus. The mineral qualities and acidity through the finish make this wine feel pure , well defined and lively. This is a unique wine that really calls out its geographic origin. I'll open my next bottle in July 2024 and look to purchase a few more. |
| White - Sweet/Dessert |
2016 Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling Single Select Late Harvest Josef VineyardSeneca Lake more |
4/8/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 pointsPrior bottle was 9 months ago and this wine continues to impress. Pineapple, mango and passion fruit notes on the nose along with a touch of honey and some citrus notes on the nose. More complex aromatically than my prior bottle. Just above medium bodied with an impressive mix of tropical fruit notes (pineapple and mango) along with golden orchard fruits (gold peach and gold apple). The depth through the middle allows it to feel deep, but balanced. The acidity and citrus notes behind continue to work well to provide structure and contrast. Overall, this wine is very much in an auslese style and as long as the acidity continues to hold up, will remain a beautiful bottle. I have access to one more bottle which I'll save for July 2024. |
| White |
2022 Pala Vermentino di Sardegna Stellatomore |
4/7/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was about 5 months ago and while my notes were similar, I thought this particular bottle may have showed slightly better (positive bottle variation plus serving temperature). Passion fruit and white pineapple along with white peach and white pear on the nose made for an exciting contrast. Between light and medium bodied with white peach, white apple and pear the dominant fruit notes, but with a mix of more open qualities and brighter, more acidity influenced notes. There are some tropical hints that comes out towards the back which worked well with the acidity and tart white fruits. Overall, the wine felt clean, balanced and with better complexity than my prior bottle. This wine was served chilled, not cold (in contrast to my prior bottle) and the difference was noticeable. This wine does have a few years in front of it, but to my taste, is going to show it's bets over the next two. I'll plan to open my next bottle in June/July 2024. |
| Rosé - Sparkling |
2019 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Brut RoséFinger Lakes more |
4/7/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 90 pointsPrior bottle was 11 months ago and the wine has clearly improved in that time, more than I thought it would. Nose showed a lot of strawberry, with watermelon and bright red cherry supporting. Nearly medium bodied with red cherry and strawberry the primary fruit notes. But in contrast to my prior bottle, the wine today showed much better balance with the red cherry upfront showing both brightness and roundness. The mid-body felt noticeably better integrated with the backside tart notes and acidity. Some white peach and other white orchard fruit notes also helped to provide contrast which hadn't been evident in my prior bottle. Overall, the wine felt much better balanced than previously with a cleaner finishing transition. I think the 2020 has slightly more upside potential as it continues to open up, but this 2019 actually might be the more accessible of the two vintages right now. I'll plan to open my next bottle of this 2019, again alongside the 2020 in June/July 2024. |
| White |
2021 Ottella Lugana Le CreeteTurbiana, Verdicchio more |
4/6/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was 9 months ago and this wine continues to show quite well. White pear and white peach along with floral notes and contrasting citrus qualities on the nose. Close to medium bodied with the white apple and white peach contrasting well with the white pear and melon. Apple provides the roundness and peach the depth while the pear provides the tartness and the melon the length. Citrus comes in on the back and the overall presentation is very harmonious. This wine continues to show well and I'll plan to open my next bottle in June 2024. |
| Rosé - Sparkling |
2020 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Brut RoséFinger Lakes more |
4/6/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 90 pointsPrior bottle was a little under 4 months ago, so my notes were quite similar. Strawberry, watermelon, tart red cherry and mineral notes on the nose. Nearly medium bodied and the fruit profile was almost identical to my prior bottle with red cherry and strawberry, contrasting with tart red cherry and white pear behind. Has both good mid-body depth and nice tartness on the backside. Overall balance may be improving slightly as the mid-body opens up and the tart notes slowly integrate. Next bottle for me will be June/July 2024. |
| Red |
2016 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Mo ChuisleCayuga Lake more |
