Four bottles of this wine (our last from this vintage) came as part of our semi-annual retrieval of wine from professional storage. This is the first of those four and the only thing I can say is WOW! This wine may be 12+ years old but it is still pleasing our palates. The wine was decanted for about 40 minutes and chilled to just below room temperature. The color was a deep dark violet. Dark red and some black fruits dominated the nose, as well as the silky medium plus palate. The palate also yielded some spice and earth. The acidity was up to the task of balancing all of the fruit and there were just some soft tannins on the finish. Definitely a better showing than our previous two bottles just over a year ago. I can only hope that the other three bottles are as good as this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped the cork and let the bottle sit for 45 minutes before drinking. Dark red fruit on the nose. The medium to plus bodied palate showed lots of dark red fruits (mostly dark cherry) along with some streaks of brighter red fruit and black fruit, some spice, and a bit of earth. The acidity was nicely balancing, and there was just a touch of tannin on the finish. Similar to our previous bottle a bit over a month ago, this bottle seemed to show that this vintage may finally be peaking out. I would suggest drinking up the remains of this vintage in the next year or so for maximum enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 20 minutes and that seemed to be all that this wine needed to open. Lots of dark red fruit and earth on the nose. The medium to plus palate was quite savory as it put forth this same bowl of dark red fruits - especially black cherries - along with some spice and quite a bit of earth. The acidity was nicely balancing, and the finish was medium plus and delightful. Our previous bottle of this vintage was 2 1/2 years ago, and this bottle seems to show that this vintage may finally be peaking out. I would suggest drinking up the remains of this vintage in the next year or so for maximum enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I must remember to read my previous TNs. Decanted this bottle for only 10 minutes - to separate some fine sediment, and to allow the wine to open. Not enough time as it took the wine at least 45 minutes to fully open and integrate -- after which it was as good as the bottle enjoyed in June. The nose and palate were very similar to the June bottle, but with a touch of minerality and cola on the palate. There were also some drying tannins on the wonderful finish which tells me that this wine can certainly make the decade mark and possibly beyond.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slo-oxed for ~20 minutes, but it continued to open during the meal. I must remember to give these wines at least a 30 minute decant. The nose was like inhaling from a bowl of mashed black cherries. The medium to plus palate put forth this same bowl of black cherries along with other berries, some spice, some pepper, and quite a bit of earth. The acidity was brightly balancing, and the finish was medium plus and delightful. Not sure it will develop any further, but this wine should hold for another several years. Another winning effort from one of CA's premier farming/winemaking families. These Estate Pinot Noirs seem to be built to provide a decade or more of enjoyment, especially when given an age appropriate decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The last of my '11 Pisoni's, I only wish I had more. 14.3 abv. Medium burgundy, very expressive aromas. Flavors of boysenberry, raspberry with a healthy dollop of mint. A deep, sensuous wine with great complexity and energy. These wines improved each time I opened a bottle over the past four years or so. Still a lot of great drinking ahead. Fantastic wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was spectacular, out of magnum. Tons of fruit, but so fresh and lively made for excellent balance. Showed better than 2012 mag which lacked the same freshness.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for one hour. It needed a decant but this absolutely beautiful. Medium to full bodied. Rich fruit on the nose and palate, but not over done at all. Intense fruit, expansive on the palate and beautful acidity/tannic structure to finish, which went on for over a minute. This is my forth time tasting the Pisoni Estate bottling and the first time I've had the Wow experience many describe. Beautifully balanced and the WOTN for evryone.
Everything you would expect from a Pisoni. Excellent balance on the palate with a fabulous finish. This wine is drinking perfectly now and should continue to please into the future. Decant for an hour before enjoying this beauty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice fruit on the nose. Oak is starting to integrate well after an hour of air. Pisoni dark berries and some aromatic herbs. Nice finish. Vintage has yielded a pinot on lighter side for Pisoni estate. A good thing. No hurry here, it could improve with a couple more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I enjoyed this lovely Pinot with a homemade fennel sausage and hot pepper pizza. It is worthy of its high ratings and, in my opinion, completely resolved and ready to drink. I cellared the bottle for five years, decanted it for an hour via Menu Wine Breather into a borosilicate glass flask, and drank from a stemless Riedel Pinot glass. Cheers.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My notes of 9/17/201 confirmed. "Another dark garnet Pisoni pinot noir; opaque-like. Black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, forest floor. Big, powerful and viscous, with intense fruit. Good structure. Good finish."
