December 1, 2023 - silky feel, floral notes; RRV style; solid
December 11, 2021 - Opened, poured and let sit 45 min. Then: This bottle is pretty close to my 11/7 bottle. Good pinot nose; pretty decent pinot fruit, although a bit sharpish/acidic at first. The sharpish/acidic sensation stays throughout, but mellows out a bit. The pinot taste gets a little bit reductive/over-ripe by the end of the glass, but still fairly nice. Last bottle of this vintage and Alyce cuvee and not a bad way to end it.
Day 2: Pretty much the same as Day 1, but a little mellower/subdued in comparison. Still tasty.
November 12, 2021 - Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: Almost the same as my 11/7 note, minus the streak of acidity, and maybe even a bit more pinot nose/taste at first. But then flattened out fairly quickly. Still pleasant, but not that interesting.
November 7, 2021 - Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: 3rd-to-ast bottle of this wine and the nose was more pinot-like than any of the others. At first, taste was even pinot-like, although a bit unbalanced with a streak of acidity. After about 1/2 hr, the acidity and the pinot taste retreated a bit and sweetish red fruit took over. Maybe it is bottle variation, but the lack of balance suggests that it is time to drink up. Still found some pleasure in this.
October 2, 2021 - Deep garnet. No bricking. Savory nose with baking spice and dark fruits. Well balanced with a touch of brightness on the finish. Still drinking on its early mature stage. Lovely. .
August 15, 2021 - Found another one of these and based on my last note, thought I better get to it. Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: Faint reddish/darkish nose; reddish fruit on entry that turns a bit darker by the finish. The finish is almost a bit harsh or tannic/chalky and detracts from the otherwise pleasant taste. Unfortunately, still no particular pinot taste; pleasant overall wine, just not noticeably pinot.
May 9, 2021 - Almost 4 months since my last bottle, and this one is different yet again. Opened and let sit for 1/2 hr; then drank over the next hour: Not much nose; dark fruit on entry and middle, but then things turn a bit disjointed/harsh, with the finish obscuring the fruit. Relatively smooth, except at the end. Certainly drinkable, but not what I was expecting based on the last bottle. This dark fruit component/dominance seems to be a common characteristic of so many wines now, whether pinot, zin or cab. This complaint is not necessarily aimed at Hansel as I think their pinots mostly avoid this. People must think this dark fruit aspect is attractive, otherwise it would not be so prevalent, but its usual heaviness seems to obscure almost everything else about the wine. I think I've reached the point where I think it almost is a defect.
January 16, 2021 - Day 1: Poured and let stand 1/2 hr. Had another bottle of this on 1/1/2021 and thought I better drink up my remaining 2 bottles. This bottle if quite different. Seamless from entry to finish; a bit of cherry and cola and spice. Just beautiful.
Day 2: Pretty much the same, just a bit more muted on the flavors. Still very nice. Maybe 91+ on Day 2.
Given the variation in bottles, not sure what to expect with my last bottle. Probably will drink in a month or so, hoping it will be similar to this 1/16 bottle.
January 1, 2021 - Still a fairly nice wine, but maybe beginning to fade, at least on the back-end? Perhaps a bit lighter feel now.
June 3, 2020 - Delicious Pinot drank with salmon baked in parchment paper. Cherry, cola, and earth. My first bottle of this beauty. Look forward to drinking over the next 3-6 years.