4/12/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was a bit over 2 years ago and this wine continues to show quite well. Mostly red cherry, spices and earth on the nose, with some black cherry notes behind that give it a more complete feel. Medium bodied with rounded black cherry and slightly brighter red cherry upfront. Black cherry come to the fore through the mid-body which feels more balanced and harmonious in general than in my prior bottle. Acidity, spices and tart red cherry behind are also similarly better balanced than previously. Finishes with minerals, lingering acidity, earth and tart qualities. The biggest difference between this bottle and my prior one is how well the wine has come together and shows a more complete profile now, all in line with my expectations. I have one more bottom which I'll save for Q1 2025. |
| Red |
2016 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Single Vineyard Clone 115 Elaine's VineyardCayuga Lake more |
4/5/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was almost 15 months ago and the wine remains in a good drinking window. Soft black cherry along with light earth and spice notes on the nose with just a hint of tea now towards the back. Medium bodied with rounded black cherry upfront and just a small hint of red cherry. Mid-body has good depth, but less of a noticeable difference from the upfront profile. Plum notes come in through the back as well as a bit of blackberry, but like the upfront black cherry, they're more rounded and accessible as compared to my prior bottle. Tart cherry towards the back and then in finishes with fine grained tannins, acidity and a mix of earth, spices and a lingering tea/mineral quality. As compared to my prior bottle, balance was noticeable better overall (helped by the warmer serving temperature), but in particular with regard to the tea and spice notes which took time to come together in my prior bottle. The tea notes from the vineyard site are always distinct, but this bottle presented them in a more harmonious fashion. No signs of fading, so this wine clearly has some time left, but seems to have reached its peak and will show it's best over the next 18+ months. |
| Red |
2019 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Hedrick VineyardFinger Lakes more |
4/4/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsAs compared to the 2017, brighter red cherry on the nose along with similar earth and spice notes, but also shows a deeper, more savory note that the 2017 lacked. Nearly medium bodied (13.8% ABV) that shows more of a dark red cherry notes upfront (perhaps even some black cherry hints) as compared to the more red cherry of the 2017. Mid-body depth is comparable, but there's more acidity and more tannins here as well. The fruit keeps pace, so the wine feels generally balanced. Good mix of tart red cherry and tart red berries towards the back as well as just a touch of vanilla and then minerals and acidity through the finish. This wine was good when opened, came together even more so over 3 hours and by four hours was better still. Ultimately, this may end up ahead of the 2017 and I may open my next bottle of 2019 alongside the 2017 again in Q4 2024. |
| Red |
2017 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Hedrick VineyardFinger Lakes more |
3/31/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was almost 23 months ago and this wine continues to evolve positively, along the lines I'd hoped. Red cherry, earth and spices remain the dominant notes on the nose. Close to medium bodied with red cherry upfront that shows better definition than previously. Darker red cherries and red berries also shows through again in the mid-body, but the wine has bit more accessibility and depth in this phase now. Tart red cherry along with fine grained tannins and acidity provide the structure and contrast, but are slightly better integrated with the mid-body fruit. Soft mineral and spice notes through the finish. This is showing quite well now, particular in terms of the balance between fruit and acidity. As such, I may open my last bottle in Q4 2024. |
| Red |
2020 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Charlie's VineyardFinger Lakes more |
3/30/2024 - RGCM Gananda wrote: 91 pointsBlack cherry, earth, spices and a light cranberry note on the nose. Close to medium bodied (13.7% ABV) with darker red cherry as well as brighter red cherry upfront. Mid-body has some additional depth, but not quite as much as the 2017 from last night. Mix of mostly red cherry through the middle with some black cherry hints as well as maybe some red raspberry. Backside shows tart red cherry and acidity before the wine finishes with light spices, earth and lingering tart notes. Similar to the 2017, I expect integration will improve and perhaps more depth will become evident through the middle. I'll plan to try my next bottle in Q1 2025. |
| Red |
2017 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Charlie's VineyardFinger Lakes more |
