This continues to impress. Poured somewhat cloudy, it had a tart cherry and minerally nose. Medium bodied; no sense of alcohol/heat; flavors of tart cherry with some minerals and stone on the finish.
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Still drinking beautifully! No sign of even secondary flavors, this pinot pours dark with edges of ruby. It’s medium-bodied, with a raspberry/cherry nose. That essence continues on the palate - really tasty - with some tart acidity, citrus, and hint of spice bringing up the finish. Drank nearly the same on day two also.
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First well aged TRB Rivers Marie. When you understand that TRB wines are a long hold, its not much of stretch to know it is can be a easy guess as who made this wine. Especially, after nine years in bottle.
The extraction level is all TRB. It’s not Belle Glos Cabernet/Pinot Noir but not Ferren or Williams Selyem. In between & closer to WS. Dark, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plums, dark cherries, raspberries, overtones of blue fruits, smoked meats, incense, dark spice with heat, alcohol fume, stones, dry crushed limestone, dry twigs, menthol, eucalyptus, mint, fresh; dark, red, blue flowers laid in a field of violets. Acidity is like a rain shower with balance & polish for days.
For my palate, this still needs time. Although, it very approachable for most.
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Given its age and year, I was worried about opening it. No concerns. No browning. Great nose with raspberry, cherry, spice, herbs. Seemed slightly sweet on the nose. Loaded with flavors. Raspberry, black cherry, herb, spice, pine needles. Medium bodied with good acidity. Balanced smooth finish. Purchased at released and cellared well. My last bottle, but would be in no hurry to open any remaining bottles. Not really showing any secondary character, but really good and drinks well beyond its price point.
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Decanted, served with dinner, finished later in the evening. Cloudy in the glass the nose just leaps at you with tart red fruit (cranberries, pomegranate, raspberries) and orange peel :). Palate follows nose with some pine needle and soy. Everything is juicy and lush; loads of sunshine and smiles. Terrific value and last of 4. Household favorite CA Pinot producer.
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Damn....this is sexy stuff, especially given the price-point. So much acid on the palate with the hallmark murky red color, tart cranberries, rhubarb and spiced orange peel notes. Finish just lasts and lasts from the acidity pulling on the back of the tongue. Still so juicy and fresher than a recently consumed 2010 Sonoma Coast bottling. Just a hint of soy/balsamic starting to develop in the background. Either at or nearing its apex and, as such, I plan to drink my last bottle sometime here in 2020.
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Ripe black and red cherry with good+ weight. Started with god spice and earth hints, but the earth became more/ too dominant after open two hours. Best to drink up.
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PNP, started off very thin, needed an hour to open up. Then lovely raspberry and other red fruit. I didn’t get the cola notes others mentioned, perhaps they integrated with age. Began to fade after a few hours. Drink up.
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Lovely raspberry, spice, and sour red cherries on the nose and palate. Moderate finish with refreshing acidity. Really enjoyed the 2011 and earlier vintages!
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Black cherry and berry on nose and palate with dark chocolate, dried thyme and earth hints slowly emerging. Good+ weight and length, especially for its level and price. An exceptional value wine, drinking perfectly right now. Most likely good through 2023.
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Nicely perfumed of red fruit. Cranberries raspberries and slight strawberries. Clear garnet leaning to some bricking coloring. Tart cherry w/ med acid med tannin med intensity. Good finish moderate length. Great qpr and to my palate still more life ahead.
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PnP. Lean is the best word I can come up with versus other years of the SC. Assuming due to the vintage. Still, an interesting bottle but miss the fruit. I'm going to finish my 2 remaining bottles this year.
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Definitely had the strawberry and raspberry. Felt like the acid was a little strong for me though, almost made me pucker. Not sure if it was the bottle or just where it is for my palate right now. Have one more left to test again in the future.
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Pop and pour. This is still a nice RM pinot, but it is starting to show its age. The slight alcohol that is usually present has increased and the fruit is starting to fade.
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This really came across strongly with the jam notes, raspberries and strawberry preserve. Paired well with the grilled chicken. Interesting that I got the same impression as the '11 Ladd Abigail. Humm..
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My last bottle was 2 years ago and in that TN I said this wine should be consumed in short term. I still believe that and with the bottle tonight, my final one from 2011, it's ready. Ripe raspberry, strawberry and the RM pine needle. Kind of jammy, too. This is ready to go, a good fit for all kinds of palates because it has a little of everything for everyone. As a final thought, I am coming to the belief here now that 2011s across a # of different wines and regions in CA is something we ought to start finishing up. Whether it be Rhys, Rivers-Marie, Copain, etc....these are all coming to peak now.
I love how bright and multilayered this wine is. There is a thick foundation of bright red, acidic fruit running underneath a canopy of darker notes of cola, cigarette smoke and over ripe tree fruits. The finish is fine tannins and lingering cola.
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PnP, consumed over a few hours. Lovely, soft mouthfeel with tart fruits (pomegranate, raspberry, cranberry, cherry) a little pine needle, citrus, and soil. Killer QPR thinking this was $25 back in the day.
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Lots to like, but also with tart, underripe red fruits - mostly sour cherry. Seems to be a consistent characteristic of this wine and not one I enjoy. Otherwise has good texture, plenty of depth and a decent finish.
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My last bottle of three and this was just explosive in fruit and aromas, all the while staying energetic and alive. Just a phenonimal wine for the money.
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PnP and drank over several hours. Much more restrained than some of the other vintages of RM SC, but probably a result of the vintage. Will try decanting next time. I do prefer the more fruit forward vintages.
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Pop and pour. Typical Rivers Marie pinot. Great fruit, slightly big, nice acidity. Qualitatively, this was very close to a vertical of Archery Summit Estates we had the day before - the RM has slightly more acid and is slightly leaner, which could be a positive or a negative depending on your tastes.
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After a couple of not so good bottles, this one was very nice. Ripe red fruit (mostly cherry with a rich, slightly lush texture, nice balance, good structure. Overall very harmonious and Californian in style.
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My 3yr old stuck his nose in the glass and said, "mmm...blackberries and roses" Boy genius - he was right! Nice composition, floral notes on the nose and bright red/black fruits. Engaging finish. Better than previous bottle, think time has helped it settle into a nice place.
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Very perfumed and high toned nose of candied raspberry, orange zest, blue flowers, and incense.
Tangy red fruit on the palate, particularly raspberry, and citrus oil. Light and long on the end palate. Has smoothed out since its earlier youth although not showing much maturity. I'm not convinced it will develop any more complexity or secondary characteristics with age, but it offer up a lot of, pleasure today.
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Tremendously consistent in style from vintage to vintage. Has the RM ripe red-to-purple fruits and orange peel profile, together with tangy and sometimes angular acid that is characteristic of this producer's pinots; this vintage shows a touch of the melted vinyl raisin quality that many California pinots show, but not enough for it to be offensive to my palate. A crowd-pleaser, at a very fair price, and accessible to non-wine geek palates.
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Popped and poured and then followed for an hour. A very California pinot, but it was only 4 years old, and no one drinks four year old pinots. Very interesting, in that no one would confuse this for syrah or and other grape. Bright, intense cherry flavor and that flavor I can't describe that is characteristic of Cali pinot. You'd know it if you saw it . . . or tasted it. Some call it cola, but the more I taste it, the less I think that's what it is. There is also an underlying herbal component in the background.
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Another so-so bottle, although I only had a half-glass and that was shortly after opening. Tasted mostly like unripe fruit with a pronounced sourness on the finish. Perhaps it would have improved with more airtime, but I never had a chance to try it later.
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this really needed a decant as it was much better on nights two and three, gaining more and more earthiness with each night. really tight fruit bomb upon pnp.
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Over a year since my last bottle. I enjoyed a glass y/day, now returning to the bottle a day later for this TN. Pours darker in color. The wine exhibits the features of the 2011 vintage that I enjoy, allowing the tarter qualities to emerge, like cranberry mainly. There is some riper tones, maybe in a chunkier red fruit of raspberry and strawberry, along with the cranberry, pine needle and plenty of citrus zest. All together, has the tang and zest of the vintage, but retains the RM qualities of red, jammy fruits. I have one left, will drink in the next few years as I think this vintage of the SC is going to be fine to consume early.
