Superbowl libation. Although the bottle had been standing up for a week, the last two inches were a cloudy, confused mess so the decanting process left quite a bit in the bottle. Flavors were initially malty, stewed strawberries. My team (KC) was behind and so was my wine. Fully expected both to tank rapidly from there but instead over the next two hours Mahomes got his game on and so did this wine with bright, darker fruit and interesting secondary nuances. Took my last sip on the final touchdown--score!
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Consistent with previous note.....some bricking and secondary notes this time around as this is now at nearly 12 years....last bottle.
Previous Note:Tart red cherry/pomegranate, citrus, pine needles. Great ruby color. Good acidity and a long finish. TRB/Will Virtual wine tasting via WB.
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The 2012 Occidental is drinking well, but peaking and perhaps starting down the back side of its arc. Cola, root beer, blood orange, mulled fruit. It’s a little cloudy in the glass with moderate bricking. Long and a touch sweet. Drink up!
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Great Pinot! At 10 years old this bottle has reached it's peak and is starting to show more tertiary notes but still has a good fruit profile. I wish I had more as it was so well balanced.
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Friday hangout at Domaine (Chicago, IL): From magnum. A nose that has typical aged pinot earthiness and mushroom notes, as well as some generously sweet, plummy fruit and maybe a hint of orange peel as well. The palate is quite rounded and large-scaled, with a plumminess that somewhat evokes merlot, but this is still pretty clearly pinot thanks to those earthy tones and a little more acidity than I expected from a California pinot noir.
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Very dark for a Pinot Noir. PnP, improved over about 30 minutes. Started with a little funk, but this seemed to blow off. Cranberry and pomegranate up front followed by cherry,, herbal, spice, earth and some smoke. Cherry, cranberry dominate the palate with good acidity. The tannins are soft and balance the nice finish. Seems heavy for a Pinot Noir.
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PnP. Medium light red. Nose dominated by red fruits and a dominant citrus note - little in the way of age - largely primary to secondary notes. Rich but not heavy on the palate with good depth of fruit but needs more acidity to make it lively. Tannins largely resolved at age 10. Does put on more depth of fruit with air.
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I thought this was quite good. PNP and served with baked red snapper and wine was full bodied but didn’t overwhelm fish. Definitely had some cranberry and more bright acidic flavors along with sweet red fruits like strawberry and light on its feet. 93-94
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My wife always loves Rivers-Marie, but not this one. She remarked it was a bit musty so it's possible it's slightly corked, but not to my taste. Improved with air, showing a bright black cherry nose, accented by orange peel and spice. Like all Rivers-Maries, this has a juicy core of red fruit, with cranberry and pomegranate notes. But it just seems to be missing something. I recently had the '12 Silver Eagle and that was a much better wine.
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Some funky pinot musk on the nose. Crunchy red fruit, bright, low/medium bodied. Fleshes out and rounds off the sharp acid with air, becoming much more enjoyable.
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More like counoise or even grenache than PN with tangy/malted sour cherry and red currant fruit, persimmon, cardamom, and clove. Mild iodine note lingers in the background. Not what I seek out, but I enjoyed it.
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PnP. Medium red. Lovely red fruited nose with red apple, cherry, strawberry and a touch of citrus (blood orange?). On the palate this is "sappy" - has some tension to it with the red fruited nose echoed on the palate; tastes quite young and clearly still in its primary phase. Will this develop more complexity/interest with further aging? Quite a nice drink now but has some upside.
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Pop and pour, consumed over 2 hours. Nose: Medium-plus intensity, black cherry, cherry compote, smoke, and rose petals. Palate: Medium-full bodied, sweet and spicy red fruit attack, sour cherry and cola notes appear through the mid-palate, with gamey notes in the back-end. Finish: Lengthy, 45-60 seconds, sense of sour cherry, spice, and wild game. Lots of stuffing and very youthful yet, likely still a few years from peaking - impressive.
Aroma on PnP was a minty, medicinal red fruit. Took some time to open to a palate of tart red fruit, primarily strawberry, with a nice tannic bite on a lingering finish.
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Unabashedly Californian and it probably speaks more to a "house style" than what I normally think of with Sonoma Coast wines, but it is really good. Intensely concentrated flavor, with a mix of juicy raspberry, cherry liquor, earthy bramble, spice and a big dose of blood orange, that I always seem to get with R-M wines. This probably trades complexity for a measure of power and drinks a lot younger than the age on the label. This feels little bit hotter than the listed 13.9%, but not terribly so. Really good, provided you know what you're in for, so this is very much a "success within the style" sort of wine. If you're looking for Burgundy... look elsewhere.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of ripe black cherry, loamy earth and spice. Black and red fruit, earth, spice and hint of anise on the palate. Very long finish. Medium bodied. Served with smoked salmon.
