Bold, ripe, full throttle style pinot with lots of black cherry, hint of cola, with some spice and earthy notes. Still very youthful suggesting it will drink well for several more years.
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Opened and poured. Should have decanted which I think would have improved the score and experience. The initial taste was a bit disjointed. Eventually the strawberry and red berry fruit and spice emerged and balance out the acidity and tannins.
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Excellent wine. Intense, dark red color that was almost syrah like. Strawberry/rasberry jam on the nose with some spice that I can't quite identify. Medium to full-bodied wine on the palate with boysenberry/red berry notes. A very pleasant mouthfeel and silky tannins. Low acidity.
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One of the better aging Pinots, nice fruit left, more cherry than strawberry. Long finish. Good nose. Decanted for only five minutes before first taste. Still, among their offerings, not Blue Slide by a long shot!
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This was a bid brooding Pinot Noir, it still needs time. While captivating to the nose it's far too "big" for me to think that this is all Pinot Noir. This style is the style that I often think of when thinking about Cali-Pinots. It is a tad hot in the back palate, but the purity of fruit is there. I would love to see this wine in another 4-5 years to see if it holds up or balances out with a little time.
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Different nose for a pinot with aromas of raisin, chocolate, black cherry and raspberry. Almost like some kind of chocolate covered cherry or raspberry liqueur candy. Full-bodied with good mouthfeel and dark flavors of black cherry and plum with some hints of raisin.
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Another great bottle of California pinot noir. Big but also very well balanced. Great fruit as well as overall mouth feel. Compared to younger bottles of Martinelli PN consumed with big but overtly less-balanced profiles, great bottles like this make me think the sweet spot for consumption of Martinelli PNs might be 6-12 years from vintage date.
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Remarkable performing bottle. Young, ruby red, and creamy but still lively mid palate. It's quite a wine that can balance freshness and voluptuousness at the same time. There's even a slightly tarte finale that leaves a very interesting final impression. And... not even a hint of overt heat on this. Paired exceptionally well with Halibut en papillote.
I've had a run of challenged Martinelli Pinots recently, but this one was the real deal and reminds me what I loved about these wines when I was actively buying on the mail list.
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I've found that most of the martinelli wines are too concentrated - even harsh; they taste like cough syrup rather than balanced expressions of the grape(s) that they are made from. This bottle was a pretty nice exception to that - still a concentrated fruit bomb, but so much more balanced that it was actually drinkable.
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For a Martinelli, this splits a pretty good line between being an over-the-top California Pinot and a "terroir-driven" Burgundy. Fairly light in color, but possessing good aromatics of forest floor, red fruit, and hinting at a rustic flavor. The palate shows berry and has good acidity to back up the sweet fruits. There's a hint of grapefruit that is not off-putting on the tail end. Finish is medium-length. Too bad this is my last bottle.
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Outstanding pinot noir, surprisingly balanced on the finish, no heat detected, though hungover the next day. Reminiscent of the 1995 PN Reserve, this is a beautiful example of this bottling. Blue Slide and even a few other single vineyard Martinelli PNs deliver more consistently and generally with greater gusto, but this bottling will be missed nonetheless.
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A substantial pinot that has rugged edges. Tried the '03 Martinelli Reserve PN next to it and thought the '03 was a few points better. This is a beast that exhausts the palate. Would recommend holding another year before opening.
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Hmmmm, this is interesting. Over the course of the last two days it has improved, yet in many ways stayed very much the same. It was good, with a nice smooth texture, but it was just slightly off in a few ways. On the nose, full frontal raspberry assault with a little bit of alcohol sweetness along with cigar-box and a mossy odor that I can't put my finger on. Medium body with a crimson color thats slightly pinkish to the edge. Many reviews from about a year ago found this to be a rich and extracted Pinot, but I just didn't see it. I will say that with one taste there is not a doubt in your mind that this wine is very close to, if not surpassing, 15% alcohol. A little too much burn for my taste, but some may not mind at all. Lots of cherry and raspberry upfront, a little cedar, orange peel, and sourness on the midpalate, and, of course, plenty of hot alcohol burn on the finish, which lasts about 25-30 seconds. Tannin is present but hiding behind the alcohol. I also wanted a bit more fruit. This was not bad right now, but I think that if the fruit or tannin mellows out any more with age that the alcohol will simply take over and eliminate any enjoyment derived from consuming this bottle.
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This wine really doesn't do anything for me. I really don't like the core of sweetness throughout and the lack of acid. The quality is there but not my style.
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WIML91,WA92,WS90 Tasted October 1, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Restaurant Series Bordeaux stem. Color between a dusty rose and ruby. Nose was fairly straightforward black cherries and pepper. Flavors were singular red cherry. Hopefully this thing blossomed a little bit afterwards but I never had a chance to revisit. Drink over the next 3-5 years. I’m passing myself.
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<Merriman's - Shannon, Peter and Luis> This bottle came to the table warm. Asked for an Icebucket and than it swung back to being too cold! Last glass was at the right temp. and everything came together. Didn't seem to be heat damaged. Rich and concentrated Blackberries and rasberries. Nice acidity and tannins. Nice match with an intensly flavored Ponzu Mahi Mahi. Wine wouldve overpowered a simpler dish. This is a big and rich Pinot.
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This is my favorite Martinelli reserve that drank this good young. I usually (even though I shouldn't) open one of these young, and say "damn, I shouldn't have opened this", but this was gorgeously smooth and delicious, acids seemed a bit lower than usual for a young Martinelli Reserve... TASTY!
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2/20/2015 - winepaw Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bold, ripe, full throttle style pinot with lots of black cherry, hint of cola, with some spice and earthy notes. Still very youthful suggesting it will drink well for several more years.
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11/27/2014 - veniceslug1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
amazingly young. still great fruit not dried out at all
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5/11/2014 - FLI Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastically rich fruit, but still showing some pinot grace. Uncommon depth. A favorite.
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2/10/2013 - Acohen wrote: 91 Points
Still vibrant with rich red fruits and intense finish
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12/26/2010 - bonedocnine wrote: 93 Points
fresh and lively. Really great wine at the prime of its drinking window!
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3/19/2010 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 90 Points
Opened and poured. Should have decanted which I think would have improved the score and experience. The initial taste was a bit disjointed. Eventually the strawberry and red berry fruit and spice emerged and balance out the acidity and tannins.
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11/5/2009 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent wine. Intense, dark red color that was almost syrah like. Strawberry/rasberry jam on the nose with some spice that I can't quite identify. Medium to full-bodied wine on the palate with boysenberry/red berry notes. A very pleasant mouthfeel and silky tannins. Low acidity.
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8/7/2009 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Cloudy, very round, full-bodied strawberry/raspberry fruit with slight sweetness, very well balanced, absolutely ready to drink
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12/26/2008 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 90 Points
One of the better aging Pinots, nice fruit left, more cherry than strawberry. Long finish. Good nose. Decanted for only five minutes before first taste. Still, among their offerings, not Blue Slide by a long shot!
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6/23/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This was a bid brooding Pinot Noir, it still needs time. While captivating to the nose it's far too "big" for me to think that this is all Pinot Noir. This style is the style that I often think of when thinking about Cali-Pinots. It is a tad hot in the back palate, but the purity of fruit is there. I would love to see this wine in another 4-5 years to see if it holds up or balances out with a little time.
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6/23/2008 - amgryger wrote:
Different nose for a pinot with aromas of raisin, chocolate, black cherry and raspberry. Almost like some kind of chocolate covered cherry or raspberry liqueur candy. Full-bodied with good mouthfeel and dark flavors of black cherry and plum with some hints of raisin.
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4/1/2008 - BeavisCC wrote: 93 Points
Another great bottle of California pinot noir. Big but also very well balanced. Great fruit as well as overall mouth feel. Compared to younger bottles of Martinelli PN consumed with big but overtly less-balanced profiles, great bottles like this make me think the sweet spot for consumption of Martinelli PNs might be 6-12 years from vintage date.
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8/30/2007 - ken-yyz wrote: 93 Points
Remarkable performing bottle. Young, ruby red, and creamy but still lively mid palate. It's quite a wine that can balance freshness and voluptuousness at the same time. There's even a slightly tarte finale that leaves a very interesting final impression. And... not even a hint of overt heat on this. Paired exceptionally well with Halibut en papillote.
I've had a run of challenged Martinelli Pinots recently, but this one was the real deal and reminds me what I loved about these wines when I was actively buying on the mail list.
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3/11/2007 - EricBe wrote: 89 Points
I've found that most of the martinelli wines are too concentrated - even harsh; they taste like cough syrup rather than balanced expressions of the grape(s) that they are made from. This bottle was a pretty nice exception to that - still a concentrated fruit bomb, but so much more balanced that it was actually drinkable.
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1/23/2007 - MarkC wrote: 91 Points
For a Martinelli, this splits a pretty good line between being an over-the-top California Pinot and a "terroir-driven" Burgundy. Fairly light in color, but possessing good aromatics of forest floor, red fruit, and hinting at a rustic flavor. The palate shows berry and has good acidity to back up the sweet fruits. There's a hint of grapefruit that is not off-putting on the tail end. Finish is medium-length. Too bad this is my last bottle.
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1/5/2007 - BeavisCC wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding pinot noir, surprisingly balanced on the finish, no heat detected, though hungover the next day. Reminiscent of the 1995 PN Reserve, this is a beautiful example of this bottling. Blue Slide and even a few other single vineyard Martinelli PNs deliver more consistently and generally with greater gusto, but this bottling will be missed nonetheless.
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8/14/2006 - Winetex wrote: 89 Points
Too much alcohol on the finish. The almost empty glasses smelled like cotton candy.
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4/30/2006 - lewisrise wrote: 93 Points
Bouquet of black cherries and mushrooms. Cherry and spice with a long, 60 second finish. Needs to be decanted.
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3/27/2006 - otisabdul wrote: 87 Points
A substantial pinot that has rugged edges. Tried the '03 Martinelli Reserve PN next to it and thought the '03 was a few points better. This is a beast that exhausts the palate. Would recommend holding another year before opening.
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2/16/2006 - Jester wrote: 86 Points
Hmmmm, this is interesting. Over the course of the last two days it has improved, yet in many ways stayed very much the same. It was good, with a nice smooth texture, but it was just slightly off in a few ways. On the nose, full frontal raspberry assault with a little bit of alcohol sweetness along with cigar-box and a mossy odor that I can't put my finger on. Medium body with a crimson color thats slightly pinkish to the edge. Many reviews from about a year ago found this to be a rich and extracted Pinot, but I just didn't see it. I will say that with one taste there is not a doubt in your mind that this wine is very close to, if not surpassing, 15% alcohol. A little too much burn for my taste, but some may not mind at all. Lots of cherry and raspberry upfront, a little cedar, orange peel, and sourness on the midpalate, and, of course, plenty of hot alcohol burn on the finish, which lasts about 25-30 seconds. Tannin is present but hiding behind the alcohol. I also wanted a bit more fruit. This was not bad right now, but I think that if the fruit or tannin mellows out any more with age that the alcohol will simply take over and eliminate any enjoyment derived from consuming this bottle.
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11/24/2005 - Winetex wrote: 90 Points
This wine really doesn't do anything for me. I really don't like the core of sweetness throughout and the lack of acid. The quality is there but not my style.
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10/1/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91,WA92,WS90
Tasted October 1, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Restaurant Series Bordeaux stem. Color between a dusty rose and ruby. Nose was fairly straightforward black cherries and pepper. Flavors were singular red cherry. Hopefully this thing blossomed a little bit afterwards but I never had a chance to revisit. Drink over the next 3-5 years. I’m passing myself.
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9/1/2005 - lorenzo wrote: 90 Points
<Merriman's - Shannon, Peter and Luis>
This bottle came to the table warm. Asked for an Icebucket and than it swung back to being too cold! Last glass was at the right temp. and everything came together. Didn't seem to be heat damaged. Rich and concentrated Blackberries and rasberries. Nice acidity and tannins. Nice match with an intensly flavored Ponzu Mahi Mahi. Wine wouldve overpowered a simpler dish. This is a big and rich Pinot.
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6/4/2005 - Pinotlover wrote: 92 Points
This is my favorite Martinelli reserve that drank this good young. I usually (even though I shouldn't) open one of these young, and say "damn, I shouldn't have opened this", but this was gorgeously smooth and delicious, acids seemed a bit lower than usual for a young Martinelli Reserve... TASTY!
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