Popped and this was very tight so decanted. Writing note about 30 minutes after that. Aromas of green tea, mushroom, earth and cherry, Flavors of cherry, green tea, earth and herb. Ends with a finish of about 15 seconds with dried cherry notes. Better than the last time I had it.
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We drank our first bottle of the Solena pinot about 8 months ago (I gave a longer review then), and we hoped to report a better result with the second bottle. Alas, it just didn't improve from my first tasting. It still comes in at an 88. Solid and drinkable, light fruits, medium finish, but not enough fruit, or tannins, or complexity to be truly interesting.
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A solid value that delivers charm on the lighter-end of the Oregon Pinot spectrum. Light red in color, light in body, inviting nose of flowers, herbs, and spices. Tastes of sour cherry, strawberry, bell peppers, and forest floor, with a nicely integrated - though somewhat juicy - finish. 13.5% alcohol. This may last another year or two, but this might be a bit fragile - so I would drink now.
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Ruby colored, light medium body, a bit awkward flabby structure, black cherry, strawberry and cherry cola tones with slight tangental non fruit tones of herbs, grass and leather turning to a slightly acidic moderate tannin finish.
Pop and pour. Aromas of green tea, cherry, strawberry and flowers. Lot of legs on this but the bottle says 13.5%. This has flavors of green tea, earth, herb, rhubarb and raspberry. Started to get more interesting with more time but this needs time. Very Burgundian.
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Deep garnet; cherry cola, grass, earth, leather; black cherry, wild strawberry, creamy, light-medium body, good acidity, fine tannins, nice finish. Cherry soda, silky and slightly volatile acidity. Palate was a bit disappointing.
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Seems to still be developing and is somewhat awkward. Decanted for several hours and it was def better than after I pnp. It still has a one dimensional character right now but there is some depth there. Very dark color, slight finish with muddled cherries. Give it some time...
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Wine was a little light on fruit. It got better after a little time in the glass, and was pleasant to drink, but it never seemed to gain enough flavor to match expectations. Very little mouthfeel, so it seemed to taste "thin". I have one more bottle and will hope it is better.
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Appearance: Clear wine with a Medium Ruby colour and intensity.
Nose: Clean nose with a Medium+ intensity. This wine is developing.
This wine was pretty typical pinot on the nose, opening up and expressing itself far more strongly after a single hour. In the future I would decant this wine if I had another bottle!
Cherries, strawberries and an earthiness was strongly present, along with baking spices, vanilla and bubblegum. After the first hour barnyard and animal notes were starting to come through although still light in comparison to the primary and secondary aromas. Baked red apple rounds off a pleasant bouquet.
Palate: Dry Medium Alcohol Medium+ acidity Medium tannins Medium+ intensity Medium Body Medium+ finish
Very pleasant on the palate - sour cherry, earth and baking spices. Light on tannins, alcohol and body, this was a very easy drinking wine with a growing complexity.
Very good quality Pinot Noir from Williamette Valley. Can be drank now or comfortably held for another 3-5 years without concern, in fact I would be interested to see how this wines savoury notes evolve. At somewhere between 25 and 30 dollars a bottle, good value for money considering the price of wine in America.
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2nd bottle out of 6 Wow, has this one put on some weight and beginnings of complexity. Tasted the 1st one about a year ago and found it be very young but with some promise, similar to a bevy of 1982 Pommard and Volnay wines that I tasted and bought in France in '85, then held until 90-92... those turned out excellent, in the 91-94 pt range.
So back to this Solena, it's a lot more muscular and concentrated than I thought it would be, after 1st tasting was hoping for something more feminine, but this one is very masculine at this stage. It's still very young, but it's developing some great definition.
This Solena could very well end up being a powerhouse, and the rating could go up. I'll know more tomorrow, as I have found a good way to predict longevity and potential - funnel pouring (lightly aerating) a young wine into four small bottles 6oz or 187ml, then tasting over a 4 day period. If it's better the 2nd day we have a 2-5 year wine, if it's even better the 3rd then it's a 4-8 year wine, and if it's still equally good or better by the 4th day then it's a good candidate for the longer haul.