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Saturated dark flavors but all top notes led by a monochromatic sweetness, so all kind of one note even if it's a good note, and especially obvious by following a complex '12 Volnay. Will hold remaining bottles for 2022.
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Really drinking well right now and surprised that I gave the same score a year or so ago... I didn't remember this bottle and just a really nice balance of fruit/acidity/soft tannins....ENJOY
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Very dark for a Pinot Noir. PnP. Big nose right from the start. Cherry, cranberry, pomegranate , herbal, spice, earth and some smoke. Cherry, cranberry dominate the palate with good acidity. The tannins are soft and balance the nice finish. In a good place now.
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Really dynamite nose, with loads of smoke and cinnamon and crushed raspberry. More angular on the palate showing more cranberry and citrus-like acidity buffeted slightly by a good deal of red fruit. Soft tannins too, but the tartness left a bit of a disappointing finish after such a great nose.
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Over many years, Occidental Ridge is usually one of my favourites among the Rivers Marie range. This bottle was no exception. Fruit forward but finely balanced and delicious!
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Kind of a weird bottle. It started quite earthy and a bit stinky, with not a lot of fruit, but after a few hours of air, became a little more balanced. Red cherry, damp earth, black cherry, a little compost, pine needle, plum, oregano, and smoke on the nose. Tart cherry, red cherry, earth, cranberry, spice, citrus, and a little herb on the palate. Tart, juicy acidity, mostly resolved and integrated tannins, medium-long finish, medium body. I'm not sure if this is where the wine was intended to go, but this seemed simultaneously advanced and with many years to go. It might not have been stored well. That said, there was much to admire on day 2.
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Popped and poured. Light to medium ruby color, slightly cloudy. Super aromatic on the nose with a mix of tart red fruits, cranberry, cherry, pomegranate and more with a wild cherry, spicy herbal cough drop aroma and maybe a touch of orange peel. This carries through to the palate where it is all spicy and tart red fruit for days. Lots of acidity here and still very primary. Smooth mouthfeel and finish. Really enjoyable with room to grow.
A pretty wine, the aromatics are the real draw. Sonoma Coast smoke and incense. A darker complexion than some of the other R-M pinots. This had more purple fruit than red, and some nice intensity to it. Ordered steak frites and the wine was up to the challenge. Enjoyed the grip it had night one. Revisited on night three and the wine had lost some of its focus. So while a bigger in style, it's still a Pinot so find a well positioned chair and enjoy this bottle in a single sitting and let the nose do its thing.
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Very aromatic upon opening. red fruits and baking spices. Palate is vibrant but this is not a light bodied pinot, it has more body, structure and density to it. But all in balance though, not a fruit bomb.
2 hours open bottle opening, the fruit started to close, but by that time we had finished the bottle so I'm not sure of the next evolution.
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House to ourselves, stay at home movie night figured we'd treat ourselves. Fruit driven but not overblown this has bright acids with raspberry, tart cherry, blood orange over a bed of crushed rocks and flowers. Sensuous tannins coat but don't dry the mouth resulting in a nice balance with the up-front acids. This was firing on all cylinders and reminds me why Rivers Marie is my favorite CA Pinot producer.
Pop and pour and tasted with food (chicken stir fry with broccoli and rice, in case younwere wondering). Ruby red color leaning mtowards purple. Nose shows some wet wool, red berries and spice. Nice tangerine peel element along with brown spice and red berries. Shows some cool climate herbal notes as well. Very engaging. Nice.
Tasted the wine again two days later after pouring some into a 375 ml bottle and refrigerating. Tasted slightly chilled. Some improvement as the wine has opened up showing greater depth and the wet wool element I picked up in the nose is gone, replaced with some darker fruits and tangerine peel. Delicious.
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Drank over 2 days. Simply would not open up on day one, seemed flawed but waited it out. Was tight, finished with a bit of bitterness. On day 2 it was awesome. Smooth, balanced and fruitful.
Damn this is good. Deep purple, dense. Great depth and complexity with acidity to match. Drinks well now but an exciting candidate for aging. Next bottle: 2021.
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We don't like pinots. Oregon - nope. Washington - nah. Napa - ich schnee. Central coast - bleah. France - non. Which makes this wine remarkable. As a pop and pour, has some green mid tongue acidity that is unpleasant. After about 90 minutes this becomes a beautiful fruity wine with cherry and light citrus that is refreshing but not lush. Paired with salmon. Was excellent. Nice finish.
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Aerated with a Vinturi. Red cherry, raspberry, mushroom and earth. Finishes long and tart with soft tannins and good acidity. Medium bodied. Beautiful wine. Paired with grilled salmon and peanut chili salsa.
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4:15pm at opening: taut and firmly tannic; pomegranate, cherries, crushed gravel, blood orange, subtle hints of cola and fresh flower petal. But right now it's ALL about laser-focused fruit.
6:30pm: much silkier. that crystal clear fruit, cranberry, cherry, pomegranate and strawberry. later on got like a shiitake mushroom poking out of damp soil. Still I was hoping for more layered complexity beyond those wonderful berries.
Day two: much better integration and some new flavors of shiso leaf and japanese ume plum; cherry blossom flowers. the finest espresso dust along with all that other stuff above. full mid palate and quite a long finish. absolutely fantastic. My opinion has lept forward from yesterday. But it needs 3 to 5 years or LOTS of air.
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I probably shouldnt have opened this so early, but I wanted a RM SV wine. The fruit was great, good acidity that started to show after 60 minutes or so. This was a several days ago so I am not that fresh on the details. Every time I have a RM SVD I am reminded why I buy them. While a great value, the appellation wines don't do for me what the SVs do. Heck, RaNae even really likes the SV wine even thought she is a Francophile.
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Much better than previous tasting. Tart cranberry and strawberry fruit with cola notes along with some caramel, earth, and spice. Very nice acidity and much longer finish than before. Probably my favorite of the single vineyards at this point for this vintage.
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darker fruits, definitely more fruit forward but still in balance. Mid weight, not too heavy, but not as light as I seem to prefer these days. C thought it was better than the Arnot-Roberts we had the day before while I thought that wine dominated this one. His and hers Pinots some nights I guess!
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My second favorite SVD from Rivers Marie (behind Old Summa). Has just the right amount of acid, elegant fruit and minerality - impressive enough that I will go long on this bottling in the future!
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consistent with my previous note - lots of cherry elements in this wine. The sour cherry seemed to be dominating which gave it a bit of a bite on the finish - if that mellows in time the score should go up.
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Wanted to try a SV to see what to do with the upcoming 2013 offering. Decanted 90 minutes. Darker fruit, spice, maybe a tiny bit of heat. Very good but not great although this would benefit from time I think.
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Tasted blind. This wasn't one of the favorites among other Rivers Marie 2012 Pinots. A bit hot and out of balance. Improved with air so with age this could settle down into something good.
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Winery tasting with Will. Nose is tighter and more linear than the Summa - shows some cranberry and spice. Palate is more giving. Pop of cranberry with some herb. Crunchy acidity. Seems wound up and needs time. 90-92
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Cherry bomb. Nice body, good tangy acid, with a solid finish. The Pinot seems dominated by sweet and sour cherry notes. I think it will improve with a little more age.
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Popped and poured, then finished the next night. No detailed notes, but this had a pretty silky dark cherry aspect to it. Didn't seem quite integrated fully yet, but still enjoyable at this time.
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Opened at Boulder to pair with CRS served with Roasted Red Pepper Beurre Blanc sauce. Tart cherry notes without any of the cola notes that we perceived at tasting with Will of RM. This was nice upon opening, but seemed to turn more tart and almost bitter after being open for an hour or so. The rest will see some cellar time before opening.
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Beautiful. Orange, flowers and dark fruit on the nose. Full palate with dark fruit and lots of structure. Drinking great now (it disappeared fast) but will improve with age.
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Tasted with Will at RM. Beautiful wine. Very cool aromatics - floral, orange, brown sugar, tea, nutmeg?, blackberry. Taste... Dark black fruits, blackberry, slight cranberry, and some typ russian river big pinot qualities but not overblown. Structure in spades. Enjoyable now with decant but will get better in 1 yr. Into black fruits then drink this. Into red fruits then drink the summa.
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Rivers-Marie (Rivers-Marie office, Calistoga): Opens with notes of clay, nutmeg and red cherry fruit. The palate has a florally edge adding to the cherry and cola flavors. The fruit lingers on the finish with a soft spice note as well. 92+ pts.
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Fantastic nose, very expressive. Palate was good. It needed some time to open which it did after about an hour. Great wine and I wish I had more. If I had more, I would hold it for two to four years min. But drinking well now regardless.
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Pop n pour at cool room temp. Ripe red fruit aromas, high toned berries. Very pretty nose. In the mouth there was a midweight silkiness. Suave but balanced with bright acidity and minimal tannins and oak. Popping red fruit. Kind of the trademark citrus note on the finish. Really enjoyed this bottle, even though young.
