Pinot Noir Mini-Tasting; 1/19/2019-1/26/2019: Slo-oxed for 10 minutes and this wine needs more air. With air it releases aromas of dark red fruits. A medium plus bodied wine that is wonderfully balanced, with a palate full of dark red fruits (mostly black cherry), some earthiness, a bit of cola, and a touch of spice. No evidence of the 14.8% abv on the medium plus finish. Should hold for a couple of years.
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Last bottle from a batch bought during a visit to the winery. Poured through a vinituri, decanted for about 45 minutes, drank over 90. Paired with my Italian "straccato" beef roast, basmati rice and black beans
From prior notes: "Medium ruby color, some cloudiness. Bright red fruits, raspberry and cherry, savory meats/bacon fat.Baking spices and herbs on back palate..." Nice to revisit this, its put on some weight. The decant developed some great secondary flavors. Bright raspberry, red fruits, candied fruits, caramel, brown sugar and spice through the mid palate.
There will be stylistic debate on this - pure Burgundy drinkers will find this too concentrated and big. For CA Pinot, it's a gorgeous wine at this point. Only criticism its it is a little hot for Pinot (~15%ABV). Nice texture and mouthfeel. I think this is at its best over the next 3 years...
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At a dinner for my wine group, we had the following (in order), 2013 Domaine Bzikot Bourgogne Blanc, 2012 Evening Land Pinot Noir – Seven Springs Vineyard, 2010 Martinelli Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir, 2012 The Farm Winery "Touchy Feely", 2012 Calder Syrah Truchard Vineyard Napa and the 2011 Paul Jaboulet Aine Cornas Domaine de Saint Pierre. All the wines were opened at least 45 minutes before we poured the first one, they were all capped with measured pourers.
Our third wine of the night. Not quite as impressive at the Evening Land that preceded it. Much darker in color, almost reminded my of a hypothetical cross between Zinfandel and Pinto Noir. A Zin-Pinot. Stood up well to the hot peppers in my chicken dish.
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Blind tasting, 15 people. All of the wine bottle labels were covered with tape, and we had 2 bottles of each of the following, in order: 2009 Martinelli Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard Sea Ridge Meadow, 2013 Martinelli Syrah Vellutini Ranch, 2010 The Table Pinot Noir, 2010 Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard, and the 2011 Martinelli Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch. All of the wines were opened, but not decanted 30 minutes before we started trying them. The last wine was probably open for 90 minutes before we tried it. The Table Pinot was poured into empty Martinelli bottles, to make ID'ing them harder, so those wines got a little more air.
My WOTN (with the Syrah 2nd). Bigger than the other Pinots at the tasting. I have always liked Martinelli's Bondi Pinots, often preferring them to the Blue Slide Ridge's in blind tastings.
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Lovely Burgundy color with a bouquet and flavor of raspberries and strawberries with undertones of Pinot spiciness, brown sugar, and oak. Wonderful balance, nuance, and depth with a long finish. Really a beautiful wine. So much better than tasteless Burgundies.
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Drank with a 2000 Pavillon Rouge, making for a big contrast. The wine had a lovely Burgundy color and took a while to open up. It had a bouquet and flavor of raspberries and dark cherries, toasty oak, and Pinot spiciness. It was a big wine with the balance only slightly impaired by tannins and alcohol. It had very good definition and nuance and a long finish. It was similar to a bottle drunk in 2013. It will likely improve over a few more years.
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Restores my faith in Martinelli. Great nose, flavor, balance and finish. Also, drank over three night under pump, still good third night. But nice, rich, mid-palate flavor. Drink anytime.
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On the patio, nice summer evening with Val, Chiemi, Eileen, Karen...Opened the evening with this one...drank over 45 minutes
Medium ruby color, some cloudiness. Bright red fruits, raspberry and cherry, savory meats/bacon fat.Baking spices and herbs on back palate.
Martinelli is very reliable in my experience, this was a nice fruit forward, lean bottle without being too overripe (California) ...this wine should continue to improve, drinks well now
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Burgundy color with vibrant cherry flavors ending with some toasty oak and brown sugar. Good balance and nuance with a fairly long finish. Very Lovely Pinot Noir.
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Much better than the first bottle (which itself was not bad), which makes me think this is going to benefit from another year or so in the cellar. A little spicy but well balanced without being too fruity.
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4/30/2021 - IAmVintage wrote: 92 Points
Medium bodied, splash of cherry cola, very light brambly spice mid-palate. Last bottle held up well with age.
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4/8/2019 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Purplish core, brownish rim. Barnyard/brett nose, slight leather with dark cherry. Hafta say, I like it... drink.
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4/7/2019 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very enjoyable. Probably a little past its prime. Fruit a bit soft. Well balanced.
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1/25/2019 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
Pinot Noir Mini-Tasting; 1/19/2019-1/26/2019: Slo-oxed for 10 minutes and this wine needs more air. With air it releases aromas of dark red fruits. A medium plus bodied wine that is wonderfully balanced, with a palate full of dark red fruits (mostly black cherry), some earthiness, a bit of cola, and a touch of spice. No evidence of the 14.8% abv on the medium plus finish. Should hold for a couple of years.