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Good, very good even. A juicy pinot, balanced but not as engaging as other vintages of this. Still, for the price, I'm hard pressed to name a better value in all of domestic pinot. This had some strawberry on the nose but the midpalate was darker red fruits. Acidity faint in the backdrop, was more about the fruit. A touch soft and saturated vs. expectations.
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This was consumed over the period of about 5 days and was great every day. It didn't improve over the days, but it was solid from the get go. It is hard to beat this wine for the price. In fact, I'm not sure it can be beat by another PN. Raspberry and other red fruits, nice acidity, very balanced. Just a smooth-drinking PN. Love Sonoma Coast.
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Raspberry and earth on the nose. Just a touch above medium bodied, but refined and beautifully balanced with a richness through the middle and a wonderful mouthfeel. Red raspberry and red cherry upfront with sour cherry behind. Very nice acidity based structure lends enough tartness to balance and structure the fruit. Enough minerals and acidity on the end to give length. For a weaker overall vintage, this is an impressive effort. Drinking at or near peak, but given the fruit and acidity, it should have few years at this level.
Ripe, red-fruit driven Pinot with a bit of orange peel and cinnamon. The alcohol seems a bit more obvious than before, but this is still enjoyable given the wealth of buffering fruit. Not subtle, or complex, but fun.
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Totally underwhelming. Lots of fruit, but it is rather dull and flat. Medium-bodied and somewhat richly textured, but without much structure or grip. Will not score as I believe this was simply a bad bottle.
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Tasted at a big California tasting. Beautiful aromatics of cinnamon, red berries, dark cherries, flowers, minerals and some steely notes. It's medium-bodied and dense with medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin providing structure and freshness. Good length. A very pretty and juicy Pinot Noir from R-M.
Tart red cherries with lot of dark berries. Good amount of acid giving it a long mouth watering feel. Only short fall is the tail is rather short and leaves nothing but tartness behind.
Overall, would buy again in a heartbeat. Could still use some extra time in the bottle.
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Interesting to read some of the recent notes on this bc the descriptors are so varied (from burgundian to sun-drenched)(from flat/dull to full of power). I found this bottle to be perplexing because I thought it was more concentrated and "sun-drenched" than the typical R-M SC but at the same time it was dull and the finish was green. Maybe an off bottle or off vintage.
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found this a bit flat and dull rather to other vintages, not sure why.... sappy, glossy texture on the palate, shortish finish... not sure if an off bottle or what
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Without air, this is crisp and full of red fruit primarily cranberry and strawberry but I agree with Frank's description of astringent. I liked it much more with an hour of air. Red fruit seemed much deeper with some spice creeping in.
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Really lovely nose of red fruits - mostly strawberry, with cranberry, rose petals, pine and a hint of earth/funk. However, on the palate it is slightly tart and under-ripe. Medium body, smooth and silky texture and overall light and lithe. Takes on weight and depth with 30 min. of airtime. Good now and likely to improve. If the fruit turns a bit sweeter, this will be very, very nice. As others have noted, this is a "no brainer" to buy every year. 90-91
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a little less pronounced and lighter on it's feet than previous bottles. Dare I say more burgundian? Lighter in color, not as dense, nose not as intense.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Rich & Dana's): Ruby color. Notes of black cherry and herbs; bigger and more herbal than wine A. Flavors of cinnamon, cola and dark cherry. Guessed Sonoma Pinot. 90+ pts.
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No delay here, as I chilled this down a bit and then pulled the cork and started typing this note. As I look at the note from EGH below, he's called this wine spot on. There's a sappiness to the wine, yet an underpinning of cranberry and blueberry, pine needle and a similar meaty note that I flagged on the last note I wrote for the previous bottle I had. Juicy and and a bit astringent, at least with this shortage of air but the fruit does jam up a bit more when it gets a little warmer, more air. Very good, still young and I expect this can continue to age well and develop further.
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This bottles seemed a bit less lush than I remember. Still, the fruit was up-front, sweet and ripe, but a bit of alcohol was sensed as well. Some citrus skin and herbs, but the heat contined to be a bit too obvious. Perhaps this should have been served a bit cooler.
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Once again, this is a superstar in the 2011 off-vintage of Sonoma and what I feel has to be one of the best, if not the best value wines for 2011. Same characteristics as what I noted in February 2014; this bottle is in danger of being finished off completely by me tonight (just poured my second glass). 93+; drink now...and I can't hardly wait for these single vineyard Pinots from TRB.
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Such beauty on nose and palate. About as full throttle as I like my Pinots as I tend to favor Burgundy and Oregon. Much of the elegance gave way to brute force on night two under VinVac. Serves me right for leaving one glassful in the bottle.
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Great qpr wine but the 2011 does not seem as good as previous vintages. Good core of fruit but acidity seems pronounced and out of balance with the nose and body.
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Spring 2014 Wine Dinner: This is drinking very well right now and was the favorite of the flight. Crisp red fruits with a really nice complexity. The nose is showing well and the finish lingers nicely. An outstanding wine.
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In honor of the 2012 arriving decided to open one of these. Popped and poured. Medium deep red. Red fruits, especially cherry on the nose which is a bit shy. This seems quite a bit deeper and riper than the 2010 and has integrated nicely over the last 10 months; still a touch of stems and tannin on the finish. Classic Sonoma Coast intensity; great QPR.
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Garnet red center. Lovely red-fruited nose of raspberry, cranberry and cherry coupled with a whiff of coconut and earth. The palate is packed with vibrant red fruit that mirrors the nose while providing an added dimension of stemmy notes. Structurally, this wine has terrific acidity that compliments the fruit. The finish is long with a slight tannic edge. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine for its purity and honesty.
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Nothing about an "off-vintage" here; slightely clouded, ruby in color; intense and intoxicating nose right off the open, citrus, tart strawberry, light raspberry, fresh pine, slight minerals; palate is so intense and balanced with mouth-watering acidity; putting on a little weight from the last bottle 8 months ago but still pretty lean; super finish; incredible QPR. Just beautiful.
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Ruby red in color. 14.1% ABV. Red fruits, orange rind and Christmas spice on the nose. Lean with mouth watering acidity. Cherry, plums, cola, earth, mineral and mushrooms on the palate. Exceedingly long finish. Exceptional wine from what most declared a below average vintage. Drink over the next 1-3 years while you wait on the single vineyard lineup.
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Dense and deep, with loads of darker fruits, like plums, blueberry and blackberry. Hints of cloves and orange skin. Very fleshy and very long on the palate. As others have mentioned, a lot of quality for the price. While there is no denying the depth here, I think I would have liked a bit more of a red fruit profile, as this almost came across as a Grenache/Syrah blend. Delicious and balanced, nonetheless.
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Beautiful. Crushed strawberries, cherry, and a breadiness. This evolved steadily during the evening, showing greater depth and earthiness. Well done, particularly for a "Lower end" offering.
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Consistent with prior tasting. It's great QPR. bright red fruit, cherry, and a hint of cola. A bit of fizz but that blew off. A touch lean / acidic for me to drink without food but nonetheless great for the price. out of 2011s now.. will order much more of this for 2012.
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The wine looks ruby colored, and it smells like strawberry, blueberry, forest floor, and pine. It tastes like cherry / cranberry with a hint of light toast. The wine has a light body with a smooth texture, and it finishes short - medium. This is probably my favorite affordable go-to pinot noir for the price. I love the aromas of this wine...just a delight!
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Loved this wine. Ready to go right out of the bottle with lots to offer on both the nose and palate. Nose had some nice cranberry, cherry and orange rind on the nose along with some vanilla and oak notes on the back end. Similar flavors on the palate with some nice creamy raspberry flavors. Great acid and not over the top in terms of fruit, alcohol or oak. Just a really delicious and smooth pinot. Insane QPR.
