Quite advanced, turning cloudy brick orange at the rim, it looked and tasted considerably older than a 2002 Burgundy that was also at the table. Generally, cloudiness and color doesn't much concern me, but this bottle lacked the energy and clarity that a 2009 Rivers Marie Sonoma Coast showed last year. In the case of this bottle, it seems to be on its downward slope. Disappointing given the price of admission.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At first, I thought this was dead. No fruit at all. But after a little air, it started to show its stuff. Lovely, understated, interesting pinot. Don't wait much longer; drink it up while it is still good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big, ripe and rich with pomegranate, cherry and raspberry notes. Not showing a lot of maturity, although the structure has softened. The ripeness comes across as a bit sweet... nice, but not sure I would want to drink more than a glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10 years old for the entry level pinot... yet still quite primary and vibrant. Full of red fruits, spice and orange peel. Still quite alive on day 2. Very impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour and enjoyed over a three day period. First day was with food (turkey tacos, in case you were wondering). Final day, the wine was tasted on its own. Ruby-brown color. Wine shows some bricking. Nose offers tangerine peel and some red cherry and sandalwood notes. Deep red fruits - cranberry, ripe raspberries and that orange/tangerine peel element. Nice richness to the wine without being candied. The orange peel element is quite distinctive and present. This held up quite well on the third day, with good fruit and acidity all nicely balanced and inviting. A delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cloudy ruby red. Sweet cranberry and pomegranate fruit with some orange peel on the finish. Not as heavy and lacking the cherry cola flavors so prominent in many California Pinots. Well balanced, very lovely.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP, nose is all about freshly peeled oranges. Color is a bit cloudy and a touch brickish. The palate is orange peel, herbs and cherry cola - some acid. This is okay but not really in my wheelhouse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This poured even a little bit brickish in color (surprising as 2010 not that old). Lots of orange peel. Maybe some sour red fruits. A good kindof every day bottle, but didn't jump out at me. Fun to try though as I've heard great things but never tried before.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP and drunk over 2 nights. A bit cloudy but very nice on the nose with classic pinot bite. Tastes of sour cherry and cranberry and some citrus....went down easy. Not cheap but a very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rotating Dinner Series: Rivers Marie (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Served double blind in flight on 08/10 Summa OV and 10 Gioia. A wow, lifted nose of cherry, raspberry, blueberry and ethereal spices. Classic Sonoma Coast aromas. The palate is gorgeously silky and lithe. So pure and precise with good richness. Long, lifted finish. This falls right within my ideal of Rivers Marie from cool, coastal vineyards.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Rotating Dinners, II.3: Rivers Marie 2008-2014 (Chicago, IL): This was my wine of the night. The nose and palate show a fruit profile that is ripe, but with tart elements. The generous and expansive fruit here leans to the red end of the spectrum. And even though the ripeness here makes you perceive the wine as being somewhat sweet, there's still some acidity to lift this wine up from being heavy. This is what my conception of great California pinot is, but no matter what, that is not a genre that I enjoy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
14.5% abv. Medium burgundy red, expressive aromas. Raspberry, a little black cherry, a minty note and baking spice on the palate. Tonight this wine was absolutely singing and I'd expect it will continue to age and old well for many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2nd time I've had the pleasure with this one. First bottle was the better drink, but this was still good. Aromatics are so engaging. Spice, orange rind, incense, so alluring. Palate was very deft, but not the wow of bottle from a year ago. Paired with the '10 Occidental from R-M and that was great. Red fruits and spice were the lead on the Summa. Very nice bottle drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. My first old vines from Rivers-Marie; loved the older W-S and more recent Littorai bottles. Medium ruby. Kaleidocopic intense nose - spice,mint, berries, apple, and perhaps a hint of blood orange. On the palate initially a bit constricted in the mid-palate but with a very long and intense grapey finish. This needs to stretch. Lovely wine after 30 minutes or so. Last and only bottle. On added point: this seemed to fade quite rapidly - by the next day it was a shadow of its initial self. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking well. Pomegranate, raspberry, rhubarb, orange peel, pine needles, lots of juicy acids up front with just enough tannins to hold it together on the finish. Long, tart finish. Great way to welcome back the Underwoods to Netflix!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needed lots of time to open up and was better on second day when it had mellowed. Had a lot of sour cherry, almost raspberry with citrus and classic orange rind nose
