Unusually delightful and interesting. The note below comparing it to a handful of Jelly Bellys captures the unique experience of this wine. Its flavors evolve with air and temperature, and as it sits on the tongue. Raspberry, cherry, orange, cedar and spice. Good fruit with nice balance from acid, stems and tannins. Fresh for a 2014 both in terms of aging and the hot vintage.
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This wine is ultra focused and poised yet there is a playfulness that cannot be understated. The aromatics are dialed in. It's like taking a handful of Jelly Belly's and firing them back in one shot. Herbs, white pepper, currant, raspberry, cherry, graphite, spice. I could take out the WSET lexicon and pick off 20 different fruits. Crazy. Color wise,slightly lighter on the edges but the core is in great shape.
Zero bitterness on the finish. There's a fun smokiness to this wine and I absolutely detest smoky Pinots. Can't stand them! This rocks! Soooooo complex. Thank you sir, I'll have another.
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Fantastic btl, but should have waited longer. On the nose: briary strawberry, clear stem inclusion, sexy vanilla and asian spice. On the palate, good acidity, szechuan peppercorn, raspberry, strawberry. Very soft, evanescent tannin on the slightly bitter finish.
Etzel is German for Attila. Appropriate for a Berserker Day purchase! This wine is pretty big and brawny too. Spice, body, flavor and tannin. I’m guessing significant whole cluster as well, but what do I know? If it has this much spice at age 5, looks good to go the distance. But shy it will not be. Excellent.
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A very well made wine with enough funk to let you know its origin. This trends on the darker side of the Pinot spectrum and a good comparator would be a village Gevrey Chambertin (should you need a reference point). I gave this 10+ hours of air over two days and served with picahña. It was great but was definitely eclipsed by a Girolamo Russo Nerello Mescalese that followed. It definitely pushes the QPR for me.
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Purchased after barrel tasting at winery pre-release. One hour decant. More fruit forward, fuller bodied than some other releases. Enjoyed outdoors by all with bbq chicken. Drinking well now but may benefit from another 1-2 years in cellar.
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Pop and pour, definitely should have decanted. Notes from 2hr open. After this calmed down (coconut toast dissipated), beautiful clean nose of red raspberry, sweet strawberry, notes of rose, spices, and a cool minty herb note, offset by a touch of heat. On the palate, excellent acidity, a hint of ripe stemmy complexity, black and red fruit and some earthy bitterness. Finish is a bit clipped, but that's nitpicking. Much more well-delineated than the 2014 Thomas or Cameron, even though they are stylistically very different. In any case, shows lots of promise.
Day 3: after this warms up bit, it is ok, but the oak leaves a very drying finish. A bit disjointed today.
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Pleasant aromas of fresh red & black cherries. The palate shares the same fruit and adds a bit of earth. Medium acid/tannins. Probably a bit young even from a 375 but tasty.
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Consistent with previous bottles. Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I thoroughly enjoyed all 4 of the bottles I purchased.
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Consistent with previous bottles. Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I'm glad I purchased multiple bottles at this price point.
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Consistent with previous bottle. Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I'm glad I purchased multiple bottles at this price point.
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Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I'm glad I purchased multiple bottles at this price point.
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Pop and pour and served with food (chicken in a tomato and olive stew, in case you were wondering). Cloudy. Nose shows some brown spice and forest floor. Crisp acidity, with red berries including a crunchy cranberry note. A bit tart but pairs well with food.
Not as big and dark as a recent Balcombe. Red fruit, earth, spice and forest floor on the nose and palate. Slight tingle from tannin tickles your mouth. Excellent.
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Quite an acidic Pinot Noir at the start. Dark fruits some cherry and some bitter chocolate on the palette. Medium length finish of chocolate and some cooked cherries whose fruit is missing. Interesting flavor and well produced
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Red fruits and berries and intense earthiness on the bouquet and palate. Medium plus acid, considerable grip, bold mouthfeel, complex finish. Very nice.
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7/4/2023 - jgnd Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unusually delightful and interesting. The note below comparing it to a handful of Jelly Bellys captures the unique experience of this wine. Its flavors evolve with air and temperature, and as it sits on the tongue. Raspberry, cherry, orange, cedar and spice. Good fruit with nice balance from acid, stems and tannins. Fresh for a 2014 both in terms of aging and the hot vintage.
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11/29/2022 - Andrew H wrote: 92 Points
From 375. Drinking really nicely right now. No detailed note because I’m headed out. Consistent with previous notes … but better!
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11/15/2021 - djpo wrote: 91 Points
Dark, balanced, full bodied, nice finish. Classy wine - popular with our group.
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7/12/2021 - Joe Gabagool Likes this wine:
Drank over 2 days. Diam 30 cork....interesting.
This wine is ultra focused and poised yet there is a playfulness that cannot be understated. The aromatics are dialed in. It's like taking a handful of Jelly Belly's and firing them back in one shot. Herbs, white pepper, currant, raspberry, cherry, graphite, spice. I could take out the WSET lexicon and pick off 20 different fruits. Crazy. Color wise,slightly lighter on the edges but the core is in great shape.
Zero bitterness on the finish. There's a fun smokiness to this wine and I absolutely detest smoky Pinots. Can't stand them! This rocks! Soooooo complex. Thank you sir, I'll have another.
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12/18/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Fantastic btl, but should have waited longer. On the nose: briary strawberry, clear stem inclusion, sexy vanilla and asian spice. On the palate, good acidity, szechuan peppercorn, raspberry, strawberry. Very soft, evanescent tannin on the slightly bitter finish.
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11/16/2019 - K-Web24 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Raspberries and red cherries on the nose and palate. Very fruit forward with a slight acidic bite and a medium long finish. Overall, quite enjoyable.
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8/10/2019 - theRealPepe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Etzel is German for Attila. Appropriate for a Berserker Day purchase! This wine is pretty big and brawny too. Spice, body, flavor and tannin. I’m guessing significant whole cluster as well, but what do I know? If it has this much spice at age 5, looks good to go the distance. But shy it will not be. Excellent.
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7/28/2019 - WG Johns@n Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very well made wine with enough funk to let you know its origin. This trends on the darker side of the Pinot spectrum and a good comparator would be a village Gevrey Chambertin (should you need a reference point). I gave this 10+ hours of air over two days and served with picahña. It was great but was definitely eclipsed by a Girolamo Russo Nerello Mescalese that followed. It definitely pushes the QPR for me.
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6/1/2019 - tak4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Jim Anderson / PGC dinner - Etzel Block Vertical and Blind Tasting (New England): Deeper color. Not super aromatic but slightly reduced. More Oregon typicity. On palate, beautiful balance.
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2/7/2019 - Andrew H wrote: 88 Points
Medium red, a bit cloudy. Tightly wound, hints of tart cherry, a bit of graphite and leather, some bitterness on finish. Seems to need some time.
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9/2/2018 - Enzo D wrote: 91 Points
Purchased after barrel tasting at winery pre-release. One hour decant. More fruit forward, fuller bodied than some other releases. Enjoyed outdoors by all with bbq chicken. Drinking well now but may benefit from another 1-2 years in cellar.
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7/3/2018 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop and pour, definitely should have decanted. Notes from 2hr open. After this calmed down (coconut toast dissipated), beautiful clean nose of red raspberry, sweet strawberry, notes of rose, spices, and a cool minty herb note, offset by a touch of heat. On the palate, excellent acidity, a hint of ripe stemmy complexity, black and red fruit and some earthy bitterness. Finish is a bit clipped, but that's nitpicking. Much more well-delineated than the 2014 Thomas or Cameron, even though they are stylistically very different. In any case, shows lots of promise.
Day 3: after this warms up bit, it is ok, but the oak leaves a very drying finish. A bit disjointed today.
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6/19/2017 - aharv Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good, dark rich lots of berries
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6/8/2017 - David_T wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant aromas of fresh red & black cherries. The palate shares the same fruit and adds a bit of earth. Medium acid/tannins. Probably a bit young even from a 375 but tasty.
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5/19/2017 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottles. Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I thoroughly enjoyed all 4 of the bottles I purchased.
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5/10/2017 - Andrew H wrote: 91 Points
No detailed notes. Give some time in glass/decanter to open up.
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5/3/2017 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottles. Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I'm glad I purchased multiple bottles at this price point.
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3/23/2017 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I'm glad I purchased multiple bottles at this price point.
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3/13/2017 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark crimson in color, this wine reveals intense and focused aromas of wild cherry, boysenberry, fennel, black tea and forest floor on the nose. The mouth feel brought more dark fruits and hints of mushrooms and baking spices. The finish was medium in length eith bright acidity. 14.1% abv.
Purchased for $18US/375ml, this is a highly complex offering that evolved from earthy to dark fruit based over the 30 minutes it was open. I'm glad I purchased multiple bottles at this price point.
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3/3/2017 - t_moderne wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour and served with food (chicken in a tomato and olive stew, in case you were wondering).
Cloudy. Nose shows some brown spice and forest floor. Crisp acidity, with red berries including a crunchy cranberry note. A bit tart but pairs well with food.
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2/11/2017 - theRealPepe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not as big and dark as a recent Balcombe. Red fruit, earth, spice and forest floor on the nose and palate. Slight tingle from tannin tickles your mouth. Excellent.
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10/11/2016 - tomoem wrote: 88 Points
Quite an acidic Pinot Noir at the start. Dark fruits some cherry and some bitter chocolate on the palette. Medium length finish of chocolate and some cooked cherries whose fruit is missing. Interesting flavor and well produced
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7/4/2016 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Red fruits and berries and intense earthiness on the bouquet and palate. Medium plus acid, considerable grip, bold mouthfeel, complex finish. Very nice.
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