At this stage I would say the Solena will improve for 4-5 more years.
Will update tomorrow. For now it's a solid 91+
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While the aromas of this wine are somewhat interesting, I found its flavor profile to be less complex and compelling. I should wait until spring 2016 until I revisit. Otherwise serve it to your little brother and his friends as an unremarkable accompaniment to spicy summer BBQ this season.
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Delicious chocolate on the nose and dark color for a pinot noir. I was expecting great things but found little on the palate. No off flavors, but very little flavor at all.
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Ok wine - nothing exciting or to talk about, lacking depth and complexity. Nice balance though. Was expecting a lot more from a 2012 Pinot Noir called Grande Cuvée that is Estate Grown...
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I confess to being biased as RRV pinot is my absolute favorite Pinot Noir. The wine had some nice fruity Pinot flavors and some herbal notes but it was lacking, at touch green, and fell flat for me.
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Established in 2002. Named after their daughter. Estate in Yamhill. 2007 they purchased Hyland Vineyard in McMinnville. Concentrate and density. but not super fruit dense.
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5/12/2018 - slywka7 wrote: 89 Points
Popped and this was very tight so decanted. Writing note about 30 minutes after that. Aromas of green tea, mushroom, earth and cherry, Flavors of cherry, green tea, earth and herb. Ends with a finish of about 15 seconds with dried cherry notes. Better than the last time I had it.
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12/27/2017 - flussier wrote: 90 Points
Robe bourgogne. Vin fruité et agréable à boire. Bel équilibre.
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7/17/2016 - Hover low 64 wrote: 88 Points
We drank our first bottle of the Solena pinot about 8 months ago (I gave a longer review then), and we hoped to report a better result with the second bottle. Alas, it just didn't improve from my first tasting. It still comes in at an 88. Solid and drinkable, light fruits, medium finish, but not enough fruit, or tannins, or complexity to be truly interesting.
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6/10/2016 - mattinlic Likes this wine: 88 Points
Enjoyed 2nd bottle much more than the first. Light, nice Oregon Pinot noir.
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5/22/2016 - msuwine wrote: 90 Points
A solid value that delivers charm on the lighter-end of the Oregon Pinot spectrum. Light red in color, light in body, inviting nose of flowers, herbs, and spices. Tastes of sour cherry, strawberry, bell peppers, and forest floor, with a nicely integrated - though somewhat juicy - finish. 13.5% alcohol. This may last another year or two, but this might be a bit fragile - so I would drink now.
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5/12/2016 - rmcnees wrote: 87 Points
Ruby colored, light medium body, a bit awkward flabby structure, black cherry, strawberry and cherry cola tones with slight tangental non fruit tones of herbs, grass and leather turning to a slightly acidic moderate tannin finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/05/solena-grande-cuvee-willamette-valley.html
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1/15/2016 - slywka7 wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour. Aromas of green tea, cherry, strawberry and flowers. Lot of legs on this but the bottle says 13.5%. This has flavors of green tea, earth, herb, rhubarb and raspberry. Started to get more interesting with more time but this needs time. Very Burgundian.
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12/29/2015 - ColinR wrote: 89 Points
Deep garnet; cherry cola, grass, earth, leather; black cherry, wild strawberry, creamy, light-medium body, good acidity, fine tannins, nice finish.
Cherry soda, silky and slightly volatile acidity. Palate was a bit disappointing.
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12/21/2015 - shaffej wrote: 88 Points
Seems to still be developing and is somewhat awkward. Decanted for several hours and it was def better than after I pnp. It still has a one dimensional character right now but there is some depth there. Very dark color, slight finish with muddled cherries. Give it some time...
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11/19/2015 - MrMitosis Does not like this wine:
Another rancid bottle from a case I bought last year--that makes 6 of 8 so far. I hope this is just a problem with this particular case--but....
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11/15/2015 - Hover low 64 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wine was a little light on fruit. It got better after a little time in the glass, and was pleasant to drink, but it never seemed to gain enough flavor to match expectations. Very little mouthfeel, so it seemed to taste "thin". I have one more bottle and will hope it is better.
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8/30/2015 - WineCuentista wrote: 89 Points
Appearance: Clear wine with a Medium Ruby colour and intensity.