3/29/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 pointsPrior bottle was 23 months ago and this wine continues to show well. Red berries, red cherries, earth, spices and a touch of vanilla/creaminess on the nose. Medium bodied with a very similar fruit profile to my prior bottle with red cherry upfront, moving to darker red cherry through the middle (with black cherry hints on the far back) and some distinct red raspberry notes. The mid-body has very good depth, a step up from where this was previously. Integration has also improved on the back with the tart red cherry, acidity, tannins, earth and spices coming together more cleanly with the mid-body fruit. This allows the light minerals notes and cherry qualities to linger positively. Overall, this is still my favorite of the 2017 single vineyards with the combination of depth and fruit profile being two key contributors. This clearly has time left, but I won't run the risk and plan to open my last bottle in Q4 2024. |
| Red |
2019 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Higgins VineyardFinger Lakes more |
3/24/2024 - RGCM Gananda wrote: 90 pointsSpices, earth and tart red cherry on the nose. Close to medium bodied (13.9% ABV) with rounded red cherry and a touch of black cherry upfront. Gains density through the middle and the black cherry notes become a bit more noticeable towards the back. This, coupled with the darker red cherry blends well with the acidity, tannins, tart red fruits and the lingering light spices and minerals through the finish. It doesn't have quite the complexity or balance of the 2018 and while time will certainly help, particularly on the balance side, I'm not fully convinced that the final result will be appreciably better. I may try another bottle in Q3 2024 and see if serving a bit warmer might help. |
| Red |
2018 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Higgins VineyardFinger Lakes more |
3/23/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was a bit over 22 months ago and the wine has improved in that time almost exactly along the lines I'd hoped. Nose was quite similar to my prior bottle but with both the red cherry and red berries taking on more rounded, open expression and some black cherry hints creeping in to go along with light earth and spice qualities. Closer to medium bodied now with red cherry upfront that seems more rounded and expressive, but still retaining a pleasant burst of acidity. Mid-body is both more open and shows slightly greater depth with red cherry, darker red cherry and red berries the dominant notes. Tart red cherry comes in on the backside and the wine finishes with acidity, minerals, earth and light spices notes. Overall, felt like the wine has opened up quite well and shows clearly improved balance as well as better integration throughout. Justifies my initial scores and should be able to maintain this level over the next few years. Next bottle for me might be as soon as Q4 2024. |
| Red |
2017 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Reserve Estate Higgins VineyardFinger Lakes more |
3/22/2024 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 91 pointsPrior bottle was a bit over 22 months ago and this bottle showed better than my prior one and on par with my original expectations and in line with my bottle from March 2021. Nose continues to show a lot of red cherry, but retained more of the black cherry than my prior bottle. Earth notes are also present and while there were certainly some tart qualities, they were more retrained than my prior bottle. Close to medium bodied with the red cherry upfront showing a slightly better balance of brighter and more rounded qualities. Mid-body continues to show darker red cherry as well as some black cherry hints and red berry notes behind. Backside shows tart red cherry, light spices and minerals. The biggest difference between this bottle on my bottle from 5/22 was in terms of balance. Tonight's bottle, while having good acidity, always felt like it was in balance with the fruit whereas the acidity in my 5/22 bottle, the acidity seemed slightly out of balance. Additional, depth seemed better here than in my prior bottle. I may have simply gotten the serving temperature wrong in my prior bottle or hit it in an odd phase. Based on tonight's notes the overall picture is the same but with butter depth and balance the wine is clearly in a better spot. While at peak, it should be quite enjoyable for several more years. |
| Red |
2020 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Reserve Lot 10Finger Lakes more |
3/20/2024 - RGCM Gananda wrote: 90 pointsDark red cherry, earth, light red raspberry and some pretty spice notes on the nose. Medium bodied (13.2% ABV) with dark, yet rounded red cherry upfront. There's some depth through the middle, but the acidity and tannins come in fairly quickly as this is a relatively young wine. Tart red fruit, light mineral and spices through the finish. Overall, not quite as well balanced as the 2018 and with complexity on the same level of my initial bottle of the 2018. I'll plan to open my next bottle in Q1 2025 and reassess. |
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