This is still drinking pretty well at nearly 20 years of age. RRV pinots are no longer my cup of tea, nor is really this style in general, but this was still quite enjoyable. Black cherry fruits and a bit of menthol and cola on the nose. Big and rich, balanced by a good dose of acidity, and showing a bit of heat on the finish.
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Interesting mix of red fruit, slight meatiness, salinity and some citrus notes. Nice acidity here. This wine is smooth, and felt pretty precise when first poured, but tasted a few hours later was starting to lose some characteristics. Definitely drink now.
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Well beyond the point when a rating is fair, but still an interesting, even drinkable wine in mid '18. Fascinating how the sharp, fresh, edgy, raspberry character of Keefer Ranch blends with the savory, somewhat darker attributes that come with age, especially how the tanginess balances (or not) with some mature ligubriousness. For pure drinking pleasure I wish I'd had this four years ago, but it's still an object lesson in how fresh, lighter-style Russian River Pinot Noir ages.
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I do enjoy Keefer Vineyard fruit. Deep color with aromas of earthy black cherry and red fruit. Balanced, nice weight across the palate; flavors of earthy cherry fruit and baking spices. Nice finish. 90+ pts.
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Ruby color, restrained black cherry, with subtle herbs, baking spice and long elegant finish. There is a tart acidity, which bodes well for further aging, but the screwcap makes me a bit nervous. Safer to drink now and aerate for a complex drink.
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Argghh - kicking myself for not letting this breathe more - about an hour in this just blossoms. Lighter, smooth and with a wonderful tart thing happening. The fruits are succulent yet not over ripe; the mouthfeel well balanced; but the flavor and the finish deliver such lovely cherry/spice/grapefruit elements. Solid stuff.
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13.9% alcohol. This has gotten exceptionally pretty in the past 16 months. Light red color. Gorgeous, refined nose of red cherry, baking spice, flowers, and minerals. This is distinctly feminine on the nose and strikingly balanced and elegant on the palate. In the mouth, vibrant and showcasing a decidedly red-fruited profile, with zesty acidity framing the baking spice and floral notes. A long finish has a touch of sourness to it, emphasizing the red cherry, along with a lingering hint of flowers. Awesome. A-/A
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Medium bodied and ruby red. Cranberry, red cherry and spice. Firm finish with some earth and mushrooms. Aging well and will probably hold several more years.
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It's been a while since I have had one of Andrew's wines and in way I'm glad I waited, for this was a very pleasant surprise. Floral notes of cranberries, wild strawberries, rose water, crushed minerals, and baking spices. Light and almost old world on the palate with a racy acidity. Excellent with smoked pork chop with sauteed cremini mushrooms. Bravo!
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Very different and I enjoyed this bottle. Dried red fruits, mineral, some strawberry and pebble. Lighter and more lithe, which went well with dinner. I liked the lighter weight on this and the reserved profile.
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Like it. Nice acidity coupled with crisp red fruit and flinty background. Nice finish as well. Went well with baked chicken and couscous. Looks and smells like classic pinot, although not as intense as many american pinots. Could benefit from a year or two but drinking just fine right now.
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love keefer fruit. damp earthiness, some pomegranate and cherry, I wish it had a bit more acidity to balance the fruit. though not as tasty as the 2006 it is still yummy.
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Vastly improved from prior showing. Still reticent on opening, a wonderful Keefer Ranch nose blossoms after 60 minutes -- cranberry, strawberry, spice and wet Earth. Palate offers juicy cherry, cinnamon, clove, and baking spice. Sweet and smooth, with a long finish. Acidity pushes the limit but does not go over. Nice.
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Translucent ruby color with smoky notes toward the edges (very light; pretty). Nose of pie cherries, black cherry cola, and strawberry-rhubarb pie filling. On the palate, this has a strong pie cherry, tea, allspice, and cola essence to it with the rhubarb/strawberry notes playing in the background. Very much to my liking, but could see where others might find this on the angular side right now and maybe a bit woody. Clean, acidic finish makes this easy to drink.
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This bottle showed very well. Nice dark color, fruit and spice on the nose. Cherry and berry with balanced acidity on the palate. Sour cherry and spice on the finish. Good to see a CA Pinot with 13.9% "octane." There is another glass to enjoy the next evening.
Rescrew capped overnight in fridge until about 2 hours before dinner. Wine looks darker and the sour cherry finish has smoothed a bit. Spice is noticed more than last night. This wine is in a good place now.
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Quite nice. Not decanted. Lovely dark cherry/berry aroma, with forest floor and light vanilla cola, but less captivating than the Turner SV from a few nights ago. Medium fruit weight, but acidity keeps it really light on feet for this amount of fruit intesity (nice trick). Good partner for food.
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Popped and poured about a half hour ago. Sweet with glycerine. Good. Will post more after enjoying with sushi! Ah, never got back to write further impressions. See note from 8/22/08!
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13.9% alc. relatively light in color; a light garnet as a matter of fact- but very big in taste; fruit forward with really red strawberry and raspberry, nice acidity, bright and delicious. great complement to risotto with roast chicken, asparagus, and mushrooms. i don't give points (as a matter of principle) but this would be an excellent to outstanding wine in my book. Tasty.
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Consumed over two nights, and my notes reflect my thoughts after night #2. I found this to be a very firm pinot, suggesting that additional time in bottle would be advisable. I really did not notice a big change from night one to night two. Big, dark red cherry palate that I found to be a bit monochromatic. The midpalate is stiff, and a bit closed feeling to me. There is some sweetness that when combined with a bit of alcohol on the finish took this down a level in my book. I kept looking for something to play against the fruit (spice, florals, cola etc), and could not find it. As such, this is my least favorite AP Vin experience to date, but then again, I really like the (controversial) '05 Kanzler...so take my opinion for what it is. If you have these, I'd suggest you sit on them for a while, because I do believe there is enough compacted into this bottle to hash out down the road. Though I must admit I'm not just certain what it will become.
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Opened not decanted. A little tennis shoe on the nose that dissipates quickly; restrained fruit that is held in check; dark earth tones with plummy fruit (and perhaps with a touch of tomato and clove?); ends with a nice dry finish. A great food wine. Good to Very Good.
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Plenty of power and grip, but fruit was very muted on Day 1, which is not typical for a Keefer. Opened up and gained weight on Day 2. I probably should have held for at least a year.
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Should have read the CT notes before opening this one, because I had a very similar experience in terms of the wine not opening up for a very long time. On opening, there is a nose of funk, with some red fruit undertones, and a very bland palate showing nothing other than tartness and acidity. After 3 hours, the wine finally blossomed, revealing some of the classic Keefer Ranch elements of dark cherry, spice, cloves, cola, etc. Give this time. Score based on this showing. Should improve with age.
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Had next to the LWC ... Blind. The nose is slightly reduced. The aromatics would come and go. Interesting. Big Big cherry front palate. Ripe but still present tartness. The finish was long and heavy. I almost wanted it to end. With the food everything evened out better. Still needs time.
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In the name of all that is holy, let this age. It showed absolutely nothing on Day 1, but showed wonderfully over the next several days with great site specificity. Now, Keefer Ranch Pinot has some young Grenache-like character to it so expect sweet and ripe. Still, this is a great expression of the vineyard and a very nice drinking wine. Well done, just wait.
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Red-ish orange in the glass. Nose of cranberry, clove. Bright cherry fruit and a lively acidity on the palate. Very bright acidity. Finished with tart cherry. Good with food. Softens some with air. Nice to see where this is at in another year.
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Nose of toast, clove. Medium weight with a nice core of toasty vanilla, crisp raspberry, cranberry and a finish of some minerals and still fairly tight. When the wine has some time to unfold, likely to get even better.
Night 2 and with the last glass now in my burg stem, this wine says "delicate". The kiss of oak vanilla is delicate on the palate, the color (even with a good solid 6 ounces in the stem) is light rose colored delicate and the sense of tannins and wet rock/minerals delicately filling in at the end. I can sense some clove on the nose tonight, as well as a signature of lemon-lime acidity. too. The wine here really says 2005 for me.
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Pop and pour, I was not a fan. Gave it another 90 minutes and this wine changed remarkably; it found a finish and just came together in a way that was sadly lacking directly out of the bottle. Dark cherry fruits paired well with a slow-cooked pork shoulder. I would give this more time, personally, and if you do open now, make sure it gets air.
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Popped (well, twisted) and poured. Very light and clear plummy raspberry color. At first, the wine had a bit of beef blood aroma, but after about a half hour settled into a more typical pinot nose, with flint, strawberries and raspberries. On the palate, again early on it had a bit of a diluted flavor dominated by a minerally character, but after a half hour settled in to display nice extraction with strawberries, cherries and some earthy smoke, with nice acidic balance and just the right amount of tannins on the medium length finish. This is a good wine, it just needs a little time to open up to show its quality.
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Had as part of a winemaker's dinner. This is a fantastic wine showing great weight and balance. No formal notes, but we ordered more based on this showing.
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As I was rooting around the cellar, like a pig looking for truffles, I spot this and thought that I hadn't tried it before. Well, after consuming about 3/4 of the bottle with the Ms, I log into CT and see my prior note.
Opened not decanted. Strong nose of strawberry and spice; strawberry, plum and orange rind on the palate with a sweetness that's almost sticky; ends with a crisp, semi-dry finish. I like this wine. Very good.
Day 2: Very smooth, almost flabby. Citrus profile is still the dominate feature.
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Light bodied style, showcasing the finesse side of the Pinot grape. Red fruit, spice and a touch of flowers on the nose. Well balanced mouth of red fruit and acidity. Likely to pair very nicely with a wide range of food, but for solo drinking I prefer my pinots a bit more full bodied.
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Light in style even for an RRV, this Keefer Ranch cuvee was quite distinctive. Rather simple upon opening, several hours of air have coaxed out an attractively sweet cherry flavor with a bit of earthy funk and strawberry cola. The finish was striking. Some good juice Andrew.
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otisabdul hit this one on the head: vigorously decant for at least 2 hours if young or bottle age. My impatience took over on this one and I cracked the bottle open as soon as I was certain bottle shock had subsided. Initial impression was quite disjointed as the wine fell apart quickly in the mouth, despite such a wonderful promise on the nose. I thus decanted for two hours and what a 180 degree turn! Amazing aromatics and fruit/finish to match. If you have to commit infanticide, I don't blame you--just be sure to decant this one. But if you can wait, trust me: your patience will be rewarded.
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Purchased from the winery for $41. Unscrewed and immediately poured. Light ruby color. A bit simple at first, with wild strawberry and cola notes. But it steadily improved over the course of 2 hours, gaining elegance by the minute. The last few sips were terrific, with an intriguing spiciness, silkiness and brightness emerging. Would recommend splash decanting or cellaring for a year.
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Light color. Nose of cherry cola with some floral and earth tones. Nice cherry with light integrated tannins and nice acidity. Good overall balance and a nice food wine.
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5/31/2023 - GrapeScott wrote: 88 Points
This is still drinking pretty well at nearly 20 years of age. RRV pinots are no longer my cup of tea, nor is really this style in general, but this was still quite enjoyable. Black cherry fruits and a bit of menthol and cola on the nose. Big and rich, balanced by a good dose of acidity, and showing a bit of heat on the finish.
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6/4/2019 - OaktownRush Likes this wine:
Interesting mix of red fruit, slight meatiness, salinity and some citrus notes. Nice acidity here. This wine is smooth, and felt pretty precise when first poured, but tasted a few hours later was starting to lose some characteristics. Definitely drink now.
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7/12/2018 - LesPaul Likes this wine:
Well beyond the point when a rating is fair, but still an interesting, even drinkable wine in mid '18. Fascinating how the sharp, fresh, edgy, raspberry character of Keefer Ranch blends with the savory, somewhat darker attributes that come with age, especially how the tanginess balances (or not) with some mature ligubriousness. For pure drinking pleasure I wish I'd had this four years ago, but it's still an object lesson in how fresh, lighter-style Russian River Pinot Noir ages.
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8/27/2011 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
I do enjoy Keefer Vineyard fruit. Deep color with aromas of earthy black cherry and red fruit. Balanced, nice weight across the palate; flavors of earthy cherry fruit and baking spices. Nice finish. 90+ pts.
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8/18/2011 - BonnieM wrote:
Drinking really nicely now, pop and pour
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8/17/2011 - rmodak wrote: 89 Points
Ruby color, restrained black cherry, with subtle herbs, baking spice and long elegant finish. There is a tart acidity, which bodes well for further aging, but the screwcap makes me a bit nervous. Safer to drink now and aerate for a complex drink.
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8/7/2011 - BonnieM wrote:
Tart cherry, crisp acidity. Drinking very nicely. Pop and pour.
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2/9/2011 - NotNYC wrote: 90 Points
Argghh - kicking myself for not letting this breathe more - about an hour in this just blossoms.
Lighter, smooth and with a wonderful tart thing happening. The fruits are succulent yet not over ripe; the mouthfeel well balanced; but the flavor and the finish deliver such lovely cherry/spice/grapefruit elements. Solid stuff.
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2/6/2011 - prufrocksabogado wrote: 90 Points
Drink up -- fine quaffer, nice nose, but still too much alcohol to be really highly rated. Solid but not exceptional effort.
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11/6/2010 - pinotwinelover wrote: 91 Points
This has come together very nicely and would fool a few people into believing it could be from Burgundy.
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10/2/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
13.9% alcohol. This has gotten exceptionally pretty in the past 16 months. Light red color. Gorgeous, refined nose of red cherry, baking spice, flowers, and minerals. This is distinctly feminine on the nose and strikingly balanced and elegant on the palate. In the mouth, vibrant and showcasing a decidedly red-fruited profile, with zesty acidity framing the baking spice and floral notes. A long finish has a touch of sourness to it, emphasizing the red cherry, along with a lingering hint of flowers. Awesome. A-/A
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7/15/2010 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Came together beautifully with more smoky oak notes on the finish.
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4/24/2010 - MJTed wrote: 90 Points
Medium bodied and ruby red. Cranberry, red cherry and spice. Firm finish with some earth and mushrooms. Aging well and will probably hold several more years.
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12/13/2009 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
It's been a while since I have had one of Andrew's wines and in way I'm glad I waited, for this was a very pleasant surprise. Floral notes of cranberries, wild strawberries, rose water, crushed minerals, and baking spices. Light and almost old world on the palate with a racy acidity. Excellent with smoked pork chop with sauteed cremini mushrooms. Bravo!
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12/12/2009 - ghanbai wrote: 89 Points
A little too sweet for me
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9/2/2009 - pjhr wrote: 91 Points
Delicate dried red cherries on the nose and palate with spice notes on the tasty finish.
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7/18/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Very light color as I matched this against the Loring Keefer Ranch, lighter color, bursting flavors in the glass, stroger Pinot nose of exotic fruit.
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6/29/2009 - TheOtherPoster wrote:
Agree completely with Frank Murry III
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6/13/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Very different and I enjoyed this bottle. Dried red fruits, mineral, some strawberry and pebble. Lighter and more lithe, which went well with dinner. I liked the lighter weight on this and the reserved profile.
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6/9/2009 - louis1ma wrote: 89 Points
Like it. Nice acidity coupled with crisp red fruit and flinty background. Nice finish as well. Went well with baked chicken and couscous. Looks and smells like classic pinot, although not as intense as many american pinots. Could benefit from a year or two but drinking just fine right now.
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6/7/2009 - Love4Vino wrote:
love keefer fruit. damp earthiness, some pomegranate and cherry, I wish it had a bit more acidity to balance the fruit. though not as tasty as the 2006 it is still yummy.
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5/10/2009 - JOJ wrote: 91 Points
Vastly improved from prior showing. Still reticent on opening, a wonderful Keefer Ranch nose blossoms after 60 minutes -- cranberry, strawberry, spice and wet Earth. Palate offers juicy cherry, cinnamon, clove, and baking spice. Sweet and smooth, with a long finish. Acidity pushes the limit but does not go over. Nice.
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5/6/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
13.9% alcohol. Pretty red color. Nice cherry fruit profile, but the acidity is a touch out of balance at this point. B+
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2/5/2009 - fredb wrote:
Translucent ruby color with smoky notes toward the edges (very light; pretty). Nose of pie cherries, black cherry cola, and strawberry-rhubarb pie filling. On the palate, this has a strong pie cherry, tea, allspice, and cola essence to it with the rhubarb/strawberry notes playing in the background. Very much to my liking, but could see where others might find this on the angular side right now and maybe a bit woody. Clean, acidic finish makes this easy to drink.
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8/22/2008 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
This bottle showed very well. Nice dark color, fruit and spice on the nose. Cherry and berry with balanced acidity on the palate. Sour cherry and spice on the finish. Good to see a CA Pinot with 13.9% "octane." There is another glass to enjoy the next evening.
Rescrew capped overnight in fridge until about 2 hours before dinner. Wine looks darker and the sour cherry finish has smoothed a bit. Spice is noticed more than last night. This wine is in a good place now.
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8/15/2008 - thomaskeil wrote: 90 Points
Quite nice. Not decanted. Lovely dark cherry/berry aroma, with forest floor and light vanilla cola, but less captivating than the Turner SV from a few nights ago. Medium fruit weight, but acidity keeps it really light on feet for this amount of fruit intesity (nice trick). Good partner for food.
