March 28, 2022 - Good but not near the best silver eagle I have had from RM. It did feel a little thin and had a strong tartness on the finish which prevented a higher score. The tartness did fade the longer the wine was open.
November 23, 2021 - Sappy nose laden with orange peel, black cherry, anise and spice notes. Unctuous and smooth, yet lively on the palate, brimming with pomegranate, red currant, and baking spice. Drinking very well right now.
May 9, 2021 - Delicious pinot. Nose of tart cherry and hint of pine that spoke well to what the flavors would be. Dark purple, no bricking. Somewhat cloudy like last night’s 2009 RM Sonoma Coast pinot. This simply had more gusto - more fruit, finish, and persistence - than that ‘09 Sonoma Coast (which was gorgeous, but this bottle of Silver Eagle Vineyard was clearly on a higher tier). This is a wine you don’t want to swallow - you want to roll around each tiny sip - and tiny sips are the way to go, at least when on the second glass - to get the sublime tart cherry flavors that are wrapped in a smooth finishing background of somewhat-spicy acidity. Comparing this to the 2011 Silver Eagle drunk a few weeks ago, my notes suggest maybe I preferred the 2011; however, I think they’re both dynamite. And both will be drinking great I expect for 5-8+ years to come.
July 11, 2020 - Ravinia at Home (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Note from memory from last night. Ripe cherry, fully+ mature. Better a few years back.
September 10, 2018 - Opened too early. Too much earthiness
July 26, 2018 - July 2018 Rivers-Marie Visit (At Mending Wall winery): Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be 2009 vintage. Lots of dark fruit, with a little tar and some spice, along with menthol (which Brig called out during our tasting discussion) with my thought being bay leaf. Strawberry jam, dark apple, good balance and juicy. This was the best of the flight for me and also on the short list for one of my WOTD.
May 8, 2018 - Light red in color. 14.2% ABV. Sensational nose of red fruits, cloves, orange peel and pine needle. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Well balanced. Supreme texture and mouthfeel. Cherries, blood orange, baking spices and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. What was once a fruit forward Pinot Noir is now complex and elegant. Stunning Pinot Noir that has stood the test of time. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
April 14, 2018 - Popped and poured. This is a medium-ruby wine with notes of black cherry, cinnamon, pomegranate, and black tea. In the mouth, the wine is crisp, with notes of black cherry and licorice leaving a tangy finish. Overall, this is on the blacker half of the Pinot spectrum, yet plainly PN. This had a bit of difficulty holding my interest for the whole bottle. 90 points.
November 14, 2017 - Ripe tangy red cherry and pomegranate fruit. Plenty of Asian baking spice notes. Still fruit forward with good minerality.
August 28, 2017 - Black cherry, blackberry, cloves and spice on the nose. Flavors of ripe black cherry, vanilla, spice and a hint of orange rind. Somewhat larger scaled, but not "big", with good acidity and refined tannins. There's a bit of alcohol poking through (14.2% abv), which detracts a bit from an otherwise attractive package.