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured at Crop Bistro. The nose here just leaps out of the glass, with an alluring mix of red fruit, orange peel, eucalyptus (or maybe pine) and a savory tomato aspect. The same flavors carry through to the palate. There was little apparent tannic structure after opening, but by the last glass the tannins were more pronounced and the affability of this became obvious. A "wow" wine for me. I love R-M but don't always buy the OV. I will now.94(+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At first taste kind of acidic followed by nice red fruit. But, as the glass went along, the acid sort of began to build up and make you not want to drink more. The second day it just tasted of sour cherry. Obtained on winebid.com which probably had nothing to do with it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured and consumed over two days. Frank Murray nailed this one with the pine needle and purple flower on the nose. Follows through on the palate with cola, pomegranate and red fruit. Didn't budge much over two days but there isn't any real tannic structure either. This is open and ready to go. This is really nice wine and distinctive from other Cali Pinot. Still, my heart and soul belong to the old world.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well, I burned myself on this bottle. I thought it was the 2010 Sonoma Coast, and I had that bottle in the same cellar slot. I didn't realize it was the Old Vine until I was waxing onto my dinner group about how well the SC does every year for $25 and then I noticed the vineyard designation on the label! Funny. Anyway, this bottle of Summa OV disappeared within about 15 mins of being shared to the glasses. I had opened about an hour prior and popped it into the fridge to take it down just a couple degrees in temp. Pouring into the glass, has the signature RM aromatic--the purple flower, pine needle, 5 spice. The palate is similar to the way I recall a few of the last bottles, with the strawberry, pomegranate, caramel red apple and the cool pine needle in the finish. And, of course, the orange rind note. We paired with a stuffed mushroom that was topped with a chooped italian sausage and parmesean--really went great, with the richness of the appetizer marrying so well with the texture and signature RM acidity and fruit. I only had one of these bottles so that's all she wrote for the 2010 OV!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rivers Marie Summa Old Vines Vertical (Elks Tower Penthouse, Sacramento, CA): Tight, minerally nose. Juicy black cherries with mouth cleaning acids. Prominent acidity and lean feeling wines seems to be the theme of the 2010 show. This needs to awaken some but I'm not certain the fruit concentration is here for something long lived in terms of development. Should be very nice in a shorter window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
7/21/2023 - Remon K wrote: 96 Points
How many Pinot Noirs of this quality are there at this price? It's a blessing to be able to drink wine comparable to Burgundy Grand Crew in the 100$
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2022 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious sour red cherry, rhubarb, and earth on the nose and savory palate with floral notes the lovely long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2022 - davudvl Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lots of secondary and tertiary flavors. Almost no fruit left. Tasted a little “ thin” to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2022 - CatK2k wrote:
Fantastic!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2021 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious sour red cherry, rhubarb, and earth on the nose and palate with floral notes, finishing long with lovely acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2021 - thalver wrote:
Quite advanced, turning cloudy brick orange at the rim, it looked and tasted considerably older than a 2002 Burgundy that was also at the table. Generally, cloudiness and color doesn't much concern me, but this bottle lacked the energy and clarity that a 2009 Rivers Marie Sonoma Coast showed last year. In the case of this bottle, it seems to be on its downward slope. Disappointing given the price of admission.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2021 - zinnut wrote: 89 Points
This was excellent with food. Afterwards it was dead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2020 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely wine with plenty of structure left. Drinks well now with about 45 min of air or should continue to age well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2020 - MLwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
At first, I thought this was dead. No fruit at all. But after a little air, it started to show its stuff. Lovely, understated, interesting pinot. Don't wait much longer; drink it up while it is still good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 87 Points
A good mouthful of West Coast Pinot. However, I found it flabby and a bit tired. Drink up. (87)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2020 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Big, ripe and rich with pomegranate, cherry and raspberry notes. Not showing a lot of maturity, although the structure has softened. The ripeness comes across as a bit sweet... nice, but not sure I would want to drink more than a glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2020 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
10 years old for the entry level pinot... yet still quite primary and vibrant. Full of red fruits, spice and orange peel. Still quite alive on day 2. Very impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2020 - jc510 wrote:
fell apart 2 hours in, big wine, classic Sonoma Coast profile. Nice nose. It's possible this bottle was not stored well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2019 - t_moderne wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour and enjoyed over a three day period.
First day was with food (turkey tacos, in case you were wondering).
Final day, the wine was tasted on its own.
Ruby-brown color. Wine shows some bricking.
Nose offers tangerine peel and some red cherry and sandalwood notes.
Deep red fruits - cranberry, ripe raspberries and that orange/tangerine peel element. Nice richness to the wine without being candied. The orange peel element is quite distinctive and present.
This held up quite well on the third day, with good fruit and acidity all nicely balanced and inviting.
A delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Cloudy ruby red. Sweet cranberry and pomegranate fruit with some orange peel on the finish. Not as heavy and lacking the cherry cola flavors so prominent in many California Pinots. Well balanced, very lovely.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote: 89 Points
PnP, nose is all about freshly peeled oranges. Color is a bit cloudy and a touch brickish. The palate is orange peel, herbs and cherry cola - some acid. This is okay but not really in my wheelhouse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
This poured even a little bit brickish in color (surprising as 2010 not that old). Lots of orange peel. Maybe some sour red fruits. A good kindof every day bottle, but didn't jump out at me. Fun to try though as I've heard great things but never tried before.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2018 - Mr T wrote:
PNP and drunk over 2 nights. A bit cloudy but very nice on the nose with classic pinot bite. Tastes of sour cherry and cranberry and some citrus....went down easy. Not cheap but a very nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2018 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Rotating Dinner Series: Rivers Marie (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Served double blind in flight on 08/10 Summa OV and 10 Gioia. A wow, lifted nose of cherry, raspberry, blueberry and ethereal spices. Classic Sonoma Coast aromas. The palate is gorgeously silky and lithe. So pure and precise with good richness. Long, lifted finish. This falls right within my ideal of Rivers Marie from cool, coastal vineyards.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2018 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
The Rotating Dinners, II.3: Rivers Marie 2008-2014 (Chicago, IL): This was my wine of the night. The nose and palate show a fruit profile that is ripe, but with tart elements. The generous and expansive fruit here leans to the red end of the spectrum. And even though the ripeness here makes you perceive the wine as being somewhat sweet, there's still some acidity to lift this wine up from being heavy. This is what my conception of great California pinot is, but no matter what, that is not a genre that I enjoy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2018 - gsiokis wrote: 93 Points
One of the fav's of the night. Sour Cherry. Long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2017 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 95 Points
14.5% abv. Medium burgundy red, expressive aromas. Raspberry, a little black cherry, a minty note and baking spice on the palate. Tonight this wine was absolutely singing and I'd expect it will continue to age and old well for many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2017 - btock Likes this wine: 92 Points
2nd time I've had the pleasure with this one. First bottle was the better drink, but this was still good. Aromatics are so engaging. Spice, orange rind, incense, so alluring. Palate was very deft, but not the wow of bottle from a year ago. Paired with the '10 Occidental from R-M and that was great. Red fruits and spice were the lead on the Summa. Very nice bottle drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2017 - rosenst1 wrote: 93 Points
PnP. My first old vines from Rivers-Marie; loved the older W-S and more recent Littorai bottles. Medium ruby. Kaleidocopic intense nose - spice,mint, berries, apple, and perhaps a hint of blood orange. On the palate initially a bit constricted in the mid-palate but with a very long and intense grapey finish. This needs to stretch. Lovely wine after 30 minutes or so. Last and only bottle. On added point: this seemed to fade quite rapidly - by the next day it was a shadow of its initial self. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2016 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Drinking well. Pomegranate, raspberry, rhubarb, orange peel, pine needles, lots of juicy acids up front with just enough tannins to hold it together on the finish. Long, tart finish. Great way to welcome back the Underwoods to Netflix!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2015 - Acohen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed lots of time to open up and was better on second day when it had mellowed. Had a lot of sour cherry, almost raspberry with citrus and classic orange rind nose
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2015 - Dale B. wrote:
Hopefully in a dumb phase. Quite a bit of heat on the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/11/2015 - Tel007 wrote:
Very nice. In a great spot right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2015 - twelch wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. Nice fruit spice, orange peel
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2014 - jmull Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at Crop Bistro. The nose here just leaps out of the glass, with an alluring mix of red fruit, orange peel, eucalyptus (or maybe pine) and a savory tomato aspect. The same flavors carry through to the palate. There was little apparent tannic structure after opening, but by the last glass the tannins were more pronounced and the affability of this became obvious. A "wow" wine for me. I love R-M but don't always buy the OV. I will now.94(+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2014 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 87 Points
At first taste kind of acidic followed by nice red fruit. But, as the glass went along, the acid sort of began to build up and make you not want to drink more. The second day it just tasted of sour cherry. Obtained on winebid.com which probably had nothing to do with it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2014 - EhrlichDY wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured and consumed over two days. Frank Murray nailed this one with the pine needle and purple flower on the nose. Follows through on the palate with cola, pomegranate and red fruit. Didn't budge much over two days but there isn't any real tannic structure either. This is open and ready to go. This is really nice wine and distinctive from other Cali Pinot. Still, my heart and soul belong to the old world.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - Barbaro wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Drinking beautifully right now. Very interesting mix of fruit and forest floor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2013 - cubswinws wrote: flawed
Sour stinky stew-like mess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Well, I burned myself on this bottle. I thought it was the 2010 Sonoma Coast, and I had that bottle in the same cellar slot. I didn't realize it was the Old Vine until I was waxing onto my dinner group about how well the SC does every year for $25 and then I noticed the vineyard designation on the label! Funny. Anyway, this bottle of Summa OV disappeared within about 15 mins of being shared to the glasses. I had opened about an hour prior and popped it into the fridge to take it down just a couple degrees in temp. Pouring into the glass, has the signature RM aromatic--the purple flower, pine needle, 5 spice. The palate is similar to the way I recall a few of the last bottles, with the strawberry, pomegranate, caramel red apple and the cool pine needle in the finish. And, of course, the orange rind note. We paired with a stuffed mushroom that was topped with a chooped italian sausage and parmesean--really went great, with the richness of the appetizer marrying so well with the texture and signature RM acidity and fruit. I only had one of these bottles so that's all she wrote for the 2010 OV!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2012 - WetRock wrote:
Rivers Marie Summa Old Vines Vertical (Elks Tower Penthouse, Sacramento, CA): Tight, minerally nose. Juicy black cherries with mouth cleaning acids. Prominent acidity and lean feeling wines seems to be the theme of the 2010 show. This needs to awaken some but I'm not certain the fruit concentration is here for something long lived in terms of development. Should be very nice in a shorter window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2012 - Fulcrum wrote: 89 Points
Burnt purple, very delicate color. Very mellow bouquet red fruit, bramble and raspberries. Pallet follows the nose, reserved and light.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment