Opened, poured and let sit 45 min. Then: This bottle is pretty close to my 11/7 bottle. Good pinot nose; pretty decent pinot fruit, although a bit sharpish/acidic at first. The sharpish/acidic sensation stays throughout, but mellows out a bit. The pinot taste gets a little bit reductive/over-ripe by the end of the glass, but still fairly nice. Last bottle of this vintage and Alyce cuvee and not a bad way to end it. Day 2: Pretty much the same as Day 1, but a little mellower/subdued in comparison. Still tasty.
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Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: Almost the same as my 11/7 note, minus the streak of acidity, and maybe even a bit more pinot nose/taste at first. But then flattened out fairly quickly. Still pleasant, but not that interesting.
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Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: 3rd-to-ast bottle of this wine and the nose was more pinot-like than any of the others. At first, taste was even pinot-like, although a bit unbalanced with a streak of acidity. After about 1/2 hr, the acidity and the pinot taste retreated a bit and sweetish red fruit took over. Maybe it is bottle variation, but the lack of balance suggests that it is time to drink up. Still found some pleasure in this.
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Deep garnet. No bricking. Savory nose with baking spice and dark fruits. Well balanced with a touch of brightness on the finish. Still drinking on its early mature stage. Lovely. .
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Found another one of these and based on my last note, thought I better get to it. Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: Faint reddish/darkish nose; reddish fruit on entry that turns a bit darker by the finish. The finish is almost a bit harsh or tannic/chalky and detracts from the otherwise pleasant taste. Unfortunately, still no particular pinot taste; pleasant overall wine, just not noticeably pinot.
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Almost 4 months since my last bottle, and this one is different yet again. Opened and let sit for 1/2 hr; then drank over the next hour: Not much nose; dark fruit on entry and middle, but then things turn a bit disjointed/harsh, with the finish obscuring the fruit. Relatively smooth, except at the end. Certainly drinkable, but not what I was expecting based on the last bottle. This dark fruit component/dominance seems to be a common characteristic of so many wines now, whether pinot, zin or cab. This complaint is not necessarily aimed at Hansel as I think their pinots mostly avoid this. People must think this dark fruit aspect is attractive, otherwise it would not be so prevalent, but its usual heaviness seems to obscure almost everything else about the wine. I think I've reached the point where I think it almost is a defect.
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Day 1: Poured and let stand 1/2 hr. Had another bottle of this on 1/1/2021 and thought I better drink up my remaining 2 bottles. This bottle if quite different. Seamless from entry to finish; a bit of cherry and cola and spice. Just beautiful. Day 2: Pretty much the same, just a bit more muted on the flavors. Still very nice. Maybe 91+ on Day 2. Given the variation in bottles, not sure what to expect with my last bottle. Probably will drink in a month or so, hoping it will be similar to this 1/16 bottle.
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Delicious Pinot drank with salmon baked in parchment paper. Cherry, cola, and earth. My first bottle of this beauty. Look forward to drinking over the next 3-6 years.
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This is excellent today. An alluring mix of younger and mature notes. Sweet cherries, cranberry, very ripe strawberry, wet turn earth, brown sugar, vanilla, dried meat, scorched earth, mushrooms, soy sauce. Came out of the bottle firing. These are ready to drink now
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quite similar to the 2014 Cuvee Alyce but without the gunpowder. A bit more round and excellent forwardness without being too sweet or flabby. Really nice.
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Very good. Lighter than some Russian River pinots, with a lovely light/bright acidity. Good fruit shows its roots though. Another fantastic effort by Walter Hansel.
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Bright, clean, lively pinot. Good fruit, but not the heavy almost Cab-like expression some Pinots are going for these days. Good drinking on its own, and brings a nice refreshing zing to a spicy dish.
Would definitely buy again. Great value.
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Holy mouth watering, drool inducing, lip puckering acidity Batman! Definitely has the Hansel DNA and flavor profile but with a lighter body and overall intensity than the Slope wines. But the big defining character of this wine is the SEARING acidity that leaves you lip smacking for days. Might wanna slather on some lip balm before diving in though because she tingles the old mucus membranes just a smidge. I was going to criticize this a being inferior to the amazing Slope wines but then it really stands on its own and if I want Slope wines, I'll just drink Slope wines.