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Opened y/day. I really enjoy this bottling, and as said many times before (by me and others), the QPR on this is ridiculous--how many vintages now has the wine been $25? This is pretty fleshy for a 2011, showing a denser palate than many of the 2011s I have liked. There is plum and blueberry here, along with a meaty note that pokes through, then a finishing of some pine. The finish then carries with notes of blueberry skin, red apple, loam and that same gamey note. Good amount of compexity here, yet also juicy and fleshy, with a kiss of vanilla. I just don't find CA pinot with these kinds of flavors, vintage after vintage from Thomas. Pretty remarkable consistency, one that I have not seen matched by anyone else.
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Just a terrific pinot that is drinking great now. Why wait. I served a bottle of this wine to a wine snob friend blind and he couldn't believe the price I paid for it. Not showing a lot of complexity but still a terrific wine.
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This was delicious. Fdub said it well - a great balance between ripe and refined. Slightly jammy strawberry and red fruits with some cranberry and orange rind acidity. Very nice.
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wow is this good! dark spices and candy cherries on the nose. wayyy better proportion this vintage with cherry cranberry, spice, and stemmy herbaceousness. so pinot but house styled. very clean and refreshing with the citrus and good structure. my favorite vintage by a mile. make it like this guys! qpr grand slam.
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Fairly dark. Nose of cedar and cherry. Very Californian on the palate, with tart cherry and raspberry, but everything in balance with delicious fruit. Mid palate with small hollow spot,but that's being picky. Really well done.
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Very fruity and new world-ish, with tart cranberry, orange skin, and cherry notes. A hint of cloves and a strong cherry-cola sensation, which detracted a bit. This gets points for richness of fruit combined with good acidity, but I'm not a fan of the cola thing.
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Opened and began drinking right away - tight at first but opening nicely about the time we finished the bottle. With the next bottle, I will make sure to open it at least an hour before to give it some air time. I'm pleased that we have more of this to enjoy its evolution. A very enjoyable Sonoma Coast pinot that will improve with age.
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The nose and fruit are nice, with a definite cranberry aspect on the mid-palate. My only gripe is that the acidity seems elevated, which translates into this being more enjoyable with food than on its own.
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Pop and pour. Tons of red fruit dominated by strawberry and cranberry. A little on the tart side. I would give this some air the next time. Great value.
opened about 30 min prior to pouring. Medium reddish to purple and a bit cloudy. Strawberries with a hit of cranberry and orange peel. Would def say this is improving.
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Medium body. Nice California Pinot. Cola, dark cherry and strawberry jam nose. Cherry and cranberry mid-pallet. A bit fruit forward. Very young. Needs some time to come into balance. Give another 2-3 years.
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Like the recent 2011 Kutch SC bottle, this too went to another dinner where we polished it over a nice meal and conversation. This bottle reflected the vintage, with good acidity and more delicate than more recent larger framed versions like the 2009, for example. I didn't take notes but do recall this being very good, and food friendly.
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Thew into a decanter and consumed over next 3+ hours. Pomegranate, raspberry, a smidge of citrus, hint of forest floor. California sunshine is there but not in your face.
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Lighter ruby/purple in the glass. The nose is great with mix red berries and strawberry pie notes. The palate is suave and a great balance between ripe and refined. Near perfect balance. Not overly complex but a smooth drinking experience.
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Consistent with the house style in previous vintages, in terms of oak treatment, fruit style, with perhaps a slightly harsher acidity than most other vintages.
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My 3rd bottle and I hate it compared to all other vintages I've tried. Way too ripe, Like cotton candy slurped with Cola, Gone are the sappy citrusy components and the acid that made me buy this. Note to TRB....Please revert back to normal in 2012
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14.1% abv. Medium dark ruby red. Expressive tropical fruit and floral aromas. Key descriptors for this wine are: round, deep and pure. Beautiful red fruit (cherry, raspberry) flavors. Lingering aftertaste.
A silly bargain at about $25.
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a little young and could use a couple of years to integrate but quite enjoyable already with an hour in the glass. candied red fruit opens to tart cranberry with citrus zest, spice, and subtle warm earth. tart acid balances the intensity of the fruit and keeps it from coming across as cloying or over-the-top. a unique and distinctive perspective on sonoma coast pinot and one that i like.
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Great bottle! Perhaps a bit young but this is always an awesome QPR. A little on the lighter side in comparison to previous vintages (which I like!) with cranberry and cherry dominating. A light herbal-ness lingers in the background with a kirsch, earth, and orange bitters finish. Quite nice! I would love to see where this goes in a year or two but my other bottle probably won't last that long. Natural cork; 14.1% ABV.
Saved a glass for the next night, better integrated, less fruit forward and showing better balance than before. Hold if you can!
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Shout out to Will for the replacement. I gotta say the producer notes were spot on for this vintage. Usually this bottling is just too ripe for me, albeit tasty as all get out. This bottle dials it right back into a sweet sweet spot, with the earth much more in balance with the red and dark red fruit. Gorgeous citrus rind and earthy spicy fruit with good balance. As approachable as it is, the tannins are a little fuzzy in texture and could do with some sideways time. LOVE this vintage.
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Medium red. Quite fragrant on the nose with a bit of funk followed by red fruits and a citrus tint. On the palate this is silky but with characteristic Sonoma Coast intensity; good acidity and some tannins on the finish which is quite long. Very good but needs time perhaps to see if it develops more complexity; excellent QPR.
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Consistent with previous note. Loved the raw material here, not polished for sure, compared to the Ceritas Costalina 11 drank side by side. Clearly should have bought more of it.
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Not a typical Cali PN - flavor profile more fitting of an Oregon PN. Light body and ripe red fruits. Good, but my palate leans toward the denser Cali PNs.
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This is full of tart cranberries with hints of violets and a touch of strawberry as it develops you get the burnt marshmallows on the nose and a fully balanced flavor that is just damn nice to drink. 1st night a little tight but evolved nicely after popping and pouring. 2nd night the wow factor set in just really showing what a nice bottle is.
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Much of the same as previous bottles although starting to show a tad more complexity. Still a touch sweet and tart with cranberry, strawberry and nice spice to it. Great value
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Popped and poured. Initially, it was a bit sweet for my tastes. Cranberries, strawberries, spice on the nose and palate. The balance poured into a half bottle, capped and refridgerated. The next day, it was quite drinkable for a CA pinot on day 2 (I generally don't care for them) The sweetness had abated. Give remaining bottles a year or two
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Lots of blackberry up front with doses of citrus. The acidity is ample yet somewhat tart. It's less than seamless now but could chill out with some more rest. Good stuff.
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Possibly the best vintage of this yet for me (I've tried them all since 2008). This is a little leaner and lot more focused. Racy, even. Phenomenal value. It went FAST. 91-92.
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Fun bottle. More power than plush velvet, but balances the spice & citrus well without being overly juicy. Enjoyable, slightly tart fruit, darker on the Pinot berry scale.
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A bit stinky on pop and pour, but that blew off after an hour. Boysenberry, raspberry, earth, herbs, and a little orange and clove on the nose. Tart cherry, boysenberry, spice, and earth on the palate. Nice acidity. Light on the palate, flavors fade quickly, but the aftertaste is long and pleasant. Overall, similar to the '10 version, but lighter and with less concentration. Not sure that this works, but the price is right. These wines seem to improve a bit with time, so I'll try it again later.
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More plush than earlier vintages. Cranberry takes second seat to strawberry. Lower acidity and no noticeable tannins. Perhaps not an ager, but wouldn't last long anyway. Love it.
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Popped and poured with grilled pork chops. Very enjoyable, with black cherry and cola taste. The cola is almost too much, but it stays at a decent level. Pretty good amount of acidity on the finish.
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The wine was very good upon opening. The nose shut down after a few hours. The wine quality was good over the next 24 hours. It's a great QPR. I'll hold my others for a few months before tasting again, but I'm very happy with my purchase.
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Pop/pour. Initially quite open, with a nice balance of sweet and sour highlighted by a subtle cola. The nose seems to shut down a bit after an hour. On the palate, very lush silky mouthfeel without being heavy. Again, nice balanced. A very hedonistic wine for the price, and a good QPR. I'll target to hold my remaining bottles for 12-24 before opening another (e.g. start drinking late 2014, early 2015).
