Popped and decanted for sediment. The cork was dry and broke in half, and there was a good amount of sediment, including fine stuff that slipped through. Slightly bricked around the edges. On the nose, not promising - that over-the-hill soy sauce and duck thing, with some barnyard. Better on the palate. This is very acidic, with a sour, acetic bite, possibly caused by premature oxidation from the dry cork. That'll scare a lot of people away right there, but I don't mind it. There is still some sour black cherry fruit, with some mushrooms and earth. There's a good amount of weight here, without any jamminess or sweetness. Very Cote de Nuts Burgundian, with a little more heft, with everything just amplified. Opens up nicely - give this some time to breathe. This wine will be very polarizing, but it's very much worth trying (something true of all of Kalin's wines!) $35
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Interesting wine. Very enjoyable for what it is. It was starting to get a little funky. I served it blind with a 1996 Sarafin Charmes Chambertin. While most guest preferred the Sarafin, the Kalin held its own, with most guessing it to be the Burgundy. The Kalin still has some wild cherry fruit left, and has developed leather and tea nuances. Drink it if you have it, unless you like 'em really funky.
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Brick red, watery edges and delicious. Loved this wine 3 yrs ago and loved it even more last night. Lots of mushrooms, moss and wet leaves. All of the fruit flavors are long gone. Complex ! I only wish the bottle had been sitting upright a bit longer. We decanted but still got some sediment in our glass. No big deal !
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Very hazey ruby red color. Really funky old burgundy nose. Some sour cherry/griottes as well as tobacco and candied lilac. Incredible hit of acid followed by some gritty tannins.
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Had this wine last summer. Awesome. Like many that have reviewed the cork was about to go but it was still in good enough shape where the wine itself was not effected.
Color - brick red/brown. Palette - lots of red fruits and a good balance of acid and tannins. I do remember lots of complexity. But, it was a while ago. The "cork" issue is concerning to be honest. Way to many people w/ this issue. I have another bottle in storage and a couple w/ my name on them at a friends wine cave. This was the wine that hooked me on grapes !!
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Richly funky complex nose of musty damp stinky wet carpet smells. Just makes your head spins. Even better on palate as acidity is high and give this wine a youthfullness to it. Finish could be longer and could use a bit more body but overall great fun wine.
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When I popped the cork on this wine, resin, for the lack of a better word, from the bottom of the cork went all over my shirt. I've never seen anything like it before. Crazy. This wine looked great. The color is a murky ruby red. The wine has great ripeness yet also has some pretty strong acidity. Rich and full on the pallet and still has years to go.
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Before I blast this wine, i have to confess that I think Terry Leighton is one of the best winemakers in CA. Its always Kalin wines that i open for foreign winemakers and they are always blown away. Now when I opened this bottle it had a horribly dry cork. This may be part of the problem although to me this is more of a VA problem than a drying out problem. I am going to resreve additional comments until I open another.
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Now here's one that's certainly different. Decanted for one hour. Muddy, almost brown in color. Incredibly strong sweet and sour cherry nose, with a hint of smoke. But the surprise is in the palate -- it's a firecracker -- nicely balanced with tannins that settle down after a while, with a long, quality finish. I'd probably score it higher but it's just hard to get your hands, mouth and head around this one. I look forward to the next bottle.
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really weird wine. funky - as others have noted - bad cork. don't know if bottle was bad or this is the way it is supposed to be. need to try another one to check.....
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Perhaps my score is too high? A friend told me since drinking it that it really needs another 8 or more years before it comes together. I'm not convinced.
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I served this wine on Christmas day. It went quite well with Barbara’s pate with pomegranet sauce. However, it was somewhat out of balance with acidity and the structure was not tightly woven. The wine improved when I served it in one of Bill’s large, breathing wine glasses with the crown pork roast at the dinner.
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The color of this wine is very brickish. The nose is filled with dark fruit and spice. The taste shows flavors of sweet plums and berries with a big spicy character. There is a lingering sweetness of ripe fruit. I think this wine will peak in the next three to five years so enjoy.
