Holding on though clearly past it’s prime. Cherry cola and herbed fruit profile. Some leather. Palate is a bit tired and alcoholic. If you have any, I would advise to drink up. (83)
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Delicious Ripe Pinot. Absolutely Fresh if Well Tended. Killer QPR.
Why is SF beautiful— cuz cool dudes fought off the greed hogs of RE/Fast Food/Chain Store he’ll. (And continue too)
Why are the necks of BREWER and CALERA and BONNY so cheap. It’s the same thing. The same reason Grateful Dead and BJM tickets are cheap: Someone cool has said it is going to be that way, even if I don’t get dbl bucks.
Thx BrewClif!!!
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A very nice CA pinot - earthy-spicy nose, lovely red fruit and spice, still fresh, good balance, and a nice finish. Even at 15.6% alcohol, there was no alcoholic heat. Enjoyed by all.
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After a few less than successful bottles of this wine, this bottle was a real joy. Typical light cherry color. Maturing fruit, with a real sense of balance. Has shed some exuberance for earthy complexity. Don't get me wrong - there is still plenty of sweet B-C fruit. But the cola and like elements have faded. The most mature example I have had from this team and I really like it. (93)
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Lovely fruit structure, some earthy components and mushrooms. Drinking beautifully. Stunning silky fruit on finish. Can age another 3 - 4 years. Showing much better than the 2006 Brewer Clifton Rio Vista. LO
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Popped and poured through a vinturi aerator. Cork was not great, a bit crumbly, but wine was not oxidized. Very light ruby with pronounced brown hue. Very evolved wine, on the wrong side of mature. Decent fruit -- cherry, cola, hint of mushroom -- but after about an hour this thing kind of died and devolved into an acidic mess. I think it likely that this bottle -- which I bought at auction -- was not stored especially well over the years. Again, not damaged, just not taken care of.
Note: bottle I had a month ago from a different source was much better.
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Drank at home with pizza and pasta. This is a nice,fully mature pinot. Ruby to the rim, notes of cherry and earth on the nose. Light to medium body with notes of cherry, berry and hints of spice. A bit of a clipped finish which probably dinged it a point or two but enjoyable, although hard to imagine this gets better with more age. Still a worthy pinot and for the price, a no brainer.
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I believe there is a lot of bottle variation with this wine. My friend, Paul Lin, did not care for this a few months ago, but I don't think he tasted the same wine as I did tonight. I thought it was utterly delicious. I actually think this is one of the finest wines Brewer-Clifton has ever made. The color of the wine is lighter than it used to be, but it still has all the depth of flavor that I tasted a year ago. All of the fresh red fruits enveloped in Mediterranean spices and very little of the greenery that I tasted in my last bottle a year ago. It was silky and velvety and luxurious to drink. And surprisingly, I detected no heat. I thought it reminded me of a Premier Cru Nuits St Georges from a fine vintage. One taster, who is not a wine geek, said, "this is a grown-up pinot noir!!" and I could not have summed it up better.
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I think I understand what Brewer-Clifton is trying to do. But that does not necessarily mean that I am a fan. In my opinion, the use of whole cluster in their wines is misguided. Open for a couple hours, the primary aroma I get is stem. Or as my girlfriend says, "It smells like weed." I can't say I disagree. But in its defense there is some black cherry and raspberry there too. On the palate, the tannins are rough and the 15.6% alcohol bites back. The finish is also bitter and harsh. It makes me wonder, what were these guys were thinking (or smoking) when they made this wine, and why did they think they could charge so much (it kind of upsets me that I paid $67). Grand Cru Burgundy this is not, so why pretend that it is?
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This can be a polarizing wine, and I can see both sides of it. The Brewer-Clifton began as seamless liquid velvet, wonderful texture, racy, bright red fruits, plums, tart pomegranates, and just a subtle bit of spicy, peppery, bitter greenery that may be attributed to stem inclusion. The latter might not be enjoyable to some, but I like it. It is both intellectually interesting and delicious. But, as the night went on, I began to feel the weight of the alcohol and the wine did not feel as vibrant and lively as it did when first opened.