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Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley (Napa Valley): please don't string me up. The first thing I noted on the nose was that crunchy red fruit and orange peel. It just threw me right back all the young Fourrier I've tasted in the past few months. I haven't had a Rivers Marie pinot (outside of the 2010 sonoma coast which was the red at my wedding) since the 2007 or 2008 vintage and I was just completely floored at how compelling the nose was to me. The palate was just bright red fruit of cherries, pomegranate jumping everywhere, full of electricity and light on its feet. A touch of spice on the back end to give it a little complexity.
Going to be fun to try this in the future.
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Has a youthful weight that likely will soften and shed with time. Pretty light crimson and ruby. Full bodied cherry nose that also shows citrus and spice. Mid palate picks up pomegranate. Long, well balanced, nicely brisk finish.
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I heard great things about this wine, so I had to open a bottle much earlier than I usually would. Pomegranate juice really, is all I gotta say. And I like pomegranate so I like this wine. It is like a blend of a French burgundy and a CA pinot noir. Simply delicious. It's drinking great now, but I will wait another 4 to 5 years before opening up one of my other bottles.
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Rivers-Marie 2012 Pinot Noir (Calistoga CA): Tasting 2012 lineup with TRB. Very dense and meaty aromatic start, slightly sweet, close to jammy. Black and red fruit flavors, rich and robust but with sneaky structure keeping everything in good balance. Small amount of whole cluster (6-7%?) add some background magic that I think might come forward as the baby fat softens. A very interesting wine with great potential.
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2/12/2024 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Superbowl libation. Although the bottle had been standing up for a week, the last two inches were a cloudy, confused mess so the decanting process left quite a bit in the bottle. Flavors were initially malty, stewed strawberries. My team (KC) was behind and so was my wine. Fully expected both to tank rapidly from there but instead over the next two hours Mahomes got his game on and so did this wine with bright, darker fruit and interesting secondary nuances. Took my last sip on the final touchdown--score!
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12/2/2023 - gsiokis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous note.....some bricking and secondary notes this time around as this is now at nearly 12 years....last bottle.
Previous Note:Tart red cherry/pomegranate, citrus, pine needles. Great ruby color. Good acidity and a long finish. TRB/Will Virtual wine tasting via WB.
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12/25/2022 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
The 2012 Occidental is drinking well, but peaking and perhaps starting down the back side of its arc. Cola, root beer, blood orange, mulled fruit. It’s a little cloudy in the glass with moderate bricking. Long and a touch sweet. Drink up!
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12/2/2022 - PDXWineO Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great Pinot! At 10 years old this bottle has reached it's peak and is starting to show more tertiary notes but still has a good fruit profile. I wish I had more as it was so well balanced.
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7/8/2022 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Friday hangout at Domaine (Chicago, IL): From magnum. A nose that has typical aged pinot earthiness and mushroom notes, as well as some generously sweet, plummy fruit and maybe a hint of orange peel as well. The palate is quite rounded and large-scaled, with a plumminess that somewhat evokes merlot, but this is still pretty clearly pinot thanks to those earthy tones and a little more acidity than I expected from a California pinot noir.
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6/29/2022 - gharter Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very dark for a Pinot Noir. PnP, improved over about 30 minutes. Started with a little funk, but this seemed to blow off. Cranberry and pomegranate up front followed by cherry,, herbal, spice, earth and some smoke. Cherry, cranberry dominate the palate with good acidity. The tannins are soft and balance the nice finish. Seems heavy for a Pinot Noir.
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5/6/2022 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Medium light red. Nose dominated by red fruits and a dominant citrus note - little in the way of age - largely primary to secondary notes. Rich but not heavy on the palate with good depth of fruit but needs more acidity to make it lively. Tannins largely resolved at age 10. Does put on more depth of fruit with air.
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4/16/2022 - Mr T wrote:
I thought this was quite good. PNP and served with baked red snapper and wine was full bodied but didn’t overwhelm fish. Definitely had some cranberry and more bright acidic flavors along with sweet red fruits like strawberry and light on its feet. 93-94
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12/11/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 89 Points
My wife always loves Rivers-Marie, but not this one. She remarked it was a bit musty so it's possible it's slightly corked, but not to my taste. Improved with air, showing a bright black cherry nose, accented by orange peel and spice. Like all Rivers-Maries, this has a juicy core of red fruit, with cranberry and pomegranate notes. But it just seems to be missing something. I recently had the '12 Silver Eagle and that was a much better wine.
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1/19/2021 - rama wrote:
Some funky pinot musk on the nose. Crunchy red fruit, bright, low/medium bodied. Fleshes out and rounds off the sharp acid with air, becoming much more enjoyable.
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11/2/2020 - Neecies Likes this wine:
More like counoise or even grenache than PN with tangy/malted sour cherry and red currant fruit, persimmon, cardamom, and clove. Mild iodine note lingers in the background. Not what I seek out, but I enjoyed it.
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6/19/2020 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Medium red. Lovely red fruited nose with red apple, cherry, strawberry and a touch of citrus (blood orange?). On the palate this is "sappy" - has some tension to it with the red fruited nose echoed on the palate; tastes quite young and clearly still in its primary phase. Will this develop more complexity/interest with further aging? Quite a nice drink now but has some upside.
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5/29/2020 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to drink beautifully with similar tasting notes to previous bottles.
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5/15/2020 - prasm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour, consumed over 2 hours. Nose: Medium-plus intensity, black cherry, cherry compote, smoke, and rose petals. Palate: Medium-full bodied, sweet and spicy red fruit attack, sour cherry and cola notes appear through the mid-palate, with gamey notes in the back-end. Finish: Lengthy, 45-60 seconds, sense of sour cherry, spice, and wild game. Lots of stuffing and very youthful yet, likely still a few years from peaking - impressive.
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4/9/2020 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
Aroma on PnP was a minty, medicinal red fruit. Took some time to open to a palate of tart red fruit, primarily strawberry, with a nice tannic bite on a lingering finish.
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4/7/2020 - gsiokis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tart red cherry/pomegranate, citrus, pine needles. Great ruby color. Good acidity and a long finish. TRB/Will Virtual wine tasting via WB.
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3/23/2020 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 93 Points
Unabashedly Californian and it probably speaks more to a "house style" than what I normally think of with Sonoma Coast wines, but it is really good. Intensely concentrated flavor, with a mix of juicy raspberry, cherry liquor, earthy bramble, spice and a big dose of blood orange, that I always seem to get with R-M wines. This probably trades complexity for a measure of power and drinks a lot younger than the age on the label. This feels little bit hotter than the listed 13.9%, but not terribly so. Really good, provided you know what you're in for, so this is very much a "success within the style" sort of wine. If you're looking for Burgundy... look elsewhere.
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1/26/2020 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of ripe black cherry, loamy earth and spice. Black and red fruit, earth, spice and hint of anise on the palate. Very long finish. Medium bodied. Served with smoked salmon.
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1/7/2020 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious tart red cherry, earth, pine, and a hint of grapefruit on the nose and palate with refreshing acidity on the long finish.
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12/26/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Saturated dark flavors but all top notes led by a monochromatic sweetness, so all kind of one note even if it's a good note, and especially obvious by following a complex '12 Volnay. Will hold remaining bottles for 2022.
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11/22/2019 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very Californian, deep fruit, some citrus, a bit of complexity. This is a crowd pleaser and should drink well for several more years. Drank at cabin.
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11/13/2019 - Jbird73 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really drinking well right now and surprised that I gave the same score a year or so ago... I didn't remember this bottle and just a really nice balance of fruit/acidity/soft tannins....ENJOY
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9/30/2019 - thalver wrote:
Popped and poured. Quite aromatically expressive from the start. Drinking well
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9/12/2019 - gharter Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very dark for a Pinot Noir. PnP. Big nose right from the start. Cherry, cranberry, pomegranate , herbal, spice, earth and some smoke. Cherry, cranberry dominate the palate with good acidity. The tannins are soft and balance the nice finish. In a good place now.
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7/5/2019 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
As delicious as last bottle earlier in the year.
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4/1/2019 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice.
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3/10/2019 - Acohen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light tannin with tart cherry nose and medium bodied with some slight citrus
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2/18/2019 - Billigan wrote: 90 Points
Really dynamite nose, with loads of smoke and cinnamon and crushed raspberry. More angular on the palate showing more cranberry and citrus-like acidity buffeted slightly by a good deal of red fruit. Soft tannins too, but the tartness left a bit of a disappointing finish after such a great nose.
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2/14/2019 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely, lovely Pinot. Excellent. Still good fruit with lots of depth. Slight earthiness. Drinking very well.
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2/10/2019 - Jon Mills Likes this wine: 94 Points
Over many years, Occidental Ridge is usually one of my favourites among the Rivers Marie range. This bottle was no exception. Fruit forward but finely balanced and delicious!