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tight and acidic on opening, slow ox-d for about 4 hours. Cranberry with some orange peel notes sour cherry as well. really great QPR. Although its not super complex would guess this improves for at least 3-5 years.
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Damn near 300 users of this wine now so it oughta have a wealth of TNs in the next several months. I'll offer a note now, having received the bottles recently. Perenially a QPR knock out for me, as was the 2008 and 2010, so I maintain high expectations on this cuvee. I opened the bottle 2 nights ago, so call this open just over 48 hours. The 2011 here is amped up a bit more than the 2010, as that one seemed to possess more acid and definition to me, this 2011 is more flamboyant, with a richness. The orange rind and cranberry are here, but they sit in the background, whereas the strawberry fruit this vintage is more jammy, along with the red apple. Also finding some maple in this vintage and more incrementally elevated, at least I perceive it to be, in alcohol. The acid comes back in the finish, but the fruit too remains the stronger presence. I believe this will show more as the flashy side of the RM SC, which I like. For $25, for this much in the bottle, albeit a bigger version this time, I dig it. PS--3 days open, this is hanging in nicely. Sense more of the acid today, like a sour strawberry note in the finish so you can soften I suppose some of my comment about richness, although some of that pulls back when the wine has some light chill on it, of course. This is a nice vintage for the RM SC, just a bit larger in tone that usual, I'd say.
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My favorite $25 pinot. Loved the 2009 and 2010 R-M SC. I think this tops both of those. It lacks the complexity of the single vineyards - however its very enjoable due to the balance between fruit and acid. A simplier version of my fav 2011, the Gioia.
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6/29/2023 - mdgberg wrote: 93 Points
Holding up extremely well. Meaty, savory character with dried cherries, mushroom, and spice. Probably at least 2 more years if kept well.
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9/10/2022 - kabert Likes this wine: 92 Points
This continues to impress. Poured somewhat cloudy, it had a tart cherry and minerally nose. Medium bodied; no sense of alcohol/heat; flavors of tart cherry with some minerals and stone on the finish.
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7/5/2022 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
elegant wine dryer than many Cali pinot. In a very good place.
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5/23/2022 - kabert Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking beautifully! No sign of even secondary flavors, this pinot pours dark with edges of ruby. It’s medium-bodied, with a raspberry/cherry nose. That essence continues on the palate - really tasty - with some tart acidity, citrus, and hint of spice bringing up the finish. Drank nearly the same on day two also.
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5/29/2021 - Somm David T wrote: 91 Points
First well aged TRB Rivers Marie. When you understand that TRB wines are a long hold, its not much of stretch to know it is can be a easy guess as who made this wine. Especially, after nine years in bottle.
The extraction level is all TRB. It’s not Belle Glos Cabernet/Pinot Noir but not Ferren or Williams Selyem. In between & closer to WS. Dark, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plums, dark cherries, raspberries, overtones of blue fruits, smoked meats, incense, dark spice with heat, alcohol fume, stones, dry crushed limestone, dry twigs, menthol, eucalyptus, mint, fresh; dark, red, blue flowers laid in a field of violets. Acidity is like a rain shower with balance & polish for days.
For my palate, this still needs time. Although, it very approachable for most.
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11/26/2020 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drink up now
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10/22/2020 - gharter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Given its age and year, I was worried about opening it. No concerns. No browning. Great nose with raspberry, cherry, spice, herbs. Seemed slightly sweet on the nose. Loaded with flavors. Raspberry, black cherry, herb, spice, pine needles. Medium bodied with good acidity. Balanced smooth finish. Purchased at released and cellared well. My last bottle, but would be in no hurry to open any remaining bottles. Not really showing any secondary character, but really good and drinks well beyond its price point.
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4/17/2020 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Decanted, served with dinner, finished later in the evening. Cloudy in the glass the nose just leaps at you with tart red fruit (cranberries, pomegranate, raspberries) and orange peel :). Palate follows nose with some pine needle and soy. Everything is juicy and lush; loads of sunshine and smiles. Terrific value and last of 4. Household favorite CA Pinot producer.
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4/2/2020 - rjoyer wrote:
Damn....this is sexy stuff, especially given the price-point. So much acid on the palate with the hallmark murky red color, tart cranberries, rhubarb and spiced orange peel notes. Finish just lasts and lasts from the acidity pulling on the back of the tongue. Still so juicy and fresher than a recently consumed 2010 Sonoma Coast bottling. Just a hint of soy/balsamic starting to develop in the background. Either at or nearing its apex and, as such, I plan to drink my last bottle sometime here in 2020.
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3/15/2020 - Grape_ape Likes this wine:
drinking nicely. still plenty of fruit, but gaining some more complexity.
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2/26/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Ripe black and red cherry with good+ weight. Started with god spice and earth hints, but the earth became more/ too dominant after open two hours. Best to drink up.
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11/26/2019 - Dnacabernet wrote:
This bottling appears to be over the hill. No rating.
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10/14/2019 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Tasty! Killer QPR.
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10/12/2019 - flentvall wrote: 84 Points
Past its peak, but still a nice brambly sour cherry aroma. Pure and acidic, but fruit starting to fade. Not flawed, just drink up
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7/8/2019 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
PNP, started off very thin, needed an hour to open up. Then lovely raspberry and other red fruit. I didn’t get the cola notes others mentioned, perhaps they integrated with age. Began to fade after a few hours. Drink up.
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5/24/2019 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely raspberry, spice, and sour red cherries on the nose and palate. Moderate finish with refreshing acidity. Really enjoyed the 2011 and earlier vintages!
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11/29/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Black cherry and berry on nose and palate with dark chocolate, dried thyme and earth hints slowly emerging. Good+ weight and length, especially for its level and price. An exceptional value wine, drinking perfectly right now. Most likely good through 2023.
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3/14/2018 - etc Likes this wine:
Nicely perfumed of red fruit. Cranberries raspberries and slight strawberries. Clear garnet leaning to some bricking coloring. Tart cherry w/ med acid med tannin med intensity. Good finish moderate length. Great qpr and to my palate still more life ahead.
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2/5/2018 - maxmanx wrote:
PnP. Lean is the best word I can come up with versus other years of the SC. Assuming due to the vintage. Still, an interesting bottle but miss the fruit. I'm going to finish my 2 remaining bottles this year.
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1/22/2018 - maxmanx wrote:
Love the SC Pinots! Still going strong despite the overall weak 11 vintage. Will drink these first going forward vs. the other vintages.
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1/5/2018 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic!
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12/17/2017 - norzano Likes this wine: 90 Points
Definitely had the strawberry and raspberry. Felt like the acid was a little strong for me though, almost made me pucker. Not sure if it was the bottle or just where it is for my palate right now. Have one more left to test again in the future.
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11/25/2017 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour. This is still a nice RM pinot, but it is starting to show its age. The slight alcohol that is usually present has increased and the fruit is starting to fade.
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11/2/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully! Unparalleled QPR!
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10/31/2017 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
I know I've posted this before, but the QPR on this wine is off the charts. Sadly, this is my last bottle.
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10/9/2017 - brigcampbell wrote:
This really came across strongly with the jam notes, raspberries and strawberry preserve. Paired well with the grilled chicken. Interesting that I got the same impression as the '11 Ladd Abigail. Humm..
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10/8/2017 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My last bottle was 2 years ago and in that TN I said this wine should be consumed in short term. I still believe that and with the bottle tonight, my final one from 2011, it's ready. Ripe raspberry, strawberry and the RM pine needle. Kind of jammy, too. This is ready to go, a good fit for all kinds of palates because it has a little of everything for everyone. As a final thought, I am coming to the belief here now that 2011s across a # of different wines and regions in CA is something we ought to start finishing up. Whether it be Rhys, Rivers-Marie, Copain, etc....these are all coming to peak now.
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7/19/2017 - Brian Love wrote: 92 Points
Amazing value. Rich but not over the top. Nice Sonoma coast forest floor undertone.
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5/4/2017 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine: 91 Points
I love how bright and multilayered this wine is. There is a thick foundation of bright red, acidic fruit running underneath a canopy of darker notes of cola, cigarette smoke and over ripe tree fruits. The finish is fine tannins and lingering cola.
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3/3/2017 - SMG wrote: 92 Points
This is drinking so good right now. No need to wait on these any longer.
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2/20/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely raspberry, spice, and sour red cherries on the nose and palate. Moderate finish with refreshing acidity. Great QPR!
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1/21/2017 - Backdoctor wrote: 92 Points
As always a great pinot. Earthiness to it
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1/21/2017 - Acohen wrote: 91 Points
earthy with sour cherry, mushroom notes and citrus and orange peel on the finish
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1/16/2017 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
PnP, consumed over a few hours. Lovely, soft mouthfeel with tart fruits (pomegranate, raspberry, cranberry, cherry) a little pine needle, citrus, and soil. Killer QPR thinking this was $25 back in the day.
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1/11/2017 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Keeps getting better!!!
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12/24/2016 - rickspicks wrote: 89 Points
Lots to like, but also with tart, underripe red fruits - mostly sour cherry. Seems to be a consistent characteristic of this wine and not one I enjoy. Otherwise has good texture, plenty of depth and a decent finish.
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12/20/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
As tasty as the last bottle.
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12/1/2016 - lolo66 wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle of three and this was just explosive in fruit and aromas, all the while staying energetic and alive. Just a phenonimal wine for the money.
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11/29/2016 - Acohen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice aroma of cherry and orange peel with tart cherry, cranberry notes and nice balance
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11/25/2016 - maxmanx wrote:
PnP and drank over several hours. Much more restrained than some of the other vintages of RM SC, but probably a result of the vintage. Will try decanting next time. I do prefer the more fruit forward vintages.
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11/21/2016 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Typical Rivers Marie pinot. Great fruit, slightly big, nice acidity. Qualitatively, this was very close to a vertical of Archery Summit Estates we had the day before - the RM has slightly more acid and is slightly leaner, which could be a positive or a negative depending on your tastes.
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10/6/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely raspberry, spice, and sour red cherries on the nose and palate. Moderate finish with refreshing acidity. Great QPR!
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10/5/2016 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
After a couple of not so good bottles, this one was very nice. Ripe red fruit (mostly cherry with a rich, slightly lush texture, nice balance, good structure. Overall very harmonious and Californian in style.
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9/25/2016 - btock wrote: 91 Points
My 3yr old stuck his nose in the glass and said, "mmm...blackberries and roses" Boy genius - he was right! Nice composition, floral notes on the nose and bright red/black fruits. Engaging finish. Better than previous bottle, think time has helped it settle into a nice place.
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9/14/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
As tasty as the last bottle.
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9/2/2016 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Tart cherry with pronounced acidity. Always excellent qpr.
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6/2/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely raspberry, spice, and sour red cherries on the expressive nose and palate. Moderate finish with refreshing acidity. Drinking beautifully!
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3/25/2016 - bobdobilina wrote: 90 Points
In the glass, clear dark garnet color.
Very perfumed and high toned nose of candied raspberry, orange zest, blue flowers, and incense.
Tangy red fruit on the palate, particularly raspberry, and citrus oil. Light and long on the end palate. Has smoothed out since its earlier youth although not showing much maturity. I'm not convinced it will develop any more complexity or secondary characteristics with age, but it offer up a lot of, pleasure today.
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2/17/2016 - lolo66 wrote:
straight forward. tasty. nice berry fruit, some ripe. some tart. linear. but for $$ a good one for sure.
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1/3/2016 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
Tremendously consistent in style from vintage to vintage. Has the RM ripe red-to-purple fruits and orange peel profile, together with tangy and sometimes angular acid that is characteristic of this producer's pinots; this vintage shows a touch of the melted vinyl raisin quality that many California pinots show, but not enough for it to be offensive to my palate. A crowd-pleaser, at a very fair price, and accessible to non-wine geek palates.
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11/21/2015 - Jay Hack Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured and then followed for an hour. A very California pinot, but it was only 4 years old, and no one drinks four year old pinots. Very interesting, in that no one would confuse this for syrah or and other grape. Bright, intense cherry flavor and that flavor I can't describe that is characteristic of Cali pinot. You'd know it if you saw it . . . or tasted it. Some call it cola, but the more I taste it, the less I think that's what it is. There is also an underlying herbal component in the background.
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11/14/2015 - rickspicks wrote:
Another so-so bottle, although I only had a half-glass and that was shortly after opening. Tasted mostly like unripe fruit with a pronounced sourness on the finish. Perhaps it would have improved with more airtime, but I never had a chance to try it later.
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10/27/2015 - kanab ram Likes this wine:
Wonderfully structured and balanced. Tons of character for this little gem. Great QPR.
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10/16/2015 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 91 Points
this really needed a decant as it was much better on nights two and three, gaining more and more earthiness with each night. really tight fruit bomb upon pnp.
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10/14/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Over a year since my last bottle. I enjoyed a glass y/day, now returning to the bottle a day later for this TN. Pours darker in color. The wine exhibits the features of the 2011 vintage that I enjoy, allowing the tarter qualities to emerge, like cranberry mainly. There is some riper tones, maybe in a chunkier red fruit of raspberry and strawberry, along with the cranberry, pine needle and plenty of citrus zest. All together, has the tang and zest of the vintage, but retains the RM qualities of red, jammy fruits. I have one left, will drink in the next few years as I think this vintage of the SC is going to be fine to consume early.
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9/21/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 90 Points
Super ripe red and blue fruit. Forward with a nice creamy texture. Great producer.
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8/29/2015 - btock wrote: 90 Points
Good, very good even. A juicy pinot, balanced but not as engaging as other vintages of this. Still, for the price, I'm hard pressed to name a better value in all of domestic pinot. This had some strawberry on the nose but the midpalate was darker red fruits. Acidity faint in the backdrop, was more about the fruit. A touch soft and saturated vs. expectations.
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8/7/2015 - marka wrote: 90 Points
This was consumed over the period of about 5 days and was great every day. It didn't improve over the days, but it was solid from the get go. It is hard to beat this wine for the price. In fact, I'm not sure it can be beat by another PN. Raspberry and other red fruits, nice acidity, very balanced. Just a smooth-drinking PN. Love Sonoma Coast.
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7/12/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Raspberry and earth on the nose. Just a touch above medium bodied, but refined and beautifully balanced with a richness through the middle and a wonderful mouthfeel. Red raspberry and red cherry upfront with sour cherry behind. Very nice acidity based structure lends enough tartness to balance and structure the fruit. Enough minerals and acidity on the end to give length. For a weaker overall vintage, this is an impressive effort. Drinking at or near peak, but given the fruit and acidity, it should have few years at this level.
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7/11/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
delicous round and sweet
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6/15/2015 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Great value! Bright red fruits. Drinking well.
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5/16/2015 - mdefreitas wrote: 87 Points
Ripe, red-fruit driven Pinot with a bit of orange peel and cinnamon. The alcohol seems a bit more obvious than before, but this is still enjoyable given the wealth of buffering fruit. Not subtle, or complex, but fun.
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5/12/2015 - daniel.jay wrote: 89 Points
Bright red fruit, orange peel, acid. Needed food to balance. This is a nice QPR at $25, but a distant second to their single vineyard bottlings.
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4/26/2015 - rickspicks wrote:
Totally underwhelming. Lots of fruit, but it is rather dull and flat. Medium-bodied and somewhat richly textured, but without much structure or grip. Will not score as I believe this was simply a bad bottle.
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4/14/2015 - marka wrote: 89 Points
bright, fruity, balanced. Try to wait until 2017 for the last one.
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4/4/2015 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottle in all respects. Really vibrant on the nose and palate. The orange rind and baking spice notes were off the charts.
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3/27/2015 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle and it is drinking very well right now. Going forward I'll wait a couple of years before drinking my RM sonoma coast.
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3/10/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted at a big California tasting. Beautiful aromatics of cinnamon, red berries, dark cherries, flowers, minerals and some steely notes. It's medium-bodied and dense with medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin providing structure and freshness. Good length. A very pretty and juicy Pinot Noir from R-M.
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3/1/2015 - kkdlam Likes this wine:
Tart red cherries with lot of dark berries. Good amount of acid giving it a long mouth watering feel. Only short fall is the tail is rather short and leaves nothing but tartness behind.
Overall, would buy again in a heartbeat. Could still use some extra time in the bottle.
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2/20/2015 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's drinking very well right now.
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2/19/2015 - pgb67 wrote:
Interesting to read some of the recent notes on this bc the descriptors are so varied (from burgundian to sun-drenched)(from flat/dull to full of power). I found this bottle to be perplexing because I thought it was more concentrated and "sun-drenched" than the typical R-M SC but at the same time it was dull and the finish was green. Maybe an off bottle or off vintage.
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2/12/2015 - jctra wrote: 92 Points
This is a wonderful Pinot full of power. Intense fruit, I can taste the sun. Very nice value, recommended.
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1/18/2015 - Grape_ape wrote:
found this a bit flat and dull rather to other vintages, not sure why.... sappy, glossy texture on the palate, shortish finish... not sure if an off bottle or what
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1/17/2015 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best QPR ever!!!
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1/13/2015 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
Without air, this is crisp and full of red fruit primarily cranberry and strawberry but I agree with Frank's description of astringent. I liked it much more with an hour of air. Red fruit seemed much deeper with some spice creeping in.
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1/2/2015 - sterin wrote: 87 Points
This bottle wasn't nearly as good as my last bottle. This was my first disappointing bottle from Rivers Marie. Today it was tart and disjointed.
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12/25/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Very sweet red and blue fruit. Nice, full round and creamy mouthfeel
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12/17/2014 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
Really lovely nose of red fruits - mostly strawberry, with cranberry, rose petals, pine and a hint of earth/funk. However, on the palate it is slightly tart and under-ripe. Medium body, smooth and silky texture and overall light and lithe. Takes on weight and depth with 30 min. of airtime. Good now and likely to improve. If the fruit turns a bit sweeter, this will be very, very nice. As others have noted, this is a "no brainer" to buy every year. 90-91
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12/2/2014 - twelch wrote: 88 Points
a little less pronounced and lighter on it's feet than previous bottles. Dare I say more burgundian? Lighter in color, not as dense, nose not as intense.
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11/1/2014 - gzim Likes this wine: 88 Points
Red raspberry, cranberry but a bit of an astringency which detracts a bit. Nice pinot for the price.
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9/27/2014 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Rich & Dana's): Ruby color. Notes of black cherry and herbs; bigger and more herbal than wine A. Flavors of cinnamon, cola and dark cherry. Guessed Sonoma Pinot. 90+ pts.
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9/27/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Group. Drinking well above it's price point. Consistent notes as prior bottle.
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9/13/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
No delay here, as I chilled this down a bit and then pulled the cork and started typing this note. As I look at the note from EGH below, he's called this wine spot on. There's a sappiness to the wine, yet an underpinning of cranberry and blueberry, pine needle and a similar meaty note that I flagged on the last note I wrote for the previous bottle I had. Juicy and and a bit astringent, at least with this shortage of air but the fruit does jam up a bit more when it gets a little warmer, more air. Very good, still young and I expect this can continue to age well and develop further.
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9/3/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better than previous bottling, this is very good for the value.
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6/13/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 88 Points
This bottles seemed a bit less lush than I remember. Still, the fruit was up-front, sweet and ripe, but a bit of alcohol was sensed as well. Some citrus skin and herbs, but the heat contined to be a bit too obvious. Perhaps this should have been served a bit cooler.
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6/7/2014 - tcufletch wrote: 93 Points
Once again, this is a superstar in the 2011 off-vintage of Sonoma and what I feel has to be one of the best, if not the best value wines for 2011. Same characteristics as what I noted in February 2014; this bottle is in danger of being finished off completely by me tonight (just poured my second glass). 93+; drink now...and I can't hardly wait for these single vineyard Pinots from TRB.
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4/30/2014 - Sauvyfan wrote: 92 Points
Such beauty on nose and palate. About as full throttle as I like my Pinots as I tend to favor Burgundy and Oregon. Much of the elegance gave way to brute force on night two under VinVac. Serves me right for leaving one glassful in the bottle.
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4/22/2014 - twelch wrote: 91 Points
Consistently awesome for the price
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4/19/2014 - madeiradog Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great qpr wine but the 2011 does not seem as good as previous vintages. Good core of fruit but acidity seems pronounced and out of balance with the nose and body.
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4/12/2014 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 92 Points
Spring 2014 Wine Dinner: This is drinking very well right now and was the favorite of the flight.
Crisp red fruits with a really nice complexity. The nose is showing well and the finish lingers nicely. An outstanding wine.
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4/12/2014 - Monaco Likes this wine: 90 Points
www.(cherry)bomb.com
I like it!
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2/27/2014 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
In honor of the 2012 arriving decided to open one of these. Popped and poured. Medium deep red. Red fruits, especially cherry on the nose which is a bit shy. This seems quite a bit deeper and riper than the 2010 and has integrated nicely over the last 10 months; still a touch of stems and tannin on the finish. Classic Sonoma Coast intensity; great QPR.
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2/27/2014 - Meerlust wrote: 91 Points
Garnet red center. Lovely red-fruited nose of raspberry, cranberry and cherry coupled with a whiff of coconut and earth. The palate is packed with vibrant red fruit that mirrors the nose while providing an added dimension of stemmy notes. Structurally, this wine has terrific acidity that compliments the fruit. The finish is long with a slight tannic edge. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine for its purity and honesty.
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2/18/2014 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good. A great example of Sonoma Coast pinot.
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2/9/2014 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright, vibrant -- cherry, rasperry, cassis, cinnamon, spice -- balance, elagance. The best pinot noir in the world for the money? Maybe.
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2/8/2014 - tcufletch wrote: 93 Points
Nothing about an "off-vintage" here; slightely clouded, ruby in color; intense and intoxicating nose right off the open, citrus, tart strawberry, light raspberry, fresh pine, slight minerals; palate is so intense and balanced with mouth-watering acidity; putting on a little weight from the last bottle 8 months ago but still pretty lean; super finish; incredible QPR. Just beautiful.
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1/23/2014 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red in color. 14.1% ABV. Red fruits, orange rind and Christmas spice on the nose. Lean with mouth watering acidity. Cherry, plums, cola, earth, mineral and mushrooms on the palate. Exceedingly long finish. Exceptional wine from what most declared a below average vintage. Drink over the next 1-3 years while you wait on the single vineyard lineup.
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1/19/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Similar impressions as the last bottle six months ago. Lighter bodied, elegant and soft with some cranberry and orange rind. Great QPR and nice wine.
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1/16/2014 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Awesome QPR. Possibly the best Pinot I've tasted in a few months. Looking forward to the 2012 release!!!
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1/7/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Dense and deep, with loads of darker fruits, like plums, blueberry and blackberry. Hints of cloves and orange skin. Very fleshy and very long on the palate. As others have mentioned, a lot of quality for the price. While there is no denying the depth here, I think I would have liked a bit more of a red fruit profile, as this almost came across as a Grenache/Syrah blend. Delicious and balanced, nonetheless.
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1/3/2014 - Haggis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful. Crushed strawberries, cherry, and a breadiness. This evolved steadily during the evening, showing greater depth and earthiness. Well done, particularly for a
"Lower end" offering.
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11/28/2013 - MotoMannequin Likes this wine:
Dark ruby color. Crushed cherry, cola, and Thanksgiving spices. Great pairing with the holiday meal!
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11/13/2013 - mye Likes this wine: 89 Points
Consistent with prior tasting. It's great QPR. bright red fruit, cherry, and a hint of cola. A bit of fizz but that blew off. A touch lean / acidic for me to drink without food but nonetheless great for the price. out of 2011s now.. will order much more of this for 2012.
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11/11/2013 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Officially, the house Pinot Noir, year in year out. Tremendous value.