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Pleasure to drink- light on its feet, the acid is there but does not overpower. Structure is subtle and balanced, a bit of smoke on the back end- 15 second finish.
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Agree w the graphite and smoke. Fruit was an undertone supporting a tannic nose filled classic cali Pinot. Miles would approve; those who seek out some barnyard would be decidedly disappointed. This wine has plenty of midterm aging potential although significant evolution seems unlikely. Enjoy !
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Medium crimson in color, this wine reveals pungent dark red fruits of black cherry and blackberry on the nose. The mouth feel is fuller bodied with added undertones of smoke, licorice and graphite. The finish has very vibrant acidity and it beautifully balanced and lingers for 25+ seconds. 14.2% abv.
Purchased for $42US, this is a simply gorgeous offering that was the ideal opening wine for our Thanksgiving dinner. It's lovely.
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Translucent purple in the glass, fruit forward with an undercurrent of earth and mellow tannins. Very approachable and drinkable now, with some structure that could develop nicely over time. No great hurry, what do you say, might as well travel the elegant way.
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12/1/2023 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
silky feel, floral notes; RRV style; solid
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12/11/2021 - Quiller wrote: 89 Points
Opened, poured and let sit 45 min. Then: This bottle is pretty close to my 11/7 bottle. Good pinot nose; pretty decent pinot fruit, although a bit sharpish/acidic at first. The sharpish/acidic sensation stays throughout, but mellows out a bit. The pinot taste gets a little bit reductive/over-ripe by the end of the glass, but still fairly nice. Last bottle of this vintage and Alyce cuvee and not a bad way to end it.
Day 2: Pretty much the same as Day 1, but a little mellower/subdued in comparison. Still tasty.
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11/12/2021 - Quiller wrote: 88 Points
Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: Almost the same as my 11/7 note, minus the streak of acidity, and maybe even a bit more pinot nose/taste at first. But then flattened out fairly quickly. Still pleasant, but not that interesting.
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11/7/2021 - Quiller wrote: 89 Points
Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: 3rd-to-ast bottle of this wine and the nose was more pinot-like than any of the others. At first, taste was even pinot-like, although a bit unbalanced with a streak of acidity. After about 1/2 hr, the acidity and the pinot taste retreated a bit and sweetish red fruit took over. Maybe it is bottle variation, but the lack of balance suggests that it is time to drink up. Still found some pleasure in this.
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10/2/2021 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet. No bricking. Savory nose with baking spice and dark fruits. Well balanced with a touch of brightness on the finish. Still drinking on its early mature stage. Lovely. .
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8/15/2021 - Quiller wrote: 90 Points
Found another one of these and based on my last note, thought I better get to it. Opened, poured and let sit 1/2 hr. Then: Faint reddish/darkish nose; reddish fruit on entry that turns a bit darker by the finish. The finish is almost a bit harsh or tannic/chalky and detracts from the otherwise pleasant taste. Unfortunately, still no particular pinot taste; pleasant overall wine, just not noticeably pinot.
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5/9/2021 - Quiller wrote: 89 Points
Almost 4 months since my last bottle, and this one is different yet again. Opened and let sit for 1/2 hr; then drank over the next hour: Not much nose; dark fruit on entry and middle, but then things turn a bit disjointed/harsh, with the finish obscuring the fruit. Relatively smooth, except at the end. Certainly drinkable, but not what I was expecting based on the last bottle. This dark fruit component/dominance seems to be a common characteristic of so many wines now, whether pinot, zin or cab. This complaint is not necessarily aimed at Hansel as I think their pinots mostly avoid this. People must think this dark fruit aspect is attractive, otherwise it would not be so prevalent, but its usual heaviness seems to obscure almost everything else about the wine. I think I've reached the point where I think it almost is a defect.
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1/16/2021 - Quiller Likes this wine: 93 Points
Day 1: Poured and let stand 1/2 hr. Had another bottle of this on 1/1/2021 and thought I better drink up my remaining 2 bottles. This bottle if quite different. Seamless from entry to finish; a bit of cherry and cola and spice. Just beautiful.
Day 2: Pretty much the same, just a bit more muted on the flavors. Still very nice. Maybe 91+ on Day 2.
Given the variation in bottles, not sure what to expect with my last bottle. Probably will drink in a month or so, hoping it will be similar to this 1/16 bottle.
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1/1/2021 - Quiller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a fairly nice wine, but maybe beginning to fade, at least on the back-end? Perhaps a bit lighter feel now.
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6/3/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious Pinot drank with salmon baked in parchment paper. Cherry, cola, and earth. My first bottle of this beauty. Look forward to drinking over the next 3-6 years.
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4/4/2020 - tunaguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is excellent today. An alluring mix of younger and mature notes. Sweet cherries, cranberry, very ripe strawberry, wet turn earth, brown sugar, vanilla, dried meat, scorched earth, mushrooms, soy sauce. Came out of the bottle firing. These are ready to drink now
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1/11/2019 - libero wrote: 92 Points
Our guests were surprised how good it is.
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1/3/2019 - libero wrote: 91 Points
A very good PINOT. Better at opening than one hour later.
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8/4/2018 - BGK810 wrote: 92 Points
Strawberry, ripe raspberry, a bit of anise. Delicious.
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12/20/2017 - Bourgognefreak Likes this wine: 91 Points
quite similar to the 2014 Cuvee Alyce but without the gunpowder. A bit more round and excellent forwardness without being too sweet or flabby. Really nice.
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11/2/2017 - SMZ wrote: 92 Points
Delicious
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7/16/2017 - odyssey11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Lighter than some Russian River pinots, with a lovely light/bright acidity. Good fruit shows its roots though. Another fantastic effort by Walter Hansel.
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6/14/2017 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
No decant.
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4/14/2017 - tunaguy wrote: 93 Points
fantastic! baked strawberry, cola, a bit of mushroom, and oak. Would love to see where this is in 3 years. Great QPR at $38
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4/9/2017 - odyssey11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright, clean, lively pinot. Good fruit, but not the heavy almost Cab-like expression some Pinots are going for these days. Good drinking on its own, and brings a nice refreshing zing to a spicy dish.
Would definitely buy again. Great value.
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4/5/2017 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
No decant.
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3/10/2017 - SMZ wrote: 90 Points
Nice flavorful wine, but nothing memorable
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3/9/2017 - jfutey wrote: 91 Points
Holy mouth watering, drool inducing, lip puckering acidity Batman! Definitely has the Hansel DNA and flavor profile but with a lighter body and overall intensity than the Slope wines. But the big defining character of this wine is the SEARING acidity that leaves you lip smacking for days. Might wanna slather on some lip balm before diving in though because she tingles the old mucus membranes just a smidge. I was going to criticize this a being inferior to the amazing Slope wines but then it really stands on its own and if I want Slope wines, I'll just drink Slope wines.
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2/4/2017 - mveller Likes this wine:
Very nice....very balanced, a bit acid but very drinkable
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1/20/2017 - RedNectar wrote: 91 Points
Pleasure to drink- light on its feet, the acid is there but does not overpower. Structure is subtle and balanced, a bit of smoke on the back end- 15 second finish.
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1/5/2017 - Tahoebrad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice wine. Balanced, nice fruits and acidity. Medium body and finish.
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12/18/2016 - beej Likes this wine:
Agree w the graphite and smoke.
Fruit was an undertone supporting a tannic nose filled classic cali Pinot. Miles would approve; those who seek out some barnyard would be decidedly disappointed.
This wine has plenty of midterm aging potential although significant evolution seems unlikely.
Enjoy !
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11/26/2016 - mveller Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice Colour.....and nice glass of Wine. Drinkable now.
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11/24/2016 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium crimson in color, this wine reveals pungent dark red fruits of black cherry and blackberry on the nose. The mouth feel is fuller bodied with added undertones of smoke, licorice and graphite. The finish has very vibrant acidity and it beautifully balanced and lingers for 25+ seconds. 14.2% abv.
Purchased for $42US, this is a simply gorgeous offering that was the ideal opening wine for our Thanksgiving dinner. It's lovely.
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11/15/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
No decant
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10/27/2016 - EstimatedEyes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Translucent purple in the glass, fruit forward with an undercurrent of earth and mellow tannins. Very approachable and drinkable now, with some structure that could develop nicely over time. No great hurry, what do you say, might as well travel the elegant way.
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