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Not my wine tonight. Some mentioned good nose, but I can't smell it. There's barely any nose to me. Lightest color, lightest body among the 7 pinots tonight. I don't like the finish either.
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When we first got this wine, it was just cool aid. We cellared it and prayed. It still has nothing to it. It starts with a teasing nose,that suggest it will have some nice berries and smoke, but the taste is hollow, with nothing to it. A total disappointment. What taste it does have seems to be on the front end with light notes of cassis and berries. This quickly dissipates into air. We had loved previous years before this one. We are hoping this was just a weak year as the wine makers have excellent reputations.
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Brewer Clifton has now taken over this vineyard from the monks and with this wine you can see why Greg Brewer wanted it. The fruit is bright and structured from this cool climate in the Santa Rita Hills. Rich and rewarding, drink now.
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Awful. I can't believe how much this wine has gone down hill since release. So much for the theory that Brewer Clifton wines age well. 15.6% alcohol and I could feel all of it. Blast of heat on the nose. Completely disjointed on the palate with lots of heat. Nothing here says pinot noir. Tastes like coca cola flavored cough syrup. What a joke, I feel violated.
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Holy cow, this wine has improved over the last several years. Formerly, somewhat thin and tart. Now, a luscious, complete pinot noir. Aromas of strawberry, wild berry, flowers, orange zest, and pine needle. Vibrant palate of strawberry and wild berry, with notes of bittersweet chocolate, orange rind, and fresh oak. Long finish. Superb.
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Dinner With Denyce (Fabio's NYC): Rich, jammy nose of black cherry cola. More dark fruit on the palate with notes of spice and licorice. Medium high acidity. Medium long finish. A big wine.
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Unfortunately, probably my least favorable Brewer Clifton experience to date. Earthy ruby color with and orange / pink rim. Very stemmy nose with baking spice and red fruit – so far so good. Things then go downhill. Palate is green and weedy – almost raw. Some prune fruit and a hot feel. Bitter. Not typical - I usually love their wines. Hopefully a phase. (75?)
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another bottle of $60 swill. a very good nose is the only thing saving this wine. could be some va on this bottle as it was rather tart. this stuff has gone way down hill since release and it is practically clear in color. a dead ringer for richebourg? I don't believe so!
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A see through pinot that provides a lot of flavor. Although somewhat pricy this is a very tasty pinot that is just entering it's prime drinking window. I didn't notice the high alcohol level. Glad I've got a couple of bottles left.
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Loved this just as much as the first bottle, unreal nose, and excellent cranberry/strawberry fruit with some vanilla. The high alcohol is very well balanced. This is still one of my favorite pinots. I seem to like this more than most of the reviewers below.
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Well comparing this bottle to the notes from a bottle I opened this spring I think I must have reviewed the wrong bottle last time or it tamed very quickly. This had excellent balance (+15% Alc) Watermellon nose, Sweet Cranberry and Strawberry .
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Nose of spice, citrus, and cranberry. Silky palate of cranberry, strawberry, pomegranate, and tart cherries. Slightly acidic, but very good. Should be better with more time.
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Like the 2005 Brewer Clifton Ashley showing alot of spice, forest floor and some alcohol. buried under all that is good deep fruit that should only get better with bottle age. This has a little sweeter deeper fruit showing right now than the Ashley. The nose is a little more sexy and expressive on the Ashley. Needs more time. Revisit in a couple of years. The heat on this is hurting it a bit.
Decanted overnight: The juice is really good but the tannins are big. The alcohol is more in check. Big spice/oak. The nose is still somewhat muted. Not nearly ready to drink now. Wait a couple of years to improve.