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
14.3% abv. Dark burgundy, very expressive aromas. Black raspberry, baking spice and a hint of cinnamon. Great mouthfeel, depth and length. Really delicious and distinctive with plenty of years ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I enjoyed this wine much more a few years ago. Came across as very ripe, plum and blackberry. Not stewed by jammy and fruity. I looks and tasted like a ripe Syrah tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my last remaining 2011 Estate. Opened about 90 mins ago, and I gave it a light chill to place it in an ideal temp. I've drank a fair amount of Pisoni Estate through the years and I'd be fake to say I know the terroir of the site. It's more than one site, but several plots that Jeff gets to mix and craft. However, in checking the aromatics on this tonight, a thought hit me, a sense of place was in the glass that reminded me of past Pisoni. What I get is a lifted sense of dried red fruit, spice, perhaps a little pine needle. Perhaps this is the essence of Estate? In terms of the palate, there is clearly for me a richness here and in knowing Jeff's craft over the years and how he has made this wine, it's never been (and doubt ever will be) a 12.5-13% CA pinot noir. I love that other style but that is not Estate. Instead, as is the case here, the wine is richer styled, with a mix of red and black fruits, a broader texture, and some imprint of cola, herb and citrus. A jammy quality, too. The finishing citrus note, the pine needle and licorice quality gives it a lift. Big wine for sure, and ready to drink.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another dark garnet Pisoni pinot noir; opaque-like. Black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, forest floor. Big, powerful and viscous, with intense fruit. Good structure. Good finish. Score 93+.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Darkest Pinot I’ve seen yet - near purple. Ozziewine nailed it: “Rich, pure, smooth, very dark fruit, just a hint of sweetness, jammy without excess, beautiful.” I’d call it a Raspberry jammy/sweetness and oh-so-very-smooth with fine tannins showing themselves for quick flashes. The wife and I agreed: this is the best Pinot Noir so far!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For us, this is what Pinot should be. Rich, pure, smooth, very dark fruit, just a hint of sweetness, jammy without excess, beautiful. Third bottle of this and just as great as the others. My notes, and 98 score, from March, 2016, still stand. It is mellowing so I'd drink them sooner than later as some of the youthful vibrancy, and fruit, is fading. If you like them more mature, this still has at least a few years to go. I am compelled to invoke the technical term "dee-lish"!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2011 pisoni pisoni and 2011 Kistler Sonoma Coast, Pisoni more fruit driven with a bit more sweetness, ripeness, oak, Kistler more restrained with better acidity, both delicious in different styles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Been fortunate to have had this twice (first in Sept. '14) and both times it was spectacular! It's dense, rich, pure, lush, viscous, elegant and loaded with the darkest of dark fruit. Jammy and syrupy but not over the top cough-syrupy. I realize some like the fruit on the muted side, so you could wait on these. However, everything is so well integrated and working together today, if I had more, I'd drink them now...and give it 1-2 hours of air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oh goodness. This is worthy of the high scores in CT. Incredible wine. Very "Arcadian" in style. There is a solid core of acid holding this together. Raspberry, cherry, and lots of what I would guess to be stem from whole cluster. Often wrong , it could just be the oak toast but this has everything. Wish I had a case of this wine. Still a young wine so aging should really make this shine. Ringer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Went to grab the 2010 and I had polished it off so grabbed the 2011. Opened and poured, shows me another solid example of the better side of 2011. There is fruit here yet also acidity, and it lengthens the finish. The fruit has a mix of raspberry, sweet berry and touch of root beer, yet it all holds well with the acidity. And of note, the first taste here was from the bottle being a little warmer than I prefer so I am adding a few chill degrees, which should ideally lift the wine and for me help it drink like in the zone. Finishing note a little later...stayed pretty consistent with air and the chill added the right focus. Lots of fruit, Pisoni personality and I would say ready to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Even in a weak vintage, the Pisoni pinot still shines. There's a great consistency of big bold flavors, coupled with perfect balance, that seems to transcend all years. I would say that Pisoni is my favorite pinot, edging out Kosta Browne.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for several hours before tasting. A nicely crafted wine, rich and satiny at mid-palate and held firmly in place by well a constructed structure. I probably should have given it more time, because at consumption, it was only offering cherry / strawberry fruit and a strong cola note but little else which was its only disappointment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unbelievable, absolutely gorgeous fruit, a seamless and long finish. The fruit was incrediblly dense concentrated and smooth. I had 3 of these that I was blessed enough find and purchase in late 2014. The finest Pinot I have ever tasted and a top 5 wine experience for me. Something that every wine lover should taste.