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11/9/2017 - ctjared Likes this wine:
deep rich nose, dark candied cherry (maybe a bit too much PNP), some alcohol at the end?. medium plus finish
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11/1/2017 - Minnesota wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully. Unfortunately last bottle from 2010 vintage.
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10/15/2017 - ctjared Likes this wine:
drinking well. mix of red and dark fruit, medium plus finish
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3/1/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle from a batch bought during a visit to the winery. Poured through a vinituri, decanted for about 45 minutes, drank over 90. Paired with my Italian "straccato" beef roast, basmati rice and black beans
From prior notes: "Medium ruby color, some cloudiness. Bright red fruits, raspberry and cherry, savory meats/bacon fat.Baking spices and herbs on back palate..." Nice to revisit this, its put on some weight. The decant developed some great secondary flavors. Bright raspberry, red fruits, candied fruits, caramel, brown sugar and spice through the mid palate.
There will be stylistic debate on this - pure Burgundy drinkers will find this too concentrated and big. For CA Pinot, it's a gorgeous wine at this point. Only criticism its it is a little hot for Pinot (~15%ABV). Nice texture and mouthfeel. I think this is at its best over the next 3 years...
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11/4/2016 - ctjared Likes this wine:
mix of red and dark fruit. medium plus finish, even good the second night.
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9/20/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
At a dinner for my wine group, we had the following (in order), 2013 Domaine Bzikot Bourgogne Blanc, 2012 Evening Land Pinot Noir – Seven Springs Vineyard,
2010 Martinelli Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir, 2012 The Farm Winery "Touchy Feely", 2012 Calder Syrah Truchard Vineyard Napa and the 2011 Paul Jaboulet Aine Cornas Domaine de Saint Pierre. All the wines were opened at least 45 minutes before we poured the first one, they were all capped with measured pourers.
Our third wine of the night. Not quite as impressive at the Evening Land that preceded it. Much darker in color, almost reminded my of a hypothetical cross between Zinfandel and Pinto Noir. A Zin-Pinot. Stood up well to the hot peppers in my chicken dish.
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4/3/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blind tasting, 15 people. All of the wine bottle labels were covered with tape, and we had 2 bottles of each of the following, in order: 2009 Martinelli Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard Sea Ridge Meadow, 2013 Martinelli Syrah Vellutini Ranch, 2010 The Table Pinot Noir,
2010 Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard, and the 2011 Martinelli Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch. All of the wines were opened, but not decanted 30 minutes before we started trying them. The last wine was probably open for 90 minutes before we tried it. The Table Pinot was poured into empty Martinelli bottles, to make ID'ing them harder, so those wines got a little more air.
My WOTN (with the Syrah 2nd). Bigger than the other Pinots at the tasting. I have always liked Martinelli's Bondi Pinots, often preferring them to the Blue Slide Ridge's in blind tastings.
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3/8/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely Burgundy color with a bouquet and flavor of raspberries and strawberries with undertones of Pinot spiciness, brown sugar, and oak. Wonderful balance, nuance, and depth with a long finish. Really a beautiful wine. So much better than tasteless Burgundies.
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1/3/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank with a 2000 Pavillon Rouge, making for a big contrast. The wine had a lovely Burgundy color and took a while to open up. It had a bouquet and flavor of raspberries and dark cherries, toasty oak, and Pinot spiciness. It was a big wine with the balance only slightly impaired by tannins and alcohol. It had very good definition and nuance and a long finish. It was similar to a bottle drunk in 2013. It will likely improve over a few more years.
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12/28/2015 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great fruit. Very nice. Enjoyed over two days. Somewhat better the 2nd day.
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8/30/2015 - levinml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Restores my faith in Martinelli. Great nose, flavor, balance and finish. Also, drank over three night under pump, still good third night. But nice, rich, mid-palate flavor. Drink anytime.
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8/3/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
On the patio, nice summer evening with Val, Chiemi, Eileen, Karen...Opened the evening with this one...drank over 45 minutes
Medium ruby color, some cloudiness. Bright red fruits, raspberry and cherry, savory meats/bacon fat.Baking spices and herbs on back palate.
Martinelli is very reliable in my experience, this was a nice fruit forward, lean bottle without being too overripe (California) ...this wine should continue to improve, drinks well now
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6/12/2014 - jeffm_fla wrote: 89 Points
A style change from the Helen Turley years, this wine didn't seem as Hedonistic as what I'm used to from Martinelli. Pretty good
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4/5/2014 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 91 Points
lean and focused with raspberry and cherry flavors and some spice. RP not rated, WS 92
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8/1/2013 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Burgundy color with vibrant cherry flavors ending with some toasty oak and brown sugar. Good balance and nuance with a fairly long finish. Very Lovely Pinot Noir.
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11/12/2012 - Lee Fining wrote: 88 Points
Medium red pinot. Main character is smoke, meat and mineral.
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11/11/2012 - Pipcelot wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at 2012 Pinot Days in LA. Very nice Burgundian style pinot.
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6/10/2012 - randymac88 wrote: 92 Points
Much better than the first bottle (which itself was not bad), which makes me think this is going to benefit from another year or so in the cellar. A little spicy but well balanced without being too fruity.
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