Second notes on this wine. Medium-dark red garnet in color. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of rich, ripe red fruits aromas of dark cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of spices notes of cloves & cinnamon, earthy/dusty, floral notes, cola, herbs, minerals & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush & rich ripe red fruit flavors of sweet cherries, strawberries & blueberries with spice notes of cloves and cinnamon, cola, cocoa, some earthiness, minerals & a bit of vanilla. Long lingering & smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present & while it may be close or at its peak of development, it has the fruit & structure to hold for several more years.
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Drank alongside a Delinger. The Hansel was a much bigger wine while the Delinger had great purity of fruit. Both were drinking well. Solid medium body wine with soft tannins. Black cherry, with a pretty spices and touch of cola. 91 points
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Still a fantastic value wine, but it may be loosing a bit of it's pizazz as it ages. I would go as far to say that it's over the hill. Certainly it benefited from its youth when consumed younger. The fruit and earthy flavors blend well and the finish is pleasant but doesn't have the structure to linger as long as I hope. But for the price, I'm being way overly picky. I still lick my lips and think, yum!
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Medium to medium-dark red garnet in color. Fragrant, attractive & assertive nose of lovely, rich, ripe red fruits aromas of cherries, raspberries & plums with lots of spice overtones of cloves and cinnamon, dusty, floral notes, cola, earthy and a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, elegant, seamless, plush & rich ripe red fruit flavors of sweet cherries, strawberries & tart cranberries with spice notes of cloves and cinnamon, cola, cocoa, some earthiness and a bit of creamy vanilla. Long lingering & smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present, but this delicious, elegant fruit focused Pinot should develop further with additional aging.
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Ditto last note..wish I could have saved a couple bottles to see how it ages long term, but too good now to run the risk. Only knock is a bit of green steaminess, but it blows off after an hour or so.
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Delicious right from the start. Ripe cherry on the nose, smooth and easy to drink, and a fantastic long finish. Not sure how many years ahead it will drink like this but it is sure great now.
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Dark ruby color. Nose of dark cherries, strawberry, hint of spice and band aid. Similar on the palate. Much less heat. Smooth tannins. Nice balance. This has really improved since last tasting. Drinking very well now.
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Minneapolis Wine Club Does Domestic Pinots for the Masters (Becky's House): Medium dark red color. This did not really impress out of the gate. There was a little alcohol on the nose and palate. The nose showed really ripe dark red fruits, later a very nice forest floor quality emerged with some spice. The palate started off with ripe fruit. This settled down nicely after a good 30-45 mintes and showed the acidity, earth tones and fruit in a much more balanced fashion. Very nice at that point elevating the score from 90 to a 92.
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Opened not decanted. Dry, dusty, raspberry fruit on the nose. Plush, round red fruit with earth (dirt?), dry spices, ending with a drying citrus / red licorice finish. Good.
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Love this wine!!! Cranberry, cola, red berry. Great structure/acid/length and, for my palate, more food freindly from Cali. Kudos. Will enjoy my others, if I can keep my hands off of them, over the next 4 years.
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Opened not decanted. Some clarity at the edge of the glass; pretty garnet in color. On the nose: strong notes of orange and tangerine rind with a touch of pineapple. On palate: tart attack of bright red fruit with strawberry, raspberry, citrus, some sweet dried date and dry tobacco; ends with a sweet and sour spicy finish with some peppery heat. Good to Very Good.
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14.4% alcohol. Bright cherry color. Marvelous bouquet of black cherry, apple skin, and baking spice. In the mouth, so tremendously juicy. The fruit in Walter Hansel Pinots is just so juicy. I love it. Black cherry to the max. Plenty of baking spice and acidity. Long finish. Just an eminently drinkable wine. A-
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Popped and poured. This time it felt like a fruit bomb going off in my mouth. It was just too much. I saved a little for day two, and it was better. Still a bit jammy though.
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Decent wine. Violet/ruby color, nose of dark fruit with some petrol. Reasonable mouthfeel and finish. Does not stand out, sort of a 'normal' albeit well done Northern Cal Pinot.
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Ruby color. Fruity nose. Palate of black cherry, sweet strawberry, some spice, heat. Soft tannins. A delicious mouthful of fruit but lacking some complexity. For a CA Pinot, though, this is not overextracted.
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Opened not decanted. Lovely nose of summer fruits (peach, nectarine). On the palate, big spice, sweet strawberry, raspberry and black cherry notes. Noticable alcohol that ends with a semi-dry, citrus and peppery finish. Good.
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A wonderful New World pinot, that has the intensity and rich dark cherry fruit as expected, but also has a nice balance, elegance, complexity, and an earthy finish that distinguishes it from other CA Pinot fruit bombs. Had this with fresh Copper River salmon and it was an outstanding match.
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Opulent, rich, velvety, sweet Pinot Noir. Excellent concentrated dark cherry nose and palate. The nose is intoxicating by itself. I have no idea how long this will last, but I would guess at least 5 years. This is now my "go to" wine when I want to blow someone away with new world Pinot who is not a routine wine (or PN) drinker.
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Opened not decanted. Clove and spice on the nose with a touch of tomato; on the palate: similar notes as those on the nose mixed with tangerine and orange with a peppery, citrus finish. Good to Very Good.
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beautiful pinot nose, right there from the get go. cherry, spice and earth. nice, bright fruit on the palate. a tad sweet but well balanced. smooth tannins. great pinot at a reasonable price, ~$35 bucks.
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Opened not decanted. Surprising open, accessible and ready to drink. Cinnamon with touches of clove and other spices on the nose; sweet strawberry notes, with a little heat and a sour orange, citrus finish. Good to Very Good.
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Crown Fall 07 Upscale Tasting (Boca Raton, FL): My favorite pinot of the tasting. Very nice nose, well balanced and complex with good intensity and flavors of dark cherries on a smooth, long finish.
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Light garnet color, Burgundian in style with violets on the nose, cherries on the palate, long dry finish, good tannins. This one will improve with more time. Opened up and got better.
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Double decanted. Opened up nicely at about 2hrs. Stayed energetic for about 3hrs more. I really enjoyed this wine. Very smooth, and at a very fair price.
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Inspired by the mailer I just received from Walter Hansel, I decided to open one of the SVDs I bought earlier in the year...and this one is a winner. Dark ruby to light garnet color and it smells like cherry, tree bark, and spice. Great mid-palate that is texturally broad, with satisfying acid levels and a long, dry finish (in a good way). On the more elegant side of Pinot and I think somewhat reminiscent of the 2005 Williams Selyem RRV I had in the past. Very good with a solid amount of upside potential.
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Wow. This one is a winner. Good QPR for a high class pinot noir. Slight peppery profile but mostly ripe dark cherries with some earthiness. Definitely pinot noir! On the palate, rich delicious fruit with a touch of heat. If it weren't for the heat, I would rate higher but it's a lot less heat than the 05 KBs. I would wait a couple years on this but definitely a great wine.
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Had with smoke-roasted bone-in rib-eye steaks, garlic-herb roasted potatoes, and salad. Rich, peppery, a very well-made pinot. Enjoyed with my brother and his wife on our deck to celebrate my birthday.
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7/12/2016 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second notes on this wine. Medium-dark red garnet in color. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of rich, ripe red fruits aromas of dark cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of spices notes of cloves & cinnamon, earthy/dusty, floral notes, cola, herbs, minerals & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush & rich ripe red fruit flavors of sweet cherries, strawberries & blueberries with spice notes of cloves and cinnamon, cola, cocoa, some earthiness, minerals & a bit of vanilla. Long lingering & smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present & while it may be close or at its peak of development, it has the fruit & structure to hold for several more years.
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9/15/2015 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 93 Points
This wine has evolved and may be better now than 2 years ago. Seems a touch bigger with ripe cherries jumping out of the glass.
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1/22/2015 - sastewart wrote: 91 Points
Drank alongside a Delinger. The Hansel was a much bigger wine while the Delinger had great purity of fruit. Both were drinking well. Solid medium body wine with soft tannins. Black cherry, with a pretty spices and touch of cola. 91 points
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11/12/2014 - rcurlee Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still a fantastic value wine, but it may be loosing a bit of it's pizazz as it ages. I would go as far to say that it's over the hill. Certainly it benefited from its youth when consumed younger. The fruit and earthy flavors blend well and the finish is pleasant but doesn't have the structure to linger as long as I hope. But for the price, I'm being way overly picky. I still lick my lips and think, yum!