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11/7/2013 - ChrisGiggles Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks ruby colored, and it smells like strawberry, blueberry, forest floor, and pine. It tastes like cherry / cranberry with a hint of light toast. The wine has a light body with a smooth texture, and it finishes short - medium. This is probably my favorite affordable go-to pinot noir for the price. I love the aromas of this wine...just a delight!
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10/12/2013 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Loved this wine. Ready to go right out of the bottle with lots to offer on both the nose and palate. Nose had some nice cranberry, cherry and orange rind on the nose along with some vanilla and oak notes on the back end. Similar flavors on the palate with some nice creamy raspberry flavors. Great acid and not over the top in terms of fruit, alcohol or oak. Just a really delicious and smooth pinot. Insane QPR.
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10/11/2013 - jmull Likes this wine: 91 Points
Best bottle yet of this. Great fruit/acid balance. I like these leaner, racier 2011s from R-M quite a bit.
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10/7/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened y/day. I really enjoy this bottling, and as said many times before (by me and others), the QPR on this is ridiculous--how many vintages now has the wine been $25? This is pretty fleshy for a 2011, showing a denser palate than many of the 2011s I have liked. There is plum and blueberry here, along with a meaty note that pokes through, then a finishing of some pine. The finish then carries with notes of blueberry skin, red apple, loam and that same gamey note. Good amount of compexity here, yet also juicy and fleshy, with a kiss of vanilla. I just don't find CA pinot with these kinds of flavors, vintage after vintage from Thomas. Pretty remarkable consistency, one that I have not seen matched by anyone else.
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9/28/2013 - haldolugr wrote: 88 Points
Great QPR made for some easy week night drinking. Racy cherry flavors dominate, smooth in the mouth, but the finish needs some time still.
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9/26/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just a terrific pinot that is drinking great now. Why wait. I served a bottle of this wine to a wine snob friend blind and he couldn't believe the price I paid for it.
Not showing a lot of complexity but still a terrific wine.
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9/24/2013 - Mr T wrote:
YUM yum yum....wish I had more
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9/21/2013 - dgriffin3480 wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Rich dark berries with slight orange marmalade.
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9/14/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great drop and value.
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9/1/2013 - Outplaying wrote:
This was delicious. Fdub said it well - a great balance between ripe and refined. Slightly jammy strawberry and red fruits with some cranberry and orange rind acidity. Very nice.
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8/29/2013 - jfont123 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice
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8/28/2013 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
wow is this good! dark spices and candy cherries on the nose. wayyy better proportion this vintage with cherry cranberry, spice, and stemmy herbaceousness. so pinot but house styled. very clean and refreshing with the citrus and good structure. my favorite vintage by a mile. make it like this guys! qpr grand slam.
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8/25/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Extremely rich and balanced with nice red fruit concentration. Modern styled and delicious.
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8/25/2013 - winopops3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fairly dark. Nose of cedar and cherry. Very Californian on the palate, with tart cherry and raspberry, but everything in balance with delicious fruit. Mid palate with small hollow spot,but that's being picky. Really well done.
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8/24/2013 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
Very fruity and new world-ish, with tart cranberry, orange skin, and cherry notes. A hint of cloves and a strong cherry-cola sensation, which detracted a bit. This gets points for richness of fruit combined with good acidity, but I'm not a fan of the cola thing.
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8/24/2013 - jpmo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened and began drinking right away - tight at first but opening nicely about the time we finished the bottle. With the next bottle, I will make sure to open it at least an hour before to give it some air time. I'm pleased that we have more of this to enjoy its evolution. A very enjoyable Sonoma Coast pinot that will improve with age.
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8/23/2013 - EMTAME wrote: 88 Points
The nose and fruit are nice, with a definite cranberry aspect on the mid-palate. My only gripe is that the acidity seems elevated, which translates into this being more enjoyable with food than on its own.
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8/10/2013 - kthornton78 Likes this wine:
consistent with previous note.
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8/6/2013 - PSUSteve wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Tons of red fruit dominated by strawberry and cranberry. A little on the tart side. I would give this some air the next time. Great value.
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8/5/2013 - jmull Likes this wine:
Consistent with earlier bottles (91). Fun to drink. Just an awesome value.
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8/5/2013 - Zonk wrote: 92 Points
opened about 30 min prior to pouring. Medium reddish to purple and a bit cloudy. Strawberries with a hit of cranberry and orange peel. Would def say this is improving.
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8/2/2013 - Backdoctor wrote: 90 Points
Great QPR! Balanced, earthy with raspberry tones
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7/27/2013 - spidersva Likes this wine: 91 Points
A meaty Cali pinot. Had it with asian pork dish and it showed very, very well.
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7/25/2013 - djarcara Likes this wine: 88 Points
Medium body. Nice California Pinot. Cola, dark cherry and strawberry jam nose. Cherry and cranberry mid-pallet. A bit fruit forward. Very young. Needs some time to come into balance. Give another 2-3 years.
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7/17/2013 - mye Likes this wine: 89 Points
Much better RM when it's not flawed. :)
Lots of cherry notes, very acidic, but makes drinking it quite refreshing.
will follow in day 2.
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7/15/2013 - haldolugr wrote: 88 Points
Great QPR, cherry and floral. Only had a glass tonight but wanted more...damn you work....damn you responsibility.....
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7/14/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Like the recent 2011 Kutch SC bottle, this too went to another dinner where we polished it over a nice meal and conversation. This bottle reflected the vintage, with good acidity and more delicate than more recent larger framed versions like the 2009, for example. I didn't take notes but do recall this being very good, and food friendly.
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7/11/2013 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Thew into a decanter and consumed over next 3+ hours. Pomegranate, raspberry, a smidge of citrus, hint of forest floor. California sunshine is there but not in your face.
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7/5/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lighter ruby/purple in the glass. The nose is great with mix red berries and strawberry pie notes. The palate is suave and a great balance between ripe and refined. Near perfect balance. Not overly complex but a smooth drinking experience.
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7/4/2013 - amateurwino wrote:
Consistent with the house style in previous vintages, in terms of oak treatment, fruit style, with perhaps a slightly harsher acidity than most other vintages.
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7/1/2013 - pakabear wrote: 90 Points
Light and smooth, medium red fruits and good mouthfeel
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6/18/2013 - MDV wrote: 86 Points
My 3rd bottle and I hate it compared to all other vintages I've tried. Way too ripe, Like cotton candy slurped with Cola, Gone are the sappy citrusy components and the acid that made me buy this. Note to TRB....Please revert back to normal in 2012
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6/16/2013 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Great stuff. Glad I have a bunch of these.!!!!
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6/16/2013 - lzelman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great Pinot for the price.
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6/12/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.1% abv. Medium dark ruby red. Expressive tropical fruit and floral aromas. Key descriptors for this wine are: round, deep and pure. Beautiful red fruit (cherry, raspberry) flavors. Lingering aftertaste.
A silly bargain at about $25.
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6/11/2013 - kthornton78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
a little young and could use a couple of years to integrate but quite enjoyable already with an hour in the glass. candied red fruit opens to tart cranberry with citrus zest, spice, and subtle warm earth. tart acid balances the intensity of the fruit and keeps it from coming across as cloying or over-the-top. a unique and distinctive perspective on sonoma coast pinot and one that i like.
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6/10/2013 - Sakas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great bottle! Perhaps a bit young but this is always an awesome QPR. A little on the lighter side in comparison to previous vintages (which I like!) with cranberry and cherry dominating. A light herbal-ness lingers in the background with a kirsch, earth, and orange bitters finish. Quite nice! I would love to see where this goes in a year or two but my other bottle probably won't last that long. Natural cork; 14.1% ABV.
Saved a glass for the next night, better integrated, less fruit forward and showing better balance than before. Hold if you can!
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6/8/2013 - kenhoeve wrote: 91 Points
Shout out to Will for the replacement. I gotta say the producer notes were spot on for this vintage. Usually this bottling is just too ripe for me, albeit tasty as all get out. This bottle dials it right back into a sweet sweet spot, with the earth much more in balance with the red and dark red fruit. Gorgeous citrus rind and earthy spicy fruit with good balance. As approachable as it is, the tannins are a little fuzzy in texture and could do with some sideways time. LOVE this vintage.
