Much better than the last bottle. Pleasant nose, raspberry, dried strawberries, hint of cedar. Lightly murky, Really integrated, fine to medium body. Fruit holding up well, seamless on the palate. Excellent medium plus finish with a clean after taste.
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Much better than I remember from my last bottle. Air helps - but it was already strutting it's stuff 15 minutes after popping the bottle open.
Nose is earthy, stemy, mild cranberry, and a mild dash of oak derived spices. Light bodied, a lot of lively acidity, and lots of fruit depth. Palate starts off with cherries, stems, light strawberries, tart cranberries, orange and olong tea, and a hint of well integrated spice. Mild-to-medium structure that brings in more leaves/stems and a lot of earth notes. Extremely long finish of tart berries, stems, tea leaves, earth, dirt (in a good way), minerals, and black pepper.
A ton of complexity and easy drinking. Balanced and deep. I am having a hard time thinking of a better CA Pinot.
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Had once before, five months ago when I popped and poured, thinking that a 14 year old Pinot would not need air. It was non-giving and I assumed it was past its prime. Winemaker Eric Lundblad said that despite its age it needs air so I reloaded at BD and followed his double decant instructions - poured 2 cups out and returned to bottle and the cellar at 62 degrees. Redecanted three hours later and poured first glass. Waaay better than last time. This is a wine in its prime. No perceptible bricking, fruit still intact, acidity and tannins in balance. It continued to evolve over the next couple hours, extending a long finish. Blows away CA Pinots at more than twice the price. Excellent wine, drink up but hear the man: give it some air to maximize your experience.
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Tasted after 90 minutes of air. Sweet raspberry fruit. Medium garnet color. Savory fruit. Good crunch. Expressive tea notes on the mid palate. Some spice.
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Tasted after 90 minutes of air. Another great Berserkers Day XIII purchase. Some tea and spice on the nose. Medium garnet and bricking. Sweet cherries. Tangy acidity. No way I would guess this was 14 years old when tasted. The only give away is the color. Nice finish.
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BD purchase, first wine from this interesting winery. Drank out of a giant burg glass. Some definite browning going on with age. Nose stone, forest floor. Smells like a clover filled field on a nice day. Some earth, subtle. On palate initially the acid was far too prominent. With time, say thirty minutes it really balanced out. Very round, great texture, fairly long aftertaste. Alcohol cuts through here and there and there is definitely some bitter notes. Leather, tobacco, orange, carrot. Really quite lovely and an absolute steal at the price. I’d say best wine under $30 in my life. Bravo. Four hours later update: much more earthy. Each sip has been better! No alcohol intrusion or obtuse bitter notes. A decant makes sense. Drink or hold.
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Drank this to the sounds of the album by the same name. Not nearly as intense as the music, but very well balanced and burgundian in style. Hints of earth, a bit of dried cherry on the finish. Outstanding value and not the overripe fruit bombs I normally drink for Pinot. Lots of elegance here. Has more life but seems beautiful now.
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Lighter in profile, almost Burgundian. Medium red, raspberry and red fruit, hints of spice and sous bois on nose. Long finish with minimal tannins. Good for drinking now.
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Similar to the other Ladd pinot I've had so far. Really delicious raspberry bramble, cherry, a bit of forest floor, medium light style, some floral notes.
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Nose fairly restrained. Earth and light berry. Beautiful wine, similar to other Ladd offerings - but better. Feminine and restrained (in a good way). Shows lots of tea, light raspberry, moving to earth and mushroom. Love the complexity with secondary floral flavors of roses and violets. Balanced tannins and acidity.
Hint of pinot funk and cherry on the nose, on the palate cherry raspberry bramble. Balanced acidity and tannin, a very elegant and food friendly bottle with good depth, beautiful.
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A refined and elegant pinot, with dried fruit, earth, spice, smoke, and cherry. Medium+ acid, so this paired very well with food. Light in color but with well-integrated tannins. I am not sure if it was bottle variation or our palate preferences at the time, but we actually preferred the 2008 RRV appellation wine consumed a few months ago.