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5/29/2008 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Popped and poured about a half hour ago. Sweet with glycerine. Good. Will post more after enjoying with sushi! Ah, never got back to write further impressions. See note from 8/22/08!
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5/28/2008 - Rieslingfan wrote:
It's California Pinot. Yipee...
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5/23/2008 - Mike V wrote: 85 Points
short & tart
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5/6/2008 - budman wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing compared to the last bottle. Even with extended air time, it was tart and thin, without much going on.
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4/24/2008 - jonnyoro wrote:
13.9% alc. relatively light in color; a light garnet as a matter of fact- but very big in taste; fruit forward with really red strawberry and raspberry, nice acidity, bright and delicious. great complement to risotto with roast chicken, asparagus, and mushrooms. i don't give points (as a matter of principle) but this would be an excellent to outstanding wine in my book. Tasty.
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4/24/2008 - grrrpor wrote: 89 Points
pop and pour. tasty. light. floral - better on its own than with food (chicken tortellini with pesto)
for the price, nice, but not a revelation. wouldn't mind having more though....
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4/15/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Better the second day and I raised my rating.
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2/21/2008 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Initially, this was a bit reticent, but, after about 2 hours of air time, there was an explosion of cherry flavors, with a touch of spice.
Fantastic effort!!
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1/14/2008 - rjoyer wrote: 87 Points
Consumed over two nights, and my notes reflect my thoughts after night #2. I found this to be a very firm pinot, suggesting that additional time in bottle would be advisable. I really did not notice a big change from night one to night two. Big, dark red cherry palate that I found to be a bit monochromatic. The midpalate is stiff, and a bit closed feeling to me. There is some sweetness that when combined with a bit of alcohol on the finish took this down a level in my book. I kept looking for something to play against the fruit (spice, florals, cola etc), and could not find it. As such, this is my least favorite AP Vin experience to date, but then again, I really like the (controversial) '05 Kanzler...so take my opinion for what it is. If you have these, I'd suggest you sit on them for a while, because I do believe there is enough compacted into this bottle to hash out down the road. Though I must admit I'm not just certain what it will become.
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1/5/2008 - brianofthevine wrote: 90 Points
Cranberry and spice, decent finish.
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1/3/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. A little tennis shoe on the nose that dissipates quickly; restrained fruit that is held in check; dark earth tones with plummy fruit (and perhaps with a touch of tomato and clove?); ends with a nice dry finish. A great food wine. Good to Very Good.
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12/12/2007 - MJTed wrote: 90 Points
Plenty of power and grip, but fruit was very muted on Day 1, which is not typical for a Keefer. Opened up and gained weight on Day 2. I probably should have held for at least a year.
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12/8/2007 - JOJ wrote: 87 Points
Should have read the CT notes before opening this one, because I had a very similar experience in terms of the wine not opening up for a very long time. On opening, there is a nose of funk, with some red fruit undertones, and a very bland palate showing nothing other than tartness and acidity. After 3 hours, the wine finally blossomed, revealing some of the classic Keefer Ranch elements of dark cherry, spice, cloves, cola, etc. Give this time. Score based on this showing. Should improve with age.
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11/18/2007 - jasonh wrote: 89 Points
Had next to the LWC ... Blind. The nose is slightly reduced. The aromatics would come and go. Interesting. Big Big cherry front palate. Ripe but still present tartness. The finish was long and heavy. I almost wanted it to end. With the food everything evened out better. Still needs time.
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11/6/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
In the name of all that is holy, let this age. It showed absolutely nothing on Day 1, but showed wonderfully over the next several days with great site specificity. Now, Keefer Ranch Pinot has some young Grenache-like character to it so expect sweet and ripe. Still, this is a great expression of the vineyard and a very nice drinking wine. Well done, just wait.
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7/31/2007 - brianofthevine wrote: 89 Points
Cinnamon and rhubarb flavors, short finish.
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7/5/2007 - decaturwinedude wrote: 90 Points
Red-ish orange in the glass. Nose of cranberry, clove. Bright cherry fruit and a lively acidity on the palate. Very bright acidity. Finished with tart cherry. Good with food. Softens some with air. Nice to see where this is at in another year.
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7/1/2007 - DLT wrote: 93 Points
Didn't get the offputting aroma I noted on the prior bottle. Every bit as good as before.