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6/6/2013 - rosenst1 wrote: 90 Points
Medium red. Quite fragrant on the nose with a bit of funk followed by red fruits and a citrus tint. On the palate this is silky but with characteristic Sonoma Coast intensity; good acidity and some tannins on the finish which is quite long. Very good but needs time perhaps to see if it develops more complexity; excellent QPR.
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6/1/2013 - Pierre-Yves wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous note. Loved the raw material here, not polished for sure, compared to the Ceritas Costalina 11 drank side by side. Clearly should have bought more of it.
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5/29/2013 - kenhoeve wrote: flawed
corked.
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5/28/2013 - tring wrote: 89 Points
Not a typical Cali PN - flavor profile more fitting of an Oregon PN. Light body and ripe red fruits. Good, but my palate leans toward the denser Cali PNs.
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5/26/2013 - Uglypinga wrote:
typical orange rind, bright cherries on the nose. the palate is bright and delicious with cherries, cinnamon and cherries. crisp and clean. love it.
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5/23/2013 - jmull Likes this wine:
Consistent with earlier bottle. (91)
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5/22/2013 - TLR wrote: 93 Points
This is full of tart cranberries with hints of violets and a touch of strawberry as it develops you get the burnt marshmallows on the nose and a fully balanced flavor that is just damn nice to drink. 1st night a little tight but evolved nicely after popping and pouring. 2nd night the wow factor set in just really showing what a nice bottle is.
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5/20/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
New world in style, wickedly good
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5/17/2013 - twelch wrote: 90 Points
Much of the same as previous bottles although starting to show a tad more complexity. Still a touch sweet and tart with cranberry, strawberry and nice spice to it. Great value
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5/14/2013 - thalver wrote:
Popped and poured. Initially, it was a bit sweet for my tastes. Cranberries, strawberries, spice on the nose and palate. The balance poured into a half bottle, capped and refridgerated. The next day, it was quite drinkable for a CA pinot on day 2 (I generally don't care for them) The sweetness had abated. Give remaining bottles a year or two
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5/11/2013 - WetRock wrote:
Lots of blackberry up front with doses of citrus. The acidity is ample yet somewhat tart. It's less than seamless now but could chill out with some more rest. Good stuff.
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5/7/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
A good base pinot, strawberry, spice and cherry cola. Not terribly complex, probably won't get much better than it is now.
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5/5/2013 - TLR Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great balance and complexity this has to be the QPR of any Cali pinot ever!
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5/1/2013 - bonedocnine wrote: 93 Points
This wine is crazy good for a sonoma coast bottling. Bright cherry fruit with firm acidic backbone. Great wine from a great producer!
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4/27/2013 - jmull Likes this wine: 91 Points
Possibly the best vintage of this yet for me (I've tried them all since 2008). This is a little leaner and lot more focused. Racy, even. Phenomenal value. It went FAST. 91-92.
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4/27/2013 - dgriffin3480 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Black cherries, pomegranate and orange peel, immaculately blended with a velvet texture. Delicious and a reliable winner from TRB.
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4/21/2013 - cobbpa wrote:
Fun bottle. More power than plush velvet, but balances the spice & citrus well without being overly juicy. Enjoyable, slightly tart fruit, darker on the Pinot berry scale.
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4/10/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Already in a nice place. Cherry notes with just a hint of tartness. Nice balance. Best since '08.
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4/7/2013 - NH WINO wrote: 89 Points
No notes but was a great wine. Easy to drink.....
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4/6/2013 - Pierre-Yves Likes this wine: 91 Points
Loved the acidity and lightness to it. I didn't feel that this was a 14.1 % alcohol pinot. Really liked it. I prefer it over the 2010 version.
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4/5/2013 - Backdoctor wrote: 90 Points
drinking well now, red raspberry is what comes to mind. Great value
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4/5/2013 - fine137 wrote: 91 Points
Nice acidity, leaner than previous vintages, but better in my opinion. Long finish.
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4/3/2013 - rmh66 wrote: 88 Points
A bit stinky on pop and pour, but that blew off after an hour. Boysenberry, raspberry, earth, herbs, and a little orange and clove on the nose. Tart cherry, boysenberry, spice, and earth on the palate. Nice acidity. Light on the palate, flavors fade quickly, but the aftertaste is long and pleasant. Overall, similar to the '10 version, but lighter and with less concentration. Not sure that this works, but the price is right. These wines seem to improve a bit with time, so I'll try it again later.
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4/2/2013 - twelch wrote: 90 Points
A little more closed than the first couple consumed. Still an incredible wine at the price.
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4/1/2013 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
More plush than earlier vintages. Cranberry takes second seat to strawberry. Lower acidity and no noticeable tannins. Perhaps not an ager, but wouldn't last long anyway. Love it.
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3/30/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured with grilled pork chops. Very enjoyable, with black cherry and cola taste. The cola is almost too much, but it stays at a decent level. Pretty good amount of acidity on the finish.
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3/28/2013 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine was very good upon opening. The nose shut down after a few hours. The wine quality was good over the next 24 hours. It's a great QPR. I'll hold my others for a few months before tasting again, but I'm very happy with my purchase.
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3/26/2013 - vanpe003 wrote:
Pop/pour. Initially quite open, with a nice balance of sweet and sour highlighted by a subtle cola. The nose seems to shut down a bit after an hour. On the palate, very lush silky mouthfeel without being heavy. Again, nice balanced. A very hedonistic wine for the price, and a good QPR. I'll target to hold my remaining bottles for 12-24 before opening another (e.g. start drinking late 2014, early 2015).
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3/25/2013 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 92 Points
Big fan here. Broad but polished, very much in the TRB style.
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3/25/2013 - Zonk wrote: 91 Points
tight and acidic on opening, slow ox-d for about 4 hours. Cranberry with some orange peel notes sour cherry as well. really great QPR. Although its not super complex would guess this improves for at least 3-5 years.
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3/22/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Damn near 300 users of this wine now so it oughta have a wealth of TNs in the next several months. I'll offer a note now, having received the bottles recently. Perenially a QPR knock out for me, as was the 2008 and 2010, so I maintain high expectations on this cuvee. I opened the bottle 2 nights ago, so call this open just over 48 hours. The 2011 here is amped up a bit more than the 2010, as that one seemed to possess more acid and definition to me, this 2011 is more flamboyant, with a richness. The orange rind and cranberry are here, but they sit in the background, whereas the strawberry fruit this vintage is more jammy, along with the red apple. Also finding some maple in this vintage and more incrementally elevated, at least I perceive it to be, in alcohol. The acid comes back in the finish, but the fruit too remains the stronger presence. I believe this will show more as the flashy side of the RM SC, which I like. For $25, for this much in the bottle, albeit a bigger version this time, I dig it. PS--3 days open, this is hanging in nicely. Sense more of the acid today, like a sour strawberry note in the finish so you can soften I suppose some of my comment about richness, although some of that pulls back when the wine has some light chill on it, of course. This is a nice vintage for the RM SC, just a bit larger in tone that usual, I'd say.
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3/21/2013 - Hex triplet #43302E Likes this wine:
Red fruit. A bit of baker spice and orange peel. Very enjoyable and easy to drink. I like it.
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3/17/2013 - ListenToMeWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sweet red fruit, clove on the palate. Well done for 25.
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3/15/2013 - wineguy58 wrote:
Light sweet red fruit with some cool mint. Very good 91+
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2/19/2013 - rwalker82 Likes this wine: 90 Points
My favorite $25 pinot. Loved the 2009 and 2010 R-M SC. I think this tops both of those. It lacks the complexity of the single vineyards - however its very enjoable due to the balance between fruit and acid. A simplier version of my fav 2011, the Gioia.
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2/5/2013 - twelch wrote: 93 Points
Sometimes these tasting notes can be so simple. I'm just going to use a one word descriptor for this wine. YUM!
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