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1/29/2019 - rmh66 wrote: 91 Points
Kind of a weird bottle. It started quite earthy and a bit stinky, with not a lot of fruit, but after a few hours of air, became a little more balanced. Red cherry, damp earth, black cherry, a little compost, pine needle, plum, oregano, and smoke on the nose. Tart cherry, red cherry, earth, cranberry, spice, citrus, and a little herb on the palate. Tart, juicy acidity, mostly resolved and integrated tannins, medium-long finish, medium body. I'm not sure if this is where the wine was intended to go, but this seemed simultaneously advanced and with many years to go. It might not have been stored well. That said, there was much to admire on day 2.
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1/8/2019 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely tart red cherry, earth, pine, and a hint of grapefruit on the nose and palate. Long delicious finish with refreshing acidity.
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10/8/2018 - silton Likes this wine:
Wish I had waited 1-2 years as the acids were little edgy in places with concentration to spare. 90-91
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9/21/2018 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just a beautiful pinot right out of the bottle. So good it must be in its prime. Loved it. Sad it's my last bottle.
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9/19/2018 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP, consumed over two nights. Still Cali candy, but with good acidity and a bit of complexity. Poor QPR, however. 13.8%
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9/15/2018 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Light to medium ruby color, slightly cloudy. Super aromatic on the nose with a mix of tart red fruits, cranberry, cherry, pomegranate and more with a wild cherry, spicy herbal cough drop aroma and maybe a touch of orange peel. This carries through to the palate where it is all spicy and tart red fruit for days. Lots of acidity here and still very primary. Smooth mouthfeel and finish. Really enjoyable with room to grow.
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8/25/2018 - btock Likes this wine: 92 Points
A pretty wine, the aromatics are the real draw. Sonoma Coast smoke and incense. A darker complexion than some of the other R-M pinots. This had more purple fruit than red, and some nice intensity to it. Ordered steak frites and the wine was up to the challenge. Enjoyed the grip it had night one. Revisited on night three and the wine had lost some of its focus. So while a bigger in style, it's still a Pinot so find a well positioned chair and enjoy this bottle in a single sitting and let the nose do its thing.
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8/12/2018 - ikileo wrote:
Very aromatic upon opening. red fruits and baking spices.
Palate is vibrant but this is not a light bodied pinot, it has more body, structure and density to it. But all in balance though, not a fruit bomb.
2 hours open bottle opening, the fruit started to close, but by that time we had finished the bottle so I'm not sure of the next evolution.
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7/22/2018 - lzelman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious red fruit, well balanced with a long lasting finish. Awesome wine.
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7/3/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Same as my last bottle... lots of red fruit, and a long finish. Wish I had more of these.
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6/30/2018 - Wine Sparty wrote: 93 Points
Definite not the most nuanced wine, but very delicious.
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5/31/2018 - rama Likes this wine:
Brambly nose with some spice. Bright red fruit with a lush and savory finish. Nice combo of complexity and enjoyability.
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4/27/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of red fruit and a long smooth finish!!!
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2/2/2018 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
House to ourselves, stay at home movie night figured we'd treat ourselves. Fruit driven but not overblown this has bright acids with raspberry, tart cherry, blood orange over a bed of crushed rocks and flowers. Sensuous tannins coat but don't dry the mouth resulting in a nice balance with the up-front acids. This was firing on all cylinders and reminds me why Rivers Marie is my favorite CA Pinot producer.
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12/29/2017 - VinoDiver Likes this wine:
Wonderful fruit and a well balanced Pinot. Drinking very well with 30 minutes of air
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12/26/2017 - haldolugr wrote: 89 Points
Funky nose. But way better flavor in the mouth. Acid has dialed back a little bit still cherry notes dominated the profile.
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9/9/2017 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour and tasted with food (chicken stir fry with broccoli and rice, in case younwere wondering).
Ruby red color leaning mtowards purple. Nose shows some wet wool, red berries and spice. Nice tangerine peel element along with brown spice and red berries. Shows some cool climate herbal notes as well. Very engaging. Nice.
Tasted the wine again two days later after pouring some into a 375 ml bottle and refrigerating. Tasted slightly chilled. Some improvement as the wine has opened up showing greater depth and the wet wool element I picked up in the nose is gone, replaced with some darker fruits and tangerine peel. Delicious.
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4/4/2017 - cobalt2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over 2 days. Simply would not open up on day one, seemed flawed but waited it out. Was tight, finished with a bit of bitterness. On day 2 it was awesome. Smooth, balanced and fruitful.
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3/18/2017 - bruce61 wrote: 93 Points
The '12's are drinking very nicely!
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3/14/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine: 94 Points
Damn this is good. Deep purple, dense. Great depth and complexity with acidity to match. Drinks well now but an exciting candidate for aging. Next bottle: 2021.