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6/25/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Nose of toast, clove. Medium weight with a nice core of toasty vanilla, crisp raspberry, cranberry and a finish of some minerals and still fairly tight. When the wine has some time to unfold, likely to get even better.
Night 2 and with the last glass now in my burg stem, this wine says "delicate". The kiss of oak vanilla is delicate on the palate, the color (even with a good solid 6 ounces in the stem) is light rose colored delicate and the sense of tannins and wet rock/minerals delicately filling in at the end. I can sense some clove on the nose tonight, as well as a signature of lemon-lime acidity. too. The wine here really says 2005 for me.
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6/22/2007 - DukeDrew wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour, I was not a fan. Gave it another 90 minutes and this wine changed remarkably; it found a finish and just came together in a way that was sadly lacking directly out of the bottle. Dark cherry fruits paired well with a slow-cooked pork shoulder. I would give this more time, personally, and if you do open now, make sure it gets air.
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6/10/2007 - mavericks wrote: 82 Points
Good fruit but missing something on the back end, might need a year or more but not worth the price at this point. I have had better Keefer Ranch's.
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4/30/2007 - DLT wrote: 93 Points
Popped (well, twisted) and poured. Very light and clear plummy raspberry color. At first, the wine had a bit of beef blood aroma, but after about a half hour settled into a more typical pinot nose, with flint, strawberries and raspberries. On the palate, again early on it had a bit of a diluted flavor dominated by a minerally character, but after a half hour settled in to display nice extraction with strawberries, cherries and some earthy smoke, with nice acidic balance and just the right amount of tannins on the medium length finish. This is a good wine, it just needs a little time to open up to show its quality.
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3/15/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 92 Points
Had as part of a winemaker's dinner. This is a fantastic wine showing great weight and balance. No formal notes, but we ordered more based on this showing.
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3/14/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
As I was rooting around the cellar, like a pig looking for truffles, I spot this and thought that I hadn't tried it before. Well, after consuming about 3/4 of the bottle with the Ms, I log into CT and see my prior note.
Opened not decanted. Strong nose of strawberry and spice; strawberry, plum and orange rind on the palate with a sweetness that's almost sticky; ends with a crisp, semi-dry finish. I like this wine. Very good.
Day 2: Very smooth, almost flabby. Citrus profile is still the dominate feature.
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3/1/2007 - GolferChris wrote: 90 Points
Light bodied style, showcasing the finesse side of the Pinot grape. Red fruit, spice and a touch of flowers on the nose. Well balanced mouth of red fruit and acidity. Likely to pair very nicely with a wide range of food, but for solo drinking I prefer my pinots a bit more full bodied.
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2/17/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Vinocellar 4th Annual Celebration; 2/16/2007-2/18/2007 (Sonoma County): Tasted at the Freeman winery as part of the Vinocellar 4th Annual Celebration. Quick notes: earthy, with citrus notes and a dry finish. Wine of the A.P. Vin flight for me. Very good.
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1/13/2007 - N2Vin wrote: 90 Points
Light in style even for an RRV, this Keefer Ranch cuvee was quite distinctive. Rather simple upon opening, several hours of air have coaxed out an attractively sweet cherry flavor with a bit of earthy funk and strawberry cola. The finish was striking. Some good juice Andrew.
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12/2/2006 - jwjon1 wrote: 93 Points
otisabdul hit this one on the head: vigorously decant for at least 2 hours if young or bottle age. My impatience took over on this one and I cracked the bottle open as soon as I was certain bottle shock had subsided. Initial impression was quite disjointed as the wine fell apart quickly in the mouth, despite such a wonderful promise on the nose. I thus decanted for two hours and what a 180 degree turn! Amazing aromatics and fruit/finish to match. If you have to commit infanticide, I don't blame you--just be sure to decant this one. But if you can wait, trust me: your patience will be rewarded.
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11/21/2006 - otisabdul wrote: 90 Points
Purchased from the winery for $41. Unscrewed and immediately poured. Light ruby color. A bit simple at first, with wild strawberry and cola notes. But it steadily improved over the course of 2 hours, gaining elegance by the minute. The last few sips were terrific, with an intriguing spiciness, silkiness and brightness emerging. Would recommend splash decanting or cellaring for a year.
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10/25/2006 - PatLee wrote:
Light color. Nose of cherry cola with some floral and earth tones. Nice cherry with light integrated tannins and nice acidity. Good overall balance and a nice food wine.
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