So few notes on this wine to date, hard to we don't have more data points given the vintage and track record of this wine. Forging ahead, I opened this to take to dinner tonight, to join the 2010 Copain Brosseau chard, thematically as both wines have fruit that isn't far from the other. Very curious to see what Jeff did with 2011, given the house style normally and the leaner year. First blush? Very good. In some vintages of Pisoni, say 2009, I found the wine too rich for where my palate and I have since shed that one from my cellar, yet 2008 was near perfect. What the 2011 seems to be showing right now, reminds me some of the 2012 Fogline Sun Chase I had y/day, with the brighter, snappier side of the cherry/red fruit spectrum. There is a crunchy aspect to this wine, vibrant, and as opposed to the 2009 where the oak and fruit seemed to be too large for me, this 2011 is near perfect for my taste. I don't intend to decant the wine, only to jam the cork back in and keep it the right temp for dinner serving in about 4 hours...a day later and fresh palate and perfect temp, this has evolved to a real beauty. It has added a spice element, brown in tone and the fruit fattened up some and shows more forward, a mix of black and red with a real depth and intensity. Then the acidity fills into the finish, brightens and lengthens, which for me is the 2011 vintage. When Pisoni is on, and the fruit has that perfect ripe pitch, the wood not overdone and the depth is there, I'd put the wine at the top of the class for CA pinot. This 2011 is right there.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and poured into a decanter and then back into the bottle. Initially tasted without food. Will check in again but want to add my initial impression. Good vibrant purple color. Nose of black raspberry, cherries and some licorice. Good sweet fruit profile with a solid core of acidity that speaks up on the back end. While rich with fruit, it has that acidity that gives it lift. Shows a little bot of the alcohol in the way the wine coats the tongue but not in a way that's hot. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A really tasty pinot, the flavors were amped up but balanced in relation to each other. Fragrant perfumed nose with dark fruits and vanilla showing on the palate. Smooth and long lasting finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/12/2024 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Four bottles of this wine (our last from this vintage) came as part of our semi-annual retrieval of wine from professional storage. This is the first of those four and the only thing I can say is WOW! This wine may be 12+ years old but it is still pleasing our palates.
The wine was decanted for about 40 minutes and chilled to just below room temperature. The color was a deep dark violet. Dark red and some black fruits dominated the nose, as well as the silky medium plus palate. The palate also yielded some spice and earth. The acidity was up to the task of balancing all of the fruit and there were just some soft tannins on the finish.
Definitely a better showing than our previous two bottles just over a year ago. I can only hope that the other three bottles are as good as this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2023 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purple with a light brown tinge, modest nose of spice, prune, and dark fruits. Red berries, vanilla, ripe black cherry and a smooth as silk finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2023 - rustyRudy wrote: 94 Points
Marvelous
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2023 - VlgJeff wrote: 93 Points
Popped the cork and let the bottle sit for 45 minutes before drinking. Dark red fruit on the nose. The medium to plus bodied palate showed lots of dark red fruits (mostly dark cherry) along with some streaks of brighter red fruit and black fruit, some spice, and a bit of earth. The acidity was nicely balancing, and there was just a touch of tannin on the finish.