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What a pleasant surprise! The first bottle I opened had a rotten cork and spoiled wine. This bottle had a very soft cork, but the wine was in decent shape.
Somewhat cloudy, brownish-ruby color. Nice fruity aromas with a layered and complex flavor and a decent finish. Overall, a very nice aged Pinot.
Based on my and others experiences with this wine, it seems to be a crap shoot as to whether the cork has held up over the years...
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Last night Califonia Pinot and Syrah dinner with lots of notes (Bill Lawrence Sutton Place Apartment): Cloudy red with a bricking rim. I immediately said California Pinot and we all knew this had some good age on it. It possessed some funk on the nose - Wilfred said mushrooms. I smelled wet earth, slight barnyard - this wine has seen better days. Sour cherry's on the palate with an underlying overly acidic tones. Orange rind. Drew said 1994 and was correct on the vintage.
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5/13/2017 - jeffgee Likes this wine: 90 Points
color fading to brown but still has lovely fruit and good length
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2/3/2013 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 82 Points
Tons of sediment that came off the cork all over my kitchen. Drinking pretty hard right now. Not at all enjoyable.
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5/15/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 89 Points
Popped and decanted for sediment. The cork was dry and broke in half, and there was a good amount of sediment, including fine stuff that slipped through. Slightly bricked around the edges. On the nose, not promising - that over-the-hill soy sauce and duck thing, with some barnyard. Better on the palate. This is very acidic, with a sour, acetic bite, possibly caused by premature oxidation from the dry cork. That'll scare a lot of people away right there, but I don't mind it. There is still some sour black cherry fruit, with some mushrooms and earth. There's a good amount of weight here, without any jamminess or sweetness. Very Cote de Nuts Burgundian, with a little more heft, with everything just amplified. Opens up nicely - give this some time to breathe. This wine will be very polarizing, but it's very much worth trying (something true of all of Kalin's wines!) $35
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10/25/2009 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 91 Points
really good bottle of this wine. Needed about thirty minutes to really strut its stuff.
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5/29/2009 - stocksandbondage wrote: 91 Points
Interesting wine. Very enjoyable for what it is. It was starting to get a little funky. I served it blind with a 1996 Sarafin Charmes Chambertin. While most guest preferred the Sarafin, the Kalin held its own, with most guessing it to be the Burgundy. The Kalin still has some wild cherry fruit left, and has developed leather and tea nuances. Drink it if you have it, unless you like 'em really funky.
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11/20/2008 - mclgreenville wrote: 92 Points
Brick red, watery edges and delicious. Loved this wine 3 yrs ago and loved it even more last night. Lots of mushrooms, moss and wet leaves. All of the fruit flavors are long gone. Complex ! I only wish the bottle had been sitting upright a bit longer. We decanted but still got some sediment in our glass. No big deal !
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4/10/2008 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 90 Points
Very hazey ruby red color. Really funky old burgundy nose. Some sour cherry/griottes as well as tobacco and candied lilac. Incredible hit of acid followed by some gritty tannins.
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2/14/2008 - mclgreenville wrote: 91 Points
Had this wine last summer. Awesome.
Like many that have reviewed the cork was about to go but it was still in good enough shape where the wine itself was not effected.
Color - brick red/brown.
Palette - lots of red fruits and a good balance of acid and tannins. I do remember lots of complexity. But, it was a while ago. The "cork" issue is concerning to be honest. Way to many people w/ this issue. I have another bottle in storage and a couple w/ my name on them at a friends wine cave. This was the wine that hooked me on grapes !!
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10/2/2007 - jhngo wrote: 90 Points
Richly funky complex nose of musty damp stinky wet carpet smells. Just makes your head spins. Even better on palate as acidity is high and give this wine a youthfullness to it. Finish could be longer and could use a bit more body but overall great fun wine.
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5/6/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 91 Points
When I popped the cork on this wine, resin, for the lack of a better word, from the bottom of the cork went all over my shirt. I've never seen anything like it before. Crazy. This wine looked great. The color is a murky ruby red. The wine has great ripeness yet also has some pretty strong acidity. Rich and full on the pallet and still has years to go.
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3/29/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 84 Points
Before I blast this wine, i have to confess that I think Terry Leighton is one of the best winemakers in CA. Its always Kalin wines that i open for foreign winemakers and they are always blown away. Now when I opened this bottle it had a horribly dry cork. This may be part of the problem although to me this is more of a VA problem than a drying out problem. I am going to resreve additional comments until I open another.
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3/10/2007 - jhngo wrote: 88 Points
Great aromatics, wonderful complex nose. Still fresh but a bit hollow on the finish.
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1/25/2007 - jhngo wrote: 88 Points
Good acid nice tang on the finish. Nose surprisingly fresh alive. Finish is short lived and a bit weak but overall a good wine. Youthful feel.
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8/18/2006 - jacobp wrote: 87 Points
Now here's one that's certainly different. Decanted for one hour. Muddy, almost brown in color. Incredibly strong sweet and sour cherry nose, with a hint of smoke. But the surprise is in the palate -- it's a firecracker -- nicely balanced with tannins that settle down after a while, with a long, quality finish. I'd probably score it higher but it's just hard to get your hands, mouth and head around this one. I look forward to the next bottle.
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7/20/2006 - tederf wrote:
really weird wine. funky - as others have noted - bad cork. don't know if bottle was bad or this is the way it is supposed to be. need to try another one to check.....
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6/1/2006 - LoireFan wrote: 75 Points
Perhaps my score is too high? A friend told me since drinking it that it really needs another 8 or more years before it comes together. I'm not convinced.
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4/17/2006 - jhngo wrote: 86 Points
Cork soaked thru. Good pinot nose. Light body with good complexity but lacking in power. Empty finish.
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1/20/2006 - Quinn_cab wrote:
Last of three bottles...2/3 were bad...
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12/26/2005 - johnwine wrote: 89 Points
I served this wine on Christmas day. It went quite well with Barbara’s pate with pomegranet sauce. However, it was somewhat out of balance with acidity and the structure was not tightly woven. The wine improved when I served it in one of Bill’s large, breathing wine glasses with the crown pork roast at the dinner.
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11/2/2005 - johnwine wrote: 94 Points
This wine is stunningly Burgundian in character. Amazing for a California Pinot.
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9/9/2005 - johnwine wrote: 92 Points
The color of this wine is very brickish. The nose is filled with dark fruit and spice. The taste shows flavors of sweet plums and berries with a big spicy character. There is a lingering sweetness of ripe fruit. I think this wine will peak in the next three to five years so enjoy.
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5/29/2005 - SPierson wrote: flawed
As others have said: bad cork = awful results. Wine was herbaceous, brown and cloudy and completely undrinkable. We poured it out after a few sips.
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1/18/2005 - Quinn_cab wrote: 90 Points
What a pleasant surprise! The first bottle I opened had a rotten cork and spoiled wine. This bottle had a very soft cork, but the wine was in decent shape.
Somewhat cloudy, brownish-ruby color. Nice fruity aromas with a layered and complex flavor and a decent finish. Overall, a very nice aged Pinot.
Based on my and others experiences with this wine, it seems to be a crap shoot as to whether the cork has held up over the years...
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11/16/2004 - jamiekutch wrote: 80 Points
Last night Califonia Pinot and Syrah dinner with lots of notes (Bill Lawrence Sutton Place Apartment): Cloudy red with a bricking rim. I immediately said California Pinot and we all knew this had some good age on it. It possessed some funk on the nose - Wilfred said mushrooms. I smelled wet earth, slight barnyard - this wine has seen better days. Sour cherry's on the palate with an underlying overly acidic tones. Orange rind. Drew said 1994 and was correct on the vintage.
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9/25/2004 - jjoyce wrote:
Fruity and complex. Cork not very strong. Lovely drink.
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9/10/2004 - Quinn_cab wrote:
Cork was rotted, wine was cloudy...bad bottle...
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