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Medium garnet with some magenta rim, brambles and nettles nose. Dry with brambles, mineral, light roast beef, medium fruit and body. Nice acid balance with the tannins. Bright berry, raspberry and currants on the start with metallic elements on the finish. Good stuff for the AFWE crowd. Fruit starting to show with some open time and becoming more integrated with the acid. Drinking superbly on the second night, nicely tart with integrated tannins.
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Drank over 2 nights with dinner. Notes of strawberry, raspberry, forest floor, and an abundance of mineral. Very fine chalky tannins, crisp acidity, and well balanced. Finessed and elegant, and a nice medium+ finish with good cut. Too bad this is my last bottle.
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PnP notes of steel and tart red fruit - literally. steel, in the most pleasant way. Beautifully balanced, refined, classic pinot on the palate. Very nice rather long tart/bitter finish. Absolutely delicious. On night 2 a little of the complexity and mineral notes had faded, but still great.
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Falltacular 2012 (FMIII in the OC): OK, I like this wine. Raspberry and red fruit, well balanced, nice lingering finish. This has everything I like in a Cali pinot, good job.
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Wonderful finesse and balance! Lovely texture and floral aromatics. Complex red and black fruit with floral and spice notes. Developed and changed through the evening. Tasted prerelease
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10/19/2023 - jc510 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than the last bottle. Pleasant nose, raspberry, dried strawberries, hint of cedar. Lightly murky, Really integrated, fine to medium body. Fruit holding up well, seamless on the palate. Excellent medium plus finish with a clean after taste.
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9/18/2023 - Discobiscuits42 wrote: flawed
Cork failed, oxidized. A great shame.
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9/1/2023 - ChateauShiny Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much better than I remember from my last bottle. Air helps - but it was already strutting it's stuff 15 minutes after popping the bottle open.
Nose is earthy, stemy, mild cranberry, and a mild dash of oak derived spices. Light bodied, a lot of lively acidity, and lots of fruit depth. Palate starts off with cherries, stems, light strawberries, tart cranberries, orange and olong tea, and a hint of well integrated spice. Mild-to-medium structure that brings in more leaves/stems and a lot of earth notes. Extremely long finish of tart berries, stems, tea leaves, earth, dirt (in a good way), minerals, and black pepper.
A ton of complexity and easy drinking. Balanced and deep. I am having a hard time thinking of a better CA Pinot.
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5/14/2023 - Giller63 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had once before, five months ago when I popped and poured, thinking that a 14 year old Pinot would not need air. It was non-giving and I assumed it was past its prime. Winemaker Eric Lundblad said that despite its age it needs air so I reloaded at BD and followed his double decant instructions - poured 2 cups out and returned to bottle and the cellar at 62 degrees. Redecanted three hours later and poured first glass. Waaay better than last time. This is a wine in its prime. No perceptible bricking, fruit still intact, acidity and tannins in balance. It continued to evolve over the next couple hours, extending a long finish. Blows away CA Pinots at more than twice the price. Excellent wine, drink up but hear the man: give it some air to maximize your experience.
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4/17/2023 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ready now, in a good spot, well integrated.
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11/25/2022 - Brian Glas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted after 90 minutes of air. Sweet raspberry fruit. Medium garnet color. Savory fruit. Good crunch. Expressive tea notes on the mid palate. Some spice.
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10/23/2022 - ChateauShiny Likes this wine: 92 Points
Didn't take any TNs, but this was excellent. Didn't last long once opened.
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6/12/2022 - Brian Glas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted after 90 minutes of air. Another great Berserkers Day XIII purchase. Some tea and spice on the nose. Medium garnet and bricking. Sweet cherries. Tangy acidity. No way I would guess this was 14 years old when tasted. The only give away is the color. Nice finish.
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5/24/2022 - Discobiscuits42 Likes this wine: 95 Points
BD purchase, first wine from this interesting winery. Drank out of a giant burg glass. Some definite browning going on with age. Nose stone, forest floor. Smells like a clover filled field on a nice day. Some earth, subtle. On palate initially the acid was far too prominent. With time, say thirty minutes it really balanced out. Very round, great texture, fairly long aftertaste. Alcohol cuts through here and there and there is definitely some bitter notes. Leather, tobacco, orange, carrot. Really quite lovely and an absolute steal at the price. I’d say best wine under $30 in my life. Bravo. Four hours later update: much more earthy. Each sip has been better! No alcohol intrusion or obtuse bitter notes. A decant makes sense. Drink or hold.