Similar to our previous bottle a bit over a month ago, this bottle seemed to show that this vintage may finally be peaking out. I would suggest drinking up the remains of this vintage in the next year or so for maximum enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2023 - VlgJeff wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 20 minutes and that seemed to be all that this wine needed to open. Lots of dark red fruit and earth on the nose. The medium to plus palate was quite savory as it put forth this same bowl of dark red fruits - especially black cherries - along with some spice and quite a bit of earth. The acidity was nicely balancing, and the finish was medium plus and delightful.
Our previous bottle of this vintage was 2 1/2 years ago, and this bottle seems to show that this vintage may finally be peaking out. I would suggest drinking up the remains of this vintage in the next year or so for maximum enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2021 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
This is simply awesome. Balance of power, fruit, oak, acid…. purity of fruit is spectacular.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2021 - JS199 wrote: 95 Points
Great bottle. Sensual plus the usual Pisoni power. Love it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2020 - Philosseur wrote:
$175
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/6/2020 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 94 Points
I must remember to read my previous TNs. Decanted this bottle for only 10 minutes - to separate some fine sediment, and to allow the wine to open. Not enough time as it took the wine at least 45 minutes to fully open and integrate -- after which it was as good as the bottle enjoyed in June.
The nose and palate were very similar to the June bottle, but with a touch of minerality and cola on the palate. There were also some drying tannins on the wonderful finish which tells me that this wine can certainly make the decade mark and possibly beyond.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2020 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slo-oxed for ~20 minutes, but it continued to open during the meal. I must remember to give these wines at least a 30 minute decant. The nose was like inhaling from a bowl of mashed black cherries. The medium to plus palate put forth this same bowl of black cherries along with other berries, some spice, some pepper, and quite a bit of earth. The acidity was brightly balancing, and the finish was medium plus and delightful. Not sure it will develop any further, but this wine should hold for another several years.
Another winning effort from one of CA's premier farming/winemaking families. These Estate Pinot Noirs seem to be built to provide a decade or more of enjoyment, especially when given an age appropriate decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 96 Points
The last of my '11 Pisoni's, I only wish I had more. 14.3 abv. Medium burgundy, very expressive aromas. Flavors of boysenberry, raspberry with a healthy dollop of mint. A deep, sensuous wine with great complexity and energy. These wines improved each time I opened a bottle over the past four years or so. Still a lot of great drinking ahead. Fantastic wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
This was spectacular, out of magnum. Tons of fruit, but so fresh and lively made for excellent balance. Showed better than 2012 mag which lacked the same freshness.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2020 - cruzio32 Likes this wine: 94 Points
this bottle was excellent. first bottle must have been corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
Big Cali style Pinot, but remains balanced. Terrific w smoked chicken.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2020 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 93 Points
In a great place. Sticky tannins, wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2020 - cruzio32 Likes this wine: 92 Points
needs lots of air. Decant by letting it sit. Careful with aerator on this
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2019 - hawkeye54 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for one hour. It needed a decant but this absolutely beautiful. Medium to full bodied. Rich fruit on the nose and palate, but not over done at all. Intense fruit, expansive on the palate and beautful acidity/tannic structure to finish, which went on for over a minute. This is my forth time tasting the Pisoni Estate bottling and the first time I've had the Wow experience many describe. Beautifully balanced and the WOTN for evryone.
2010 Antica Terra Botanica
2002 Beringer Private Reserve Cab
2004 Dom Perignon
2008 Clape Cornas
2007 Drinkward Peschon Cab
2011 Pisoni Estate
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2019 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep, long, layered richness, very intense, yet light on it’s feet. One of the best Pinots I’ve had from anywhere. Outstanding!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2019 - FyneWine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Everything you would expect from a Pisoni. Excellent balance on the palate with a fabulous finish. This wine is drinking perfectly now and should continue to please into the future. Decant for an hour before enjoying this beauty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2019 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 93 Points
Nice fruit on the nose. Oak is starting to integrate well after an hour of air. Pisoni dark berries and some aromatic herbs. Nice finish.