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1/21/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
We don't like pinots. Oregon - nope. Washington - nah. Napa - ich schnee. Central coast - bleah. France - non. Which makes this wine remarkable. As a pop and pour, has some green mid tongue acidity that is unpleasant. After about 90 minutes this becomes a beautiful fruity wine with cherry and light citrus that is refreshing but not lush. Paired with salmon. Was excellent. Nice finish.
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6/20/2016 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi. Red cherry, raspberry, mushroom and earth. Finishes long and tart with soft tannins and good acidity. Medium bodied. Beautiful wine. Paired with grilled salmon and peanut chili salsa.
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4/22/2016 - SMZ wrote: 94 Points
Simply awesome...beautifully balanced... Smooth and lush...bursting with flavor. The guy who rated this 87 is out to lunch
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3/25/2016 - 1997cobalt wrote: 87 Points
Flat and lacking in the pleasant acidic nature of other RMs
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2/20/2016 - terroir junkie Likes this wine: 93 Points
4:15pm at opening: taut and firmly tannic; pomegranate, cherries, crushed gravel, blood orange, subtle hints of cola and fresh flower petal. But right now it's ALL about laser-focused fruit.
6:30pm: much silkier. that crystal clear fruit, cranberry, cherry, pomegranate and strawberry. later on got like a shiitake mushroom poking out of damp soil. Still I was hoping for more layered complexity beyond those wonderful berries.
Day two: much better integration and some new flavors of shiso leaf and japanese ume plum; cherry blossom flowers. the finest espresso dust along with all that other stuff above. full mid palate and quite a long finish. absolutely fantastic. My opinion has lept forward from yesterday. But it needs 3 to 5 years or LOTS of air.
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2/13/2016 - marka wrote: 92 Points
Don't remember much except that it reminds me why, while I'm trying to get off of lists, the SVD RM keep me buying them.
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1/31/2016 - spidersva Likes this wine:
Part of the NYE 2016 carnage
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1/14/2016 - marka wrote: 92 Points
I probably shouldnt have opened this so early, but I wanted a RM SV wine. The fruit was great, good acidity that started to show after 60 minutes or so. This was a several days ago so I am not that fresh on the details. Every time I have a RM SVD I am reminded why I buy them. While a great value, the appellation wines don't do for me what the SVs do. Heck, RaNae even really likes the SV wine even thought she is a Francophile.
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12/19/2015 - daniel.jay wrote: 93 Points
Bold, plush, sonoma style pinot with secondary characteristics of earth and mushroom.
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11/28/2015 - robdicks wrote: 94 Points
Terrific Pinot. Really well balanced. Better on day 2
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11/11/2015 - norzano Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherry jolly rancher that rolled in wet dirt on the nose. A little fruit forward at the moment, but still really tasty.
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9/21/2015 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Much better than previous tasting. Tart cranberry and strawberry fruit with cola notes along with some caramel, earth, and spice. Very nice acidity and much longer finish than before. Probably my favorite of the single vineyards at this point for this vintage.
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9/6/2015 - domco wrote:
darker fruits, definitely more fruit forward but still in balance. Mid weight, not too heavy, but not as light as I seem to prefer these days. C thought it was better than the Arnot-Roberts we had the day before while I thought that wine dominated this one. His and hers Pinots some nights I guess!
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7/2/2015 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
My second favorite SVD from Rivers Marie (behind Old Summa). Has just the right amount of acid, elegant fruit and minerality - impressive enough that I will go long on this bottling in the future!
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5/31/2015 - haldolugr wrote: 87 Points
consistent with my previous note - lots of cherry elements in this wine. The sour cherry seemed to be dominating which gave it a bit of a bite on the finish - if that mellows in time the score should go up.
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3/28/2015 - 1997cobalt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big cherry aroma on first pour. Smooth with a mellow acidic finish. Does still seem a bit young.
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3/8/2015 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Previous tasting notes apply. I think 93 points is a more accurately rating.
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2/24/2015 - Silveradoup wrote: 95 Points
Amazing Pinot, good now and could go another 5-8 as well!
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2/7/2015 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 91 Points
incredible nose... Took a bit for some alcohol to blow off. Great red fruits.
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1/18/2015 - yeti575rider wrote: 91 Points
Wanted to try a SV to see what to do with the upcoming 2013 offering. Decanted 90 minutes. Darker fruit, spice, maybe a tiny bit of heat. Very good but not great although this would benefit from time I think.
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1/1/2015 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite good now, but give it a couple of years at least to better integrate.