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Hopefully young, decanted for 1 hour, Unlike other BC Pinots (Meliville), Alcohol pretty high. Fruit like strawberry mid palate is nice but finshes too hot for me.
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Delicious wine with Christmas pork roast. Smooth and silky despite the high alcohol content with beautiful, pure strawberry fruit on the nose and palate with earthy undertones.
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Sorry - nice nose of red fruit, but then a hot palate with a bitter finish. Too much alcohol and oak. Could of had a Premier Cru for this price. Now I know.
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Still very young, needed 3+ hours in the decanter to come around. Very light burgundy color leads into black cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate and baking spice aromas rising out of the glass. more cherry on the palate, along with orange peel, spice and vanilla. Also posseses some stemy-ness from whole cluster fermentation. Has all the stuffing to really improve with a few years bottle age. 2008-2013. 90-91+ pts.
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tasted at a wine bar as part of a 2005 Central Coast Pinot flight . This had a lovely nose of vanilla and minerals with underlying fruit. Very full. Nice and rich in the mouth but it had just been opened and it needed more time to open. All of these wines were too young and needed to either be decanted if you must drink it now . Better put it down for a year
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lovely nose of vanilla and minerals with underlying fruit. Very full. Nice and rich in the mouth but it had just been opened and it needed more time to open It needs to be both decanted and/or another year.
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Decanted for 2 hours...elegant wine with plenty of floral notes and hints of orange peel....slightly hot on the finish...this one needs more time and I won't touch my two remaining bottles for a few years. Plenty of potential and you can really taste the quality, just think it is too young at this point
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Darrel F is dead on below. Incredible pinot, very appealing vanilla and earthy undertones, possibly the best pinot I've had. My last bottle will have to be hidden deep in the cellar. Can't wait to try some of their other stuff.
Still tasty 3 days later.
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The nose upon opening was layers of minerals, earth and vanilla. After opening up the nose became more vibrant with aromas of cherry and cinnamon and other spice notes, with the earthy layer still there but not in the front. Best to let it open for about an hour and watch it develop in the glass. A beautiful mouthfeel, great mid pallate and a looonnnnnggg smooth finish. I have 2 more bottles and will hold for at least another year before approaching again. I just couldn't wait to try it. Drank at Fandango's in Pacific Grove, stood up to osso buco, abalone and sole ! Great wine. Great Pinot Noir.
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Loads of vivid fruit flavours, but very candy bar at this stage. I'm not experienced enough to know whether this will develop into something more savoury, complex and nuanced. By the clarity of fruit flavours perhaps, but this isn't a great pinot to me at this stage in its development. I'll wait a year befoe trying these again.
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Early maturity, layers of complexity, beautiful balance of fruit, alcohol, drank wonderfully with halibut/sweet pepper dish, lingering finish. Highly recommended, but lay yours down for now....unless you just can't resist.
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This took some time to open up but when it did it was a knockout, cinnamon, vanilla, black cherry. Perfect food wine which managed to stand up to to spicy salmon, braised pork and beef short ribs. This is why Pinot is the best food wine.
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11/27/2022 - buckeye76 wrote:
Still drinkable, but clearly past it's prime.
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5/29/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 83 Points
Holding on though clearly past it’s prime. Cherry cola and herbed fruit profile. Some leather. Palate is a bit tired and alcoholic. If you have any, I would advise to drink up. (83)
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9/11/2018 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious Ripe Pinot.
Absolutely Fresh if Well Tended.
Killer QPR.
Why is SF beautiful— cuz cool dudes fought off the greed hogs of RE/Fast Food/Chain Store he’ll. (And continue too)
Why are the necks of BREWER and CALERA and BONNY so cheap. It’s the same thing. The same reason Grateful Dead and BJM tickets are cheap:
Someone cool has said it is going to be that way, even if I don’t get dbl bucks.
Thx BrewClif!!!
