If you like California Pinot, don't waste your money on the cult stuff because this is pretty much as good as any I've tried. Still nothing spectacular and a bit monolithic with the overripe cherry coke thing in full effect, a little tannin high in the palate, decent acidity, but this lacks the subtlety and funkiness of a good burgundy. Still, I've had lots of $60-80 Cali pinots that didn't taste any better than this $18 bottle.
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Bold CA Pinot. Decanted for about one hour, and drank over the course of several hours. Not sure the decant was necessary to open up the flavors, but time in the glass did dissipate some heat from the nose and finish. Fruity nose with tart berries on the palette with mild tannins. Finish is long and somewhat smooth. If I had a second bottle, I would have opened it. Great QPR...will buy more.
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This does not show as well on day one, much better after being opened for a long while. Drank this along side the 2008 Banshee SLH, this is far more floral and nuanced than the 08.
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Second bottle of the night after a Mayasara from 2005. Pleasantly surprised, as I thought it was a little soon to be opening this. It's fruity, not lean, and not overly complex, but it's clearly pinot noir and pretty typical of the not always restrained SLH style. I don't think it has enormous aging potential, but I wish I had more (I will look) so I can find out. Not up there with a Roar, but at less than half the price, who's complaining? Is it burgundian? My own experience with real Burgundy is that it's all over the map, so who cares? It's not as earthy and mushroomy as OR pinot usually is, and it's not as aromatic as Carneros or good cool weather Sonoma Coast or RRV. But at this price, it's as close to a daily drinker as good pinot gets.
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This wine continues to improve since it's release. Drank over 3 days (cork and fridge) Day 2 and 3 this really sang. It's still a BIG heavy pinot, but damn good.
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Not as good the second time around (I last had a bottle last fall). A little darker than I remember, both in color and taste. A little tight, too; definitely needs some time to open up. Cherry cola flavors still there.
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Approachable, easy to drink. The kind of wine you drink without thinking about it and before you know it, the bottle is gone. Delicious and outstanding value.
Decanted 30 minutes - nose was a little closed, hints of nutmeg, sage and thyme?, faintly of kirch liquor color- medium to light purple
Taste: tasted of the desert, dessicated, dried fruit drying in the sun. Acidic and tart, dried fruit and resin, "sweet and sour", with a long finish
Delicious with food/cheese. The fats dampen the tartness but the acidity carries the flavor through. Overall, unexpected yet very enjoyable. I'll give it another year to integrate.
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I read a lot of tasting notes saying how a wine really opened up after an hour our two. You're about to read another one of those.
I bought quite a bit of this wine so when I first opened it I was a little disappointed. It was a little tight, tart, and awkward. But after sipping on it over the course of an evening it really developed beautifully. The aromas and flavors get darker and and richer over time. Some slightly silty tannins in the background.
All in all I think it's great now and all indications are it would improve from just a little bottle age. Nothing crazy - just a year or two. If you want to drink it now, I'd recommend trying a sip, decanting or aerating, or saving a good portion of the bottle for the next night.
What was remaining in the bottle the 2nd day was very good which is unusual for a domestic Pinot Noir and a good indication this needs a little time.
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Tried at tasting. My notes are similar to those of rrschrumjr below. I actually liked the earthiness and the body/mouthfeel was excellent. However, the fruit is not as nice as the 2008 Sonoma County bottling from the same producer. For those, like me, who are not really into Pinot's, this producer could really surprise you. At this price, I recommend you check them out.
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A big rich pinot, yet it still seems lighter and more delicate than their 2008 SLH. I have yet to do a side by side comparison but this one is more my style. I still get some green flavors but their's plenty of sweet fruit to go with it. Ready to enjoy now but I'd love to see what it does in a couple years. Still one of my favorite $20ish PN's.
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7/11/2014 - norsktorsk wrote: 90 Points
great value
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9/7/2013 - BuynMorThnDrinkn Likes this wine: 88 Points
Concur with recent reviews. Drinking really nicely now.
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8/27/2013 - BillBell73 wrote: 88 Points
If you like California Pinot, don't waste your money on the cult stuff because this is pretty much as good as any I've tried. Still nothing spectacular and a bit monolithic with the overripe cherry coke thing in full effect, a little tannin high in the palate, decent acidity, but this lacks the subtlety and funkiness of a good burgundy. Still, I've had lots of $60-80 Cali pinots that didn't taste any better than this $18 bottle.
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9/18/2012 - Biskuit wrote: 90 Points
This is just a great Cali pinot value. So enjoyable. Plenty going on, layers of flavor, just right.
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5/10/2012 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
2002 Oregon Pinots - Tasted Blind (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Medium red. Excellent nose. Spicy, tasty palate. A little bit harsh. Tasted blind and correctly guessed as California Pinot Noir.
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5/10/2012 - zscheiner Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Blind Tasting 2002 Oregon Pinots (with pre's and Burg ringers) (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Roasted strawberry and cherry nose. Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. Ripe black cherry fruit with heat. Guessed warm climate Cali Pinot.
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2/19/2012 - kimcburns Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great value for Pinot noir. Nice earthiness with well-balanced fruit.
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1/25/2012 - syrahiously wrote: 91 Points
Bold CA Pinot. Decanted for about one hour, and drank over the course of several hours. Not sure the decant was necessary to open up the flavors, but time in the glass did dissipate some heat from the nose and finish. Fruity nose with tart berries on the palette with mild tannins. Finish is long and somewhat smooth. If I had a second bottle, I would have opened it. Great QPR...will buy more.
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11/26/2011 - vinovin Likes this wine: 90 Points
As always-bang for your back. Need to buy a case!
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11/21/2011 - SanFranSoxFan04 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This does not show as well on day one, much better after being opened for a long while. Drank this along side the 2008 Banshee SLH, this is far more floral and nuanced than the 08.
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10/8/2011 - feffer wrote:
Liked this a lot. Definitely a fruit bomb, but very bright and not cloying.
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10/7/2011 - Not647f wrote: 89 Points
Second bottle of the night after a Mayasara from 2005. Pleasantly surprised, as I thought it was a little soon to be opening this. It's fruity, not lean, and not overly complex, but it's clearly pinot noir and pretty typical of the not always restrained SLH style. I don't think it has enormous aging potential, but I wish I had more (I will look) so I can find out. Not up there with a Roar, but at less than half the price, who's complaining? Is it burgundian? My own experience with real Burgundy is that it's all over the map, so who cares? It's not as earthy and mushroomy as OR pinot usually is, and it's not as aromatic as Carneros or good cool weather Sonoma Coast or RRV. But at this price, it's as close to a daily drinker as good pinot gets.
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9/10/2011 - SanFranSoxFan04 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine continues to improve since it's release. Drank over 3 days (cork and fridge) Day 2 and 3 this really sang. It's still a BIG heavy pinot, but damn good.
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7/24/2011 - rrschrumjr wrote: 88 Points
Not as good the second time around (I last had a bottle last fall). A little darker than I remember, both in color and taste. A little tight, too; definitely needs some time to open up. Cherry cola flavors still there.
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6/14/2011 - jtinto Likes this wine: 90 Points
Approachable, easy to drink. The kind of wine you drink without thinking about it and before you know it, the bottle is gone. Delicious and outstanding value.
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5/24/2011 - RobertDwyer wrote: 91 Points
Utterly delicious.
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4/24/2011 - kungfubaby Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted 30 minutes - nose was a little closed, hints of nutmeg, sage and thyme?, faintly of kirch liquor
color- medium to light purple
Taste: tasted of the desert, dessicated, dried fruit drying in the sun. Acidic and tart, dried fruit and resin, "sweet and sour", with a long finish
Delicious with food/cheese. The fats dampen the tartness but the acidity carries the flavor through. Overall, unexpected yet very enjoyable. I'll give it another year to integrate.
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3/26/2011 - RobertDwyer wrote: 90 Points
I read a lot of tasting notes saying how a wine really opened up after an hour our two. You're about to read another one of those.
I bought quite a bit of this wine so when I first opened it I was a little disappointed. It was a little tight, tart, and awkward. But after sipping on it over the course of an evening it really developed beautifully. The aromas and flavors get darker and and richer over time. Some slightly silty tannins in the background.
All in all I think it's great now and all indications are it would improve from just a little bottle age. Nothing crazy - just a year or two. If you want to drink it now, I'd recommend trying a sip, decanting or aerating, or saving a good portion of the bottle for the next night.
What was remaining in the bottle the 2nd day was very good which is unusual for a domestic Pinot Noir and a good indication this needs a little time.
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1/1/2011 - atl10trader wrote: 93 Points
everything you want, nothing you don't.
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12/30/2010 - LelouchViBritannia wrote: 90 Points
Much lighter in weight than I thought. Light to medium body, sweet berries, very smooth, medium finish. Good, but doesn't warrant a repurchase.
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12/17/2010 - Decanthor wrote: 90 Points
Tried at tasting. My notes are similar to those of rrschrumjr below. I actually liked the earthiness and the body/mouthfeel was excellent. However, the fruit is not as nice as the 2008 Sonoma County bottling from the same producer. For those, like me, who are not really into Pinot's, this producer could really surprise you. At this price, I recommend you check them out.
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12/12/2010 - jerrymcbrayer Likes this wine: 89 Points
good front end, fades a little on the end but overall very enjoyable
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11/20/2010 - SanFranSoxFan04 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Banshee Wines Fall Release Party (The Common: San Francisco CA): Lighter and more refined than the 2008. More notes later.
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11/10/2010 - SanFranSoxFan04 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A big rich pinot, yet it still seems lighter and more delicate than their 2008 SLH. I have yet to do a side by side comparison but this one is more my style. I still get some green flavors but their's plenty of sweet fruit to go with it. Ready to enjoy now but I'd love to see what it does in a couple years. Still one of my favorite $20ish PN's.
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11/9/2010 - gjv115 wrote: 89 Points
A delicious, soft, California Pinot. A crowd pleaser. Great value.
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11/8/2010 - rrschrumjr wrote: 91 Points
Ruby in color. Extremely earthy, with a bit of minerality and some fruit on the edge of the earth. Some bright, tart cherries.
Not as minerally as an Oregon or colder-weather pinot; also lacks the graphite characteristic of those types of pinots.
I'm imagine that the earthiness will fade with age. This is one of the heaviest pinots I've ever had.
But it's drinking absolutely fantastic right now. Great fruit, full mouthfeel with the earthiness. Overall, just outstanding.
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