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12/25/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 90 Points
More dark fruit. Sweet and ripe. Stern. Tighter Than 2011
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11/23/2014 - brianofthevine wrote: 88 Points
Tart red cherry with subtle caramel notes. Very short finish, just ok.
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10/23/2014 - JOsgood wrote:
Tasted blind. This wasn't one of the favorites among other Rivers Marie 2012 Pinots. A bit hot and out of balance. Improved with air so with age this could settle down into something good.
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10/19/2014 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
rich, delicious, dark strawberry, cherry fruit, slight sweetness and purity, very focused, elegant viscosity, silky, excellent structure, ample acidity, tight and restrained, nice finish
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9/26/2014 - Nanda wrote:
Winery tasting with Will. Nose is tighter and more linear than the Summa - shows some cranberry and spice. Palate is more giving. Pop of cranberry with some herb. Crunchy acidity. Seems wound up and needs time. 90-92
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6/29/2014 - haldolugr wrote: 88 Points
Cherry bomb. Nice body, good tangy acid, with a solid finish. The Pinot seems dominated by sweet and sour cherry notes. I think it will improve with a little more age.
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6/15/2014 - Wine Sparty wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured, then finished the next night. No detailed notes, but this had a pretty silky dark cherry aspect to it. Didn't seem quite integrated fully yet, but still enjoyable at this time.
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6/7/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Opened at Boulder to pair with CRS served with Roasted Red Pepper Beurre Blanc sauce. Tart cherry notes without any of the cola notes that we perceived at tasting with Will of RM. This was nice upon opening, but seemed to turn more tart and almost bitter after being open for an hour or so. The rest will see some cellar time before opening.
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5/16/2014 - DrewWyman wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful. Orange, flowers and dark fruit on the nose. Full palate with dark fruit and lots of structure. Drinking great now (it disappeared fast) but will improve with age.
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5/12/2014 - rwalker82 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted with Will at RM. Beautiful wine. Very cool aromatics - floral, orange, brown sugar, tea, nutmeg?, blackberry. Taste... Dark black fruits, blackberry, slight cranberry, and some typ russian river big pinot qualities but not overblown. Structure in spades. Enjoyable now with decant but will get better in 1 yr. Into black fruits then drink this. Into red fruits then drink the summa.
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5/8/2014 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Rivers-Marie (Rivers-Marie office, Calistoga): Opens with notes of clay, nutmeg and red cherry fruit. The palate has a florally edge adding to the cherry and cola flavors. The fruit lingers on the finish with a soft spice note as well. 92+ pts.
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4/20/2014 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic nose, very expressive. Palate was good. It needed some time to open which it did after about an hour. Great wine and I wish I had more. If I had more, I would hold it for two to four years min. But drinking well now regardless.
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4/9/2014 - jakuda wrote:
Pop n pour at cool room temp. Ripe red fruit aromas, high toned berries. Very pretty nose. In the mouth there was a midweight silkiness. Suave but balanced with bright acidity and minimal tannins and oak. Popping red fruit. Kind of the trademark citrus note on the finish. Really enjoyed this bottle, even though young.
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4/7/2014 - clayfu wrote:
Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley (Napa Valley): please don't string me up. The first thing I noted on the nose was that crunchy red fruit and orange peel. It just threw me right back all the young Fourrier I've tasted in the past few months. I haven't had a Rivers Marie pinot (outside of the 2010 sonoma coast which was the red at my wedding) since the 2007 or 2008 vintage and I was just completely floored at how compelling the nose was to me. The palate was just bright red fruit of cherries, pomegranate jumping everywhere, full of electricity and light on its feet. A touch of spice on the back end to give it a little complexity.
Going to be fun to try this in the future.
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3/26/2014 - smphelps wrote: 92 Points
Has a youthful weight that likely will soften and shed with time. Pretty light crimson and ruby. Full bodied cherry nose that also shows citrus and spice. Mid palate picks up pomegranate. Long, well balanced, nicely brisk finish.
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3/2/2014 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I heard great things about this wine, so I had to open a bottle much earlier than I usually would. Pomegranate juice really, is all I gotta say. And I like pomegranate so I like this wine. It is like a blend of a French burgundy and a CA pinot noir. Simply delicious. It's drinking great now, but I will wait another 4 to 5 years before opening up one of my other bottles.
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11/18/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Rivers-Marie 2012 Pinot Noir (Calistoga CA): Tasting 2012 lineup with TRB. Very dense and meaty aromatic start, slightly sweet, close to jammy. Black and red fruit flavors, rich and robust but with sneaky structure keeping everything in good balance. Small amount of whole cluster (6-7%?) add some background magic that I think might come forward as the baby fat softens. A very interesting wine with great potential.
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