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9/23/2014 - kgott2 wrote: 91 Points
Great balance and beautiful bright fruit. Full throughout and nice finish. Glad I held it this long, and that I drank it now.
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1/3/2014 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium to medium-dark red garnet in color. Fragrant, attractive & assertive nose of lovely, rich, ripe red fruits aromas of cherries, raspberries & plums with lots of spice overtones of cloves and cinnamon, dusty, floral notes, cola, earthy and a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, elegant, seamless, plush & rich ripe red fruit flavors of sweet cherries, strawberries & tart cranberries with spice notes of cloves and cinnamon, cola, cocoa, some earthiness and a bit of creamy vanilla. Long lingering & smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present, but this delicious, elegant fruit focused Pinot should develop further with additional aging.
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5/25/2013 - Edclr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ditto last note..wish I could have saved a couple bottles to see how it ages long term, but too good now to run the risk. Only knock is a bit of green steaminess, but it blows off after an hour or so.
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4/23/2013 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 93 Points
Same notes as previous comment. Loved by all.
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3/31/2013 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 93 Points
Delicious right from the start. Ripe cherry on the nose, smooth and easy to drink, and a fantastic long finish. Not sure how many years ahead it will drink like this but it is sure great now.
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11/9/2012 - rcurlee wrote: 92 Points
Drinking wonderfully, fresh, and youthful. I imagine it still has many years ahead of it.
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4/19/2012 - cgrimes wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby color. Nose of dark cherries, strawberry, hint of spice and band aid. Similar on the palate. Much less heat. Smooth tannins. Nice balance. This has really improved since last tasting. Drinking very well now.
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3/20/2012 - Edclr wrote: 93 Points
Ditto...not fading at all. Long life ahead of it.
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2/6/2012 - wpd wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle of this excellent wine. Same as previous notes, but aging has even improved this wine.
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4/10/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Does Domestic Pinots for the Masters (Becky's House): Medium dark red color. This did not really impress out of the gate. There was a little alcohol on the nose and palate. The nose showed really ripe dark red fruits, later a very nice forest floor quality emerged with some spice. The palate started off with ripe fruit. This settled down nicely after a good 30-45 mintes and showed the acidity, earth tones and fruit in a much more balanced fashion. Very nice at that point elevating the score from 90 to a 92.
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12/7/2010 - Edclr wrote: 93 Points
My kind of pinot. Low alcohol, nice acidity, nose jumps out of the glass. Very nice finish. This is what American Pinot should be about.
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4/14/2010 - rherman wrote: 92 Points
as good as always.
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8/5/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Dry, dusty, raspberry fruit on the nose. Plush, round red fruit with earth (dirt?), dry spices, ending with a drying citrus / red licorice finish. Good.
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4/5/2009 - rherman wrote: 92 Points
Love this wine!!! Cranberry, cola, red berry. Great structure/acid/length and, for my palate, more food freindly from Cali.
Kudos. Will enjoy my others, if I can keep my hands off of them, over the next 4 years.
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1/30/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Some clarity at the edge of the glass; pretty garnet in color. On the nose: strong notes of orange and tangerine rind with a touch of pineapple. On palate: tart attack of bright red fruit with strawberry, raspberry, citrus, some sweet dried date and dry tobacco; ends with a sweet and sour spicy finish with some peppery heat. Good to Very Good.
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1/5/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
14.4% alcohol. Bright cherry color. Marvelous bouquet of black cherry, apple skin, and baking spice. In the mouth, so tremendously juicy. The fruit in Walter Hansel Pinots is just so juicy. I love it. Black cherry to the max. Plenty of baking spice and acidity. Long finish. Just an eminently drinkable wine. A-
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12/15/2008 - DenisLee wrote:
Popped and poured. This time it felt like a fruit bomb going off in my mouth. It was just too much. I saved a little for day two, and it was better. Still a bit jammy though.
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10/29/2008 - mreinitz wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, especially for the price. Black cherry dominates the palate. Earthy, with a very nice mushroom note on the finish.
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8/27/2008 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Decent wine. Violet/ruby color, nose of dark fruit with some petrol. Reasonable mouthfeel and finish. Does not stand out, sort of a 'normal' albeit well done Northern Cal Pinot.
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8/1/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 89 Points
Ruby color. Fruity nose. Palate of black cherry, sweet strawberry, some spice, heat. Soft tannins. A delicious mouthful of fruit but lacking some complexity. For a CA Pinot, though, this is not overextracted.
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7/21/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 91 Points
One of my favourite California producers.
Nose of forest floor, with cedary oak and dark fruit on the palate. Good structure. Reminds me of the "hartford land's edge" pinot noir.
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6/11/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Lovely nose of summer fruits (peach, nectarine). On the palate, big spice, sweet strawberry, raspberry and black cherry notes. Noticable alcohol that ends with a semi-dry, citrus and peppery finish. Good.
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5/31/2008 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
A wonderful New World pinot, that has the intensity and rich dark cherry fruit as expected, but also has a nice balance, elegance, complexity, and an earthy finish that distinguishes it from other CA Pinot fruit bombs. Had this with fresh Copper River salmon and it was an outstanding match.
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4/23/2008 - wpd wrote: 92 Points
Nose of violets. Garnet color. Opened nicely after an hour. Excellent Russian River Pinot Noir. Better than last tasting.
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3/15/2008 - jameswm13 wrote: 91 Points
P-n-P. Less sweet than the 05 Shea estate pinot. Very nice.
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3/12/2008 - CS_pikes wrote: 94 Points
Opulent, rich, velvety, sweet Pinot Noir. Excellent concentrated dark cherry nose and palate. The nose is intoxicating by itself. I have no idea how long this will last, but I would guess at least 5 years. This is now my "go to" wine when I want to blow someone away with new world Pinot who is not a routine wine (or PN) drinker.
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3/4/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Clove and spice on the nose with a touch of tomato; on the palate: similar notes as those on the nose mixed with tangerine and orange with a peppery, citrus finish. Good to Very Good.
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2/11/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Strong nose of clove and strawberry; on the palate: apricot, orange and a touch of eucalyptus with a dry, spicy finish. Good.
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1/21/2008 - signotim wrote: 93 Points
beautiful pinot nose, right there from the get go. cherry, spice and earth. nice, bright fruit on the palate. a tad sweet but well balanced. smooth tannins. great pinot at a reasonable price, ~$35 bucks.
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11/15/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Surprising open, accessible and ready to drink. Cinnamon with touches of clove and other spices on the nose; sweet strawberry notes, with a little heat and a sour orange, citrus finish. Good to Very Good.
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11/10/2007 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Crown Fall 07 Upscale Tasting (Boca Raton, FL): My favorite pinot of the tasting. Very nice nose, well balanced and complex with good intensity and flavors of dark cherries on a smooth, long finish.
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11/7/2007 - wpd wrote: 91 Points
Light garnet color, Burgundian in style with violets on the nose, cherries on the palate, long dry finish, good tannins. This one will improve with more time. Opened up and got better.
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10/12/2007 - DenisLee wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted. Opened up nicely at about 2hrs. Stayed energetic for about 3hrs more. I really enjoyed this wine. Very smooth, and at a very fair price.
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10/3/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Inspired by the mailer I just received from Walter Hansel, I decided to open one of the SVDs I bought earlier in the year...and this one is a winner. Dark ruby to light garnet color and it smells like cherry, tree bark, and spice. Great mid-palate that is texturally broad, with satisfying acid levels and a long, dry finish (in a good way). On the more elegant side of Pinot and I think somewhat reminiscent of the 2005 Williams Selyem RRV I had in the past. Very good with a solid amount of upside potential.
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9/22/2007 - hudamang wrote: 92 Points
Wow. This one is a winner. Good QPR for a high class pinot noir. Slight peppery profile but mostly ripe dark cherries with some earthiness. Definitely pinot noir! On the palate, rich delicious fruit with a touch of heat. If it weren't for the heat, I would rate higher but it's a lot less heat than the 05 KBs. I would wait a couple years on this but definitely a great wine.
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4/27/2007 - rael007 wrote: 93 Points
Had with smoke-roasted bone-in rib-eye steaks, garlic-herb roasted potatoes, and salad. Rich, peppery, a very well-made pinot. Enjoyed with my brother and his wife on our deck to celebrate my birthday.
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4/26/2007 - rael007 wrote: 93 Points
Superb wine on a superb Spring day in April. Rich, peppery, nicely oaked, with a hint of rose, good finish. A delightful, friendly wine.
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