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10/28/2017 - Labrador Likes this wine: 89 Points
A very nice CA pinot - earthy-spicy nose, lovely red fruit and spice, still fresh, good balance, and a nice finish. Even at 15.6% alcohol, there was no alcoholic heat.
Enjoyed by all.
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5/15/2017 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
After a few less than successful bottles of this wine, this bottle was a real joy. Typical light cherry color. Maturing fruit, with a real sense of balance. Has shed some exuberance for earthy complexity. Don't get me wrong - there is still plenty of sweet B-C fruit. But the cola and like elements have faded. The most mature example I have had from this team and I really like it. (93)
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12/15/2015 - wynlvr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purchased as futures kept in refrigerated storage, l agree with a previous taster this is a grown up Pinot Noir!
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7/11/2015 - Meneley wrote:
Lovely fruit structure, some earthy components and mushrooms. Drinking beautifully. Stunning silky fruit on finish. Can age another 3 - 4 years. Showing much better than the 2006 Brewer Clifton Rio Vista. LO
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6/25/2015 - Fid wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured through a vinturi aerator. Cork was not great, a bit crumbly, but wine was not oxidized. Very light ruby with pronounced brown hue. Very evolved wine, on the wrong side of mature. Decent fruit -- cherry, cola, hint of mushroom -- but after about an hour this thing kind of died and devolved into an acidic mess. I think it likely that this bottle -- which I bought at auction -- was not stored especially well over the years. Again, not damaged, just not taken care of.
Note: bottle I had a month ago from a different source was much better.
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5/24/2015 - Fid Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at home with pizza and pasta. This is a nice,fully mature pinot. Ruby to the rim, notes of cherry and earth on the nose. Light to medium body with notes of cherry, berry and hints of spice. A bit of a clipped finish which probably dinged it a point or two but enjoyable, although hard to imagine this gets better with more age. Still a worthy pinot and for the price, a no brainer.
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3/18/2015 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 94 Points
I believe there is a lot of bottle variation with this wine. My friend, Paul Lin, did not care for this a few months ago, but I don't think he tasted the same wine as I did tonight. I thought it was utterly delicious. I actually think this is one of the finest wines Brewer-Clifton has ever made. The color of the wine is lighter than it used to be, but it still has all the depth of flavor that I tasted a year ago. All of the fresh red fruits enveloped in Mediterranean spices and very little of the greenery that I tasted in my last bottle a year ago. It was silky and velvety and luxurious to drink. And surprisingly, I detected no heat. I thought it reminded me of a Premier Cru Nuits St Georges from a fine vintage. One taster, who is not a wine geek, said, "this is a grown-up pinot noir!!" and I could not have summed it up better.
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12/24/2014 - Paul Lin wrote: 83 Points
I think I understand what Brewer-Clifton is trying to do. But that does not necessarily mean that I am a fan. In my opinion, the use of whole cluster in their wines is misguided. Open for a couple hours, the primary aroma I get is stem. Or as my girlfriend says, "It smells like weed." I can't say I disagree. But in its defense there is some black cherry and raspberry there too. On the palate, the tannins are rough and the 15.6% alcohol bites back. The finish is also bitter and harsh. It makes me wonder, what were these guys were thinking (or smoking) when they made this wine, and why did they think they could charge so much (it kind of upsets me that I paid $67). Grand Cru Burgundy this is not, so why pretend that it is?
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8/9/2014 - buckeye76 wrote: 91 Points
CHERIIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH A HINT OF EARTHINESS AND HERBS. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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6/17/2014 - Jonathan T wrote: 92 Points
This can be a polarizing wine, and I can see both sides of it. The Brewer-Clifton began as seamless liquid velvet, wonderful texture, racy, bright red fruits, plums, tart pomegranates, and just a subtle bit of spicy, peppery, bitter greenery that may be attributed to stem inclusion. The latter might not be enjoyable to some, but I like it. It is both intellectually interesting and delicious. But, as the night went on, I began to feel the weight of the alcohol and the wine did not feel as vibrant and lively as it did when first opened.
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3/4/2014 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Significant bricking. On the palate, this was a little too tart but full of cherry, mushroom and earth.
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1/31/2014 - gondrik Likes this wine: 89 Points
a bit tart and uninteresting. may be on the decline
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4/5/2013 - wcchang Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Not my wine tonight. Some mentioned good nose, but I can't smell it. There's barely any nose to me. Lightest color, lightest body among the 7 pinots tonight. I don't like the finish either.
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2/25/2013 - CASEBIER KENNETH wrote: 72 Points
No good any more. Was not very good to start with
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11/15/2012 - CASEBIER KENNETH wrote: 83 Points
When we first got this wine, it was just cool aid. We cellared it and prayed. It still has nothing to it. It starts with a teasing nose,that suggest it will have some nice berries and smoke, but the taste is hollow, with nothing to it. A total disappointment. What taste it does have seems to be on the front end with light notes of cassis and berries. This quickly dissipates into air. We had loved previous years before this one. We are hoping this was just a weak year as the wine makers have excellent reputations.
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5/28/2012 - shk5157 wrote: 90 Points
Cherry note, but not like an Oregon pinot. Maybe not the most food friendly
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4/7/2012 - bonedocnine wrote: 90 Points
Brewer Clifton has now taken over this vineyard from the monks and with this wine you can see why Greg Brewer wanted it. The fruit is bright and structured from this cool climate in the Santa Rita Hills. Rich and rewarding, drink now.
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1/20/2012 - fradman wrote:
Just had a bottle last night and it was delicious. I'd give it at least a 93 on my own scale.
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11/24/2011 - JOsgood wrote: 74 Points
Awful. I can't believe how much this wine has gone down hill since release. So much for the theory that Brewer Clifton wines age well. 15.6% alcohol and I could feel all of it. Blast of heat on the nose. Completely disjointed on the palate with lots of heat. Nothing here says pinot noir. Tastes like coca cola flavored cough syrup. What a joke, I feel violated.
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10/17/2011 - ljl203 wrote:
Great nose on the open. Spring fields, cut grass and flowers. Faded quite a bit.
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10/16/2011 - SeaSmoke wrote: 90 Points
Light in color. Red fruit (cherries, raspberries) evident on the nose and palate. Some spice on the finish. Nice wine.
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3/12/2011 - mattowan wrote: 92 Points
Very nice domestic pinot. Cherry-raspberry nose. Hints of alcohol, but not so much. Rich and acidic. Beautiful with richly seasoned duck.
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2/11/2011 - ljl203 wrote: 92 Points
Ready now. Terrific mushroom, rose, tobacco and cherry laced with a bracing acidity and caramel cola note on the finish.
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12/25/2010 - JOsgood wrote: 88 Points
Light in color and weight. Didn't show a ton of heat. Balanced with a attractive nose. Not worth the ticket price, not close.
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11/14/2010 - jonphillips wrote: 92 Points
Interesting throughout -- stem inclusion is nice.
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9/22/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 87 Points
Picking up depth, but still not what I usually associate with BC. Will give other bottles more time. (87)
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8/28/2010 - JOJ wrote: 96 Points
Holy cow, this wine has improved over the last several years. Formerly, somewhat thin and tart. Now, a luscious, complete pinot noir. Aromas of strawberry, wild berry, flowers, orange zest, and pine needle. Vibrant palate of strawberry and wild berry, with notes of bittersweet chocolate, orange rind, and fresh oak. Long finish. Superb.
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8/12/2010 - LikeABC wrote:
wow!
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8/6/2010 - amgryger wrote:
Dinner With Denyce (Fabio's NYC): Rich, jammy nose of black cherry cola. More dark fruit on the palate with notes of spice and licorice. Medium high acidity. Medium long finish. A big wine.
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3/12/2010 - Go RedSox wrote:
This was fantastic with fusion sushi & Asian food.
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3/5/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 75 Points
Unfortunately, probably my least favorable Brewer Clifton experience to date. Earthy ruby color with and orange / pink rim. Very stemmy nose with baking spice and red fruit – so far so good. Things then go downhill. Palate is green and weedy – almost raw. Some prune fruit and a hot feel. Bitter. Not typical - I usually love their wines. Hopefully a phase. (75?)
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1/16/2010 - gnubik wrote: 89 Points
Unfortunately the 15.6% alc shows through despite the other reviews...
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9/16/2009 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Very nice. Lots of strawberry flavor. One of the better B-C pinots that I've ever had.
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6/7/2009 - ajaffee wrote: 91 Points
Light in color, but not light in strawberry sorbet flavor. Decanted an hour. This bottle may not make it until dinner is cooked.
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3/29/2009 - dwbumsted wrote: 95 Points
Phenomenal. Loads of black fruit and silky mouthfeell, Incredible.
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3/12/2009 - ToniJ wrote:
smokey caramel on the nose cigarette dusty on the palate it has silk and velvet nice apricot apple flesh spicy on the back palate no detecible hotnes
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1/31/2009 - the godfather wrote: 85 Points
another bottle of $60 swill. a very good nose is the only thing saving this wine. could be some va on this bottle as it was rather tart. this stuff has gone way down hill since release and it is practically clear in color. a dead ringer for richebourg? I don't believe so!
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1/9/2009 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
A see through pinot that provides a lot of flavor. Although somewhat pricy this is a very tasty pinot that is just entering it's prime drinking window. I didn't notice the high alcohol level. Glad I've got a couple of bottles left.
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9/17/2008 - stoll wrote: 95 Points
Loved this just as much as the first bottle, unreal nose, and excellent cranberry/strawberry fruit with some vanilla. The high alcohol is very well balanced. This is still one of my favorite pinots. I seem to like this more than most of the reviewers below.
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6/15/2008 - Drinkup714 wrote: 92 Points
Well comparing this bottle to the notes from a bottle I opened this spring I think I must have reviewed the wrong bottle last time or it tamed very quickly. This had excellent balance (+15% Alc) Watermellon nose, Sweet Cranberry and Strawberry .
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4/20/2008 - JOJ wrote: 90 Points
Nose of spice, citrus, and cranberry. Silky palate of cranberry, strawberry, pomegranate, and tart cherries. Slightly acidic, but very good. Should be better with more time.
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4/5/2008 - beachnic wrote: 91 Points
Like the 2005 Brewer Clifton Ashley showing alot of spice, forest floor and some alcohol. buried under all that is good deep fruit that should only get better with bottle age. This has a little sweeter deeper fruit showing right now than the Ashley. The nose is a little more sexy and expressive on the Ashley. Needs more time. Revisit in a couple of years. The heat on this is hurting it a bit.
Decanted overnight: The juice is really good but the tannins are big. The alcohol is more in check. Big spice/oak. The nose is still somewhat muted. Not nearly ready to drink now. Wait a couple of years to improve.
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3/31/2008 - Laslo Hollyfeld wrote: 91 Points
Nice bottle. Excellent expression of Santa Rita Hills fruit. A little hot on the finish, probably a little young.
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3/8/2008 - Drinkup714 wrote: 91 Points
Hopefully young, decanted for 1 hour, Unlike other BC Pinots (Meliville), Alcohol pretty high. Fruit like strawberry mid palate is nice but finshes too hot for me.
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12/30/2007 - tko wrote:
Delicious wine with Christmas pork roast. Smooth and silky despite the high alcohol content with beautiful, pure strawberry fruit on the nose and palate with earthy undertones.