Nose: Clean nose with a Medium+ intensity. This wine is developing.
This wine was pretty typical pinot on the nose, opening up and expressing itself far more strongly after a single hour. In the future I would decant this wine if I had another bottle!
Cherries, strawberries and an earthiness was strongly present, along with baking spices, vanilla and bubblegum. After the first hour barnyard and animal notes were starting to come through although still light in comparison to the primary and secondary aromas. Baked red apple rounds off a pleasant bouquet.
Palate:
Dry
Medium Alcohol
Medium+ acidity
Medium tannins
Medium+ intensity
Medium Body
Medium+ finish
Very pleasant on the palate - sour cherry, earth and baking spices. Light on tannins, alcohol and body, this was a very easy drinking wine with a growing complexity.
Very good quality Pinot Noir from Williamette Valley. Can be drank now or comfortably held for another 3-5 years without concern, in fact I would be interested to see how this wines savoury notes evolve. At somewhere between 25 and 30 dollars a bottle, good value for money considering the price of wine in America.
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8/4/2015 - Santiago53 wrote: 91 Points
2nd bottle out of 6
Wow, has this one put on some weight and beginnings of complexity. Tasted the 1st one about a year ago and found it be very young but with some promise, similar to a bevy of 1982 Pommard and Volnay wines that I tasted and bought in France in '85, then held until 90-92... those turned out excellent, in the 91-94 pt range.
So back to this Solena, it's a lot more muscular and concentrated than I thought it would be, after 1st tasting was hoping for something more feminine, but this one is very masculine at this stage. It's still very young, but it's developing some great definition.
This Solena could very well end up being a powerhouse, and the rating could go up. I'll know more tomorrow, as I have found a good way to predict longevity and potential - funnel pouring (lightly aerating) a young wine into four small bottles 6oz or 187ml, then tasting over a 4 day period. If it's better the 2nd day we have a 2-5 year wine, if it's even better the 3rd then it's a 4-8 year wine, and if it's still equally good or better by the 4th day then it's a good candidate for the longer haul.
At this stage I would say the Solena will improve for 4-5 more years.
Will update tomorrow. For now it's a solid 91+
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5/27/2015 - epiphany Likes this wine: 89 Points
Little surprised by other tasters notes. I thought this wine was drinkinh very nice and would buy again.
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5/12/2015 - WineWright wrote: 86 Points
While the aromas of this wine are somewhat interesting, I found its flavor profile to be less complex and compelling. I should wait until spring 2016 until I revisit. Otherwise serve it to your little brother and his friends as an unremarkable accompaniment to spicy summer BBQ this season.
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3/15/2015 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 80 Points
very subtle flavor
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3/7/2015 - pkatz Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Delicious chocolate on the nose and dark color for a pinot noir. I was expecting great things but found little on the palate. No off flavors, but very little flavor at all.
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3/6/2015 - Francois Le Mouel wrote: 84 Points
Ok wine - nothing exciting or to talk about, lacking depth and complexity. Nice balance though. Was expecting a lot more from a 2012 Pinot Noir called Grande Cuvée that is Estate Grown...
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2/23/2015 - famdocbob wrote:
Light and fruity. Delicioso. Buy more
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2/20/2015 - nzinkgraf wrote:
big and rich cherry fruit aromas. 2012 was a warm summer and a cool, dry fall.
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11/19/2014 - jillietee wrote: 85 Points
flat. okay.
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10/12/2014 - JuliannaD wrote: 86 Points
I confess to being biased as RRV pinot is my absolute favorite Pinot Noir. The wine had some nice fruity Pinot flavors and some herbal notes but it was lacking, at touch green, and fell flat for me.
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8/21/2014 - TC16 wrote:
Fairly big for an Oregon pinot. Tasty, but nondescript.
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8/10/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Established in 2002. Named after their daughter. Estate in Yamhill. 2007 they purchased Hyland Vineyard in McMinnville.
Concentrate and density. but not super fruit dense.
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6/25/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
quite the purple color. big, round, kernel. concentration, although not super fruit dense. that's ok. no herb. needs much more introspection.
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