Vintage has yielded a pinot on lighter side for Pisoni estate. A good thing. No hurry here, it could improve with a couple more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2018 - cjohnson2960 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I enjoyed this lovely Pinot with a homemade fennel sausage and hot pepper pizza. It is worthy of its high ratings and, in my opinion, completely resolved and ready to drink. I cellared the bottle for five years, decanted it for an hour via Menu Wine Breather into a borosilicate glass flask, and drank from a stemless Riedel Pinot glass. Cheers.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2018 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
My notes of 9/17/201 confirmed. "Another dark garnet Pisoni pinot noir; opaque-like. Black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, forest floor. Big, powerful and viscous, with intense fruit. Good structure. Good finish."
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2018 - napasoutherner wrote: 94 Points
Another wonderful Pisoni experience
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2018 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
14.3% abv. Dark burgundy, very expressive aromas. Black raspberry, baking spice and a hint of cinnamon. Great mouthfeel, depth and length. Really delicious and distinctive with plenty of years ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2018 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
No decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2017 - brigcampbell wrote:
I enjoyed this wine much more a few years ago. Came across as very ripe, plum and blackberry. Not stewed by jammy and fruity. I looks and tasted like a ripe Syrah tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2017 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This is my last remaining 2011 Estate. Opened about 90 mins ago, and I gave it a light chill to place it in an ideal temp. I've drank a fair amount of Pisoni Estate through the years and I'd be fake to say I know the terroir of the site. It's more than one site, but several plots that Jeff gets to mix and craft. However, in checking the aromatics on this tonight, a thought hit me, a sense of place was in the glass that reminded me of past Pisoni. What I get is a lifted sense of dried red fruit, spice, perhaps a little pine needle. Perhaps this is the essence of Estate? In terms of the palate, there is clearly for me a richness here and in knowing Jeff's craft over the years and how he has made this wine, it's never been (and doubt ever will be) a 12.5-13% CA pinot noir. I love that other style but that is not Estate. Instead, as is the case here, the wine is richer styled, with a mix of red and black fruits, a broader texture, and some imprint of cola, herb and citrus. A jammy quality, too. The finishing citrus note, the pine needle and licorice quality gives it a lift. Big wine for sure, and ready to drink.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2017 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Another dark garnet Pisoni pinot noir; opaque-like. Black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, forest floor. Big, powerful and viscous, with intense fruit. Good structure. Good finish. Score 93+.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2017 - coventryvino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Darkest Pinot I’ve seen yet - near purple. Ozziewine nailed it: “Rich, pure, smooth, very dark fruit, just a hint of sweetness, jammy without excess, beautiful.” I’d call it a Raspberry jammy/sweetness and oh-so-very-smooth with fine tannins showing themselves for quick flashes. The wife and I agreed: this is the best Pinot Noir so far!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Great fruit, a bit oaky.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Ripe, rich, big in style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2017 - ozziewine Likes this wine:
For us, this is what Pinot should be. Rich, pure, smooth, very dark fruit, just a hint of sweetness, jammy without excess, beautiful.
Third bottle of this and just as great as the others. My notes, and 98 score, from March, 2016, still stand. It is mellowing so I'd drink them sooner than later as some of the youthful vibrancy, and fruit, is fading. If you like them more mature, this still has at least a few years to go.
I am compelled to invoke the technical term "dee-lish"!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2016 - SMZ wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully crafted. Deep purple color and intensely flavorful with tons of personality. One of the best Pinots from a challenging vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2016 - MeMyself&I wrote: 91 Points
Mighty fine with my duck dish. Rich, velvety, fruity but not stifling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
2011 pisoni pisoni and 2011 Kistler Sonoma Coast, Pisoni more fruit driven with a bit more sweetness, ripeness, oak, Kistler more restrained with better acidity, both delicious in different styles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2016 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 98 Points
Been fortunate to have had this twice (first in Sept. '14) and both times it was spectacular!
It's dense, rich, pure, lush, viscous, elegant and loaded with the darkest of dark fruit. Jammy and syrupy but not over the top cough-syrupy.