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11/2/2007 - jimkay21 wrote: 82 Points
Sorry - nice nose of red fruit, but then a hot palate with a bitter finish. Too much alcohol and oak. Could of had a Premier Cru for this price. Now I know.
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7/3/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
OC Fratello's Offline--2005 CA Pinot Noir Tasted Blind (Fratello's Laguna Niguel): Stemmy nose, which also permeates into the taste, giving texture and definition. Blueberry, anise, bit of mocha, touch of heat.
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6/26/2007 - riccodog13 wrote: 90 Points
Still very young, needed 3+ hours in the decanter to come around. Very light burgundy color leads into black cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate and baking spice aromas rising out of the glass. more cherry on the palate, along with orange peel, spice and vanilla. Also posseses some stemy-ness from whole cluster fermentation. Has all the stuffing to really improve with a few years bottle age. 2008-2013. 90-91+ pts.
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6/24/2007 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
tasted at a wine bar as part of a 2005 Central Coast Pinot flight . This had a lovely nose of vanilla and minerals with underlying fruit. Very full. Nice and rich in the mouth but it had just been opened and it needed more time to open. All of these wines were too young and needed to either be decanted if you must drink it now . Better put it down for a year
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6/24/2007 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
lovely nose of vanilla and minerals with underlying fruit. Very full. Nice and rich in the mouth but it had just been opened and it needed more time to open It needs to be both decanted and/or another year.
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6/21/2007 - JeffW wrote: 94 Points
Great California Pinot. Beautiful pale garnet color. Very fruit forward. wild strawberries, currant.
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4/22/2007 - yovinny wrote: 93 Points
Nose of spices, young with good balance of fruit, slightly hot on the finish...will cellar well for a few years.
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4/8/2007 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours...elegant wine with plenty of floral notes and hints of orange peel....slightly hot on the finish...this one needs more time and I won't touch my two remaining bottles for a few years. Plenty of potential and you can really taste the quality, just think it is too young at this point
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2/4/2007 - stoll wrote: 95 Points
Darrel F is dead on below. Incredible pinot, very appealing vanilla and earthy undertones, possibly the best pinot I've had. My last bottle will have to be hidden deep in the cellar. Can't wait to try some of their other stuff.
Still tasty 3 days later.
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1/28/2007 - darrel_f wrote: 94 Points
The nose upon opening was layers of minerals, earth and vanilla. After opening up the nose became more vibrant with aromas of cherry and cinnamon and other spice notes, with the earthy layer still there but not in the front. Best to let it open for about an hour and watch it develop in the glass. A beautiful mouthfeel, great mid pallate and a looonnnnnggg smooth finish. I have 2 more bottles and will hold for at least another year before approaching again. I just couldn't wait to try it. Drank at Fandango's in Pacific Grove, stood up to osso buco, abalone and sole ! Great wine. Great Pinot Noir.
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12/16/2006 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Big ripe cherry and strawberry nose; sweet, super ripe, strawberry and red fruit palate; long finish
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12/10/2006 - Pacherant wrote: 89 Points
Loads of vivid fruit flavours, but very candy bar at this stage. I'm not experienced enough to know whether this will develop into something more savoury, complex and nuanced. By the clarity of fruit flavours perhaps, but this isn't a great pinot to me at this stage in its development. I'll wait a year befoe trying these again.
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11/23/2006 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 93 Points
Early maturity, layers of complexity, beautiful balance of fruit, alcohol, drank wonderfully with halibut/sweet pepper dish, lingering finish. Highly recommended, but lay yours down for now....unless you just can't resist.
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11/17/2006 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 93 Points
Indian spices, cherry, passionfruit...nice long finish. Great wine!!
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10/24/2006 - the godfather wrote: 93 Points
This took some time to open up but when it did it was a knockout, cinnamon, vanilla, black cherry. Perfect food wine which managed to stand up to to spicy salmon, braised pork and beef short ribs. This is why Pinot is the best food wine.
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