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8/20/2017 - WineCPA wrote: 93 Points
Drank this to the sounds of the album by the same name. Not nearly as intense as the music, but very well balanced and burgundian in style. Hints of earth, a bit of dried cherry on the finish. Outstanding value and not the overripe fruit bombs I normally drink for Pinot. Lots of elegance here. Has more life but seems beautiful now.
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7/1/2017 - Andrew H wrote: 92 Points
Lighter in profile, almost Burgundian. Medium red, raspberry and red fruit, hints of spice and sous bois on nose. Long finish with minimal tannins. Good for drinking now.
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7/3/2015 - BURGHen Boy wrote: 88 Points
Smokey and oaky. Liked the flavor profile as neither was overwhelming. Fruit a little hidden.
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7/1/2015 - markswine wrote:
It has a sweet then bitter thing that prevents me from liking this more.
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5/17/2015 - td1836 wrote: 92 Points
Similar to the other Ladd pinot I've had so far. Really delicious raspberry bramble, cherry, a bit of forest floor, medium light style, some floral notes.
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4/29/2015 - TC16 wrote: 93 Points
Nose fairly restrained. Earth and light berry. Beautiful wine, similar to other Ladd offerings - but better. Feminine and restrained (in a good way). Shows lots of tea, light raspberry, moving to earth and mushroom. Love the complexity with secondary floral flavors of roses and violets. Balanced tannins and acidity.
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2/15/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 91 Points
Hint of pinot funk and cherry on the nose, on the palate cherry raspberry bramble. Balanced acidity and tannin, a very elegant and food friendly bottle with good depth, beautiful.
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10/15/2014 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A refined and elegant pinot, with dried fruit, earth, spice, smoke, and cherry. Medium+ acid, so this paired very well with food.
Light in color but with well-integrated tannins.
I am not sure if it was bottle variation or our palate preferences at the time, but we actually preferred the 2008 RRV appellation wine consumed a few months ago.
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7/3/2014 - dsgris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium garnet with some magenta rim, brambles and nettles nose. Dry with brambles, mineral, light roast beef, medium fruit and body. Nice acid balance with the tannins. Bright berry, raspberry and currants on the start with metallic elements on the finish. Good stuff for the AFWE crowd. Fruit starting to show with some open time and becoming more integrated with the acid. Drinking superbly on the second night, nicely tart with integrated tannins.
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7/2/2014 - DRS-Inc wrote: 92 Points
Drank over 2 nights with dinner. Notes of strawberry, raspberry, forest floor, and an abundance of mineral. Very fine chalky tannins, crisp acidity, and well balanced. Finessed and elegant, and a nice medium+ finish with good cut. Too bad this is my last bottle.
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6/11/2014 - blakel Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP notes of steel and tart red fruit - literally. steel, in the most pleasant way. Beautifully balanced, refined, classic pinot on the palate. Very nice rather long tart/bitter finish. Absolutely delicious. On night 2 a little of the complexity and mineral notes had faded, but still great.
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6/2/2013 - ToddS Does not like this wine:
Just seems like the fruit wasn't ripe when picked. Not quite green. A little sour.
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1/15/2012 - brigcampbell wrote: 92 Points
Falltacular 2012 (FMIII in the OC): OK, I like this wine. Raspberry and red fruit, well balanced, nice lingering finish. This has everything I like in a Cali pinot, good job.
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8/11/2011 - RedWineAndRoses wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful finesse and balance! Lovely texture and floral aromatics. Complex red and black fruit with floral and spice notes. Developed and changed through the evening. Tasted prerelease
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6/18/2011 - rentmp3 wrote: 88 Points
Pinot Days 2011 - San Francisco, CA (Fort Mason Center - Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, CA): Floral, harsh tannins, slightly hot, little oak.
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