I realize some like the fruit on the muted side, so you could wait on these. However, everything is so well integrated and working together today, if I had more, I'd drink them now...and give it 1-2 hours of air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2016 - brigcampbell wrote:
Oh goodness. This is worthy of the high scores in CT. Incredible wine. Very "Arcadian" in style. There is a solid core of acid holding this together. Raspberry, cherry, and lots of what I would guess to be stem from whole cluster. Often wrong , it could just be the oak toast but this has everything. Wish I had a case of this wine. Still a young wine so aging should really make this shine. Ringer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2016 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Went to grab the 2010 and I had polished it off so grabbed the 2011. Opened and poured, shows me another solid example of the better side of 2011. There is fruit here yet also acidity, and it lengthens the finish. The fruit has a mix of raspberry, sweet berry and touch of root beer, yet it all holds well with the acidity. And of note, the first taste here was from the bottle being a little warmer than I prefer so I am adding a few chill degrees, which should ideally lift the wine and for me help it drink like in the zone. Finishing note a little later...stayed pretty consistent with air and the chill added the right focus. Lots of fruit, Pisoni personality and I would say ready to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - SMZ wrote: 94 Points
Even in a weak vintage, the Pisoni pinot still shines. There's a great consistency of big bold flavors, coupled with perfect balance, that seems to transcend all years. I would say that Pisoni is my favorite pinot, edging out Kosta Browne.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2015 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Candied cherry, ripe, lush but not over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2015 - jeagle wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for several hours before tasting. A nicely crafted wine, rich and satiny at mid-palate and held firmly in place by well a constructed structure. I probably should have given it more time, because at consumption, it was only offering cherry / strawberry fruit and a strong cola note but little else which was its only disappointment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2015 - thejaffer Likes this wine: 98 Points
Unbelievable, absolutely gorgeous fruit, a seamless and long finish. The fruit was incrediblly dense concentrated and smooth. I had 3 of these that I was blessed enough find and purchase in late 2014. The finest Pinot I have ever tasted and a top 5 wine experience for me. Something that every wine lover should taste.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/10/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
1 hour decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
So few notes on this wine to date, hard to we don't have more data points given the vintage and track record of this wine. Forging ahead, I opened this to take to dinner tonight, to join the 2010 Copain Brosseau chard, thematically as both wines have fruit that isn't far from the other. Very curious to see what Jeff did with 2011, given the house style normally and the leaner year. First blush? Very good. In some vintages of Pisoni, say 2009, I found the wine too rich for where my palate and I have since shed that one from my cellar, yet 2008 was near perfect. What the 2011 seems to be showing right now, reminds me some of the 2012 Fogline Sun Chase I had y/day, with the brighter, snappier side of the cherry/red fruit spectrum. There is a crunchy aspect to this wine, vibrant, and as opposed to the 2009 where the oak and fruit seemed to be too large for me, this 2011 is near perfect for my taste. I don't intend to decant the wine, only to jam the cork back in and keep it the right temp for dinner serving in about 4 hours...a day later and fresh palate and perfect temp, this has evolved to a real beauty. It has added a spice element, brown in tone and the fruit fattened up some and shows more forward, a mix of black and red with a real depth and intensity. Then the acidity fills into the finish, brightens and lengthens, which for me is the 2011 vintage. When Pisoni is on, and the fruit has that perfect ripe pitch, the wood not overdone and the depth is there, I'd put the wine at the top of the class for CA pinot. This 2011 is right there.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2014 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Opened and poured into a decanter and then back into the bottle. Initially tasted without food. Will check in again but want to add my initial impression.
Good vibrant purple color. Nose of black raspberry, cherries and some licorice. Good sweet fruit profile with a solid core of acidity that speaks up on the back end. While rich with fruit, it has that acidity that gives it lift. Shows a little bot of the alcohol in the way the wine coats the tongue but not in a way that's hot. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2014 - bottles.and.bites Likes this wine: 95 Points
A really tasty pinot, the flavors were amped up but balanced in relation to each other. Fragrant perfumed nose with dark fruits and vanilla showing on the palate. Smooth and long lasting finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2014 - Gator96 Likes this wine: 95 Points
In aspen 1.5l
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment