Oh man the nose of this wine is intoxicating. I love smelling this wine. Anyways lots of red fruit and drinking beautifully right now. Went great with Lichon and Sisig.
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Delicious sour red cherries, floral, and spice notes on the nose and ripe palate with hints of orange rind culminating in a long finish. Drinking beautifully!
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Summa's trademark easygoing earthiness is centered on red cherry plus pomegranate, plum, marionberry, and tangerine, with herbal nuance -- a wine of warmth and depth and harmony, not vibrancy or precision. Entering its prime window, drink or hold.
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Old world style Pinot Noir in the heart of the Sonoma coast. Dark cherry with earth notes of forest floor and mushroom. Distinct spice and floral notes on the finish. Well made wine that is distinctive but not a bullseye on my style of Pinot Noir.
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Medium+ body, good depth of fruit, trends a little sour (& maybe stemmy?) on the finish, J didn't like as much as I did because of that. Was still drinking well on day 2 & 3.
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Beautiful deep color and fairly opaque in the glass. Nose has a deep fruit melody and definitely some tea for a bit of "earthiness". Beautiful in the mouth with nothing out of place even in the slightest. I burned through these defending the Summa OV (favorites) and wish I would have saved one to see what it is like 5 years from now. It is delicious at present, however, so why wait all the same!
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Really complex and intellectual pinot. So much going on -- complex flavors, fine yet noticeable tannins, long finish. There is spice, tea leaf, slight woodiness, earth all in moderation adding depth. This is really nice!
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Can’t top William Kelley’s description which is very accurate. In addition, this has a real CA density and richness to it. However it *is* unmistakably PN unlike some of them (CA pinots )which taste like cote Rotie. So mark this as a very good example of Californian Pinot as very different from Burgundy. What you give up in transparency you gain in an almost creamy ripeness. Score: 92-93. Relative to expectations: ++
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Very pretty red plum color. A bit of a shy nose, some sulfur funk and some floral. Red cherry up front, but with an associated mitigating tartness that suggests citrus. Some mid-palate baking spice. Terrific hit of tart, spicy fruit under the rear palate, leads to a more than pleasant finish.
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Very much sonoma on the nose. Touch of orange, very giving nose, with floral and forest notes. Rich fruit and some cream and touch of mint. Lovely fruit with a real tangy, initially slightly sour bite that then opens into a long spice feeling. Gave this over an hour decant A softness and rich silky casing with a medium body. Rather good this. Ideally a few years in bottle would be beneficial but drinking with enough ease now.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 30 minutes. Aromas of red cherry, loamy earth, toasted oak and baking spice. Black and red fruit, loamy earth, toasted oak and spice on the palate. Very pure with a long finish. Medium bodied. Served with smoked salmon.
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This is delicious, though I think I’ll try to let my two remaining bottles age a few more years so this can pick up some more complexity. As is, this full-bodied pinot had delectable strawberry and cherry flavors, with a touch of earth becoming noticeable after the bottle was open a couple hours. My favorite RM pinots over the last 6 months have been those that are @10 years old.
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Light crimson. Very aromatic with strawberry leaves, hibiscus and a touch of earth. Fuller bodied than expected. A little acidic with some structure. Flavors of dried cherries, mushroom and flowers. Pretty good.
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Drank over two days. Was a bit shut down and stingy on day one, and opened up some more on the second day. Day two notes: pours a darker garnet, with an interesting and distinct nose of marijuana (no joke). Going deeper, this is bramble, wet forest floor of leaves and earth. This must be the cluster stems at work. On the palate, it’s still a bit muted on the second day. There is red fruit, and a strong savory earthiness. Not going to score this one, since it’s significantly different from previous bottles we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of RM Summa Pinot over the years and various vintages and this one doesn’t measure up to the standard. This is either bottle variation, or more likely, a time where the wine is shut down and much flatter than previously. Revisit in 6 months to a year.
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So much going on in this Sonoma Pinot. Some earthy funk on the nose upon opening. Lots of blue and darker fruits, orange peal, and tea. There was also a bit of iron/game meat which reminded me of Cayuse Grenache (which I love). This was my first RM Pinot and it was awesome, I get why these draw a lot of attention.
A linebacker doing ballet. This is very impressive. Powerful nose of ripe mixed berries, spices, vanilla, pine needles, orange peel, dark rocky minerals. Dense berries, spice, and orange peel on the palate for now. Soft and round on the entry with a wave of acid following to wash everything down then leaving you wanting another sip. I see this evolving incredibly well over the next 15+ years. Drank best after 90 minutes of air
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The 2018 Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir from Rivers-Marie is showing superbly out of the gates, offering up aromas of wild berries and rhubarb mingled with cinnamon, coniferous forest floor, blood orange, cloves and subtle hints of raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most vibrant and defined young Summa I can remember tasting, with bright fruit tones, beautifully refined tannins, and tangy acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. While this is a touch fuller-bodied, it does rather remind me of Burt William's debut 1988 Summa for Williams-Selyem.
Opened 1 hour prior but not decanted. Strong sulpher/sandlewood notes on nose. Red & black fruits, candied blood orange notes on the palate with a smooth finish. Really opened up with more time in the glass as last pour was much better as some pine notes and black cherry notes also came through. Was an idiot for not decanting, if drinking now recommend long decant as wine was much better after a couple hours. Should improve with more cellar time and will wait on other bottles.
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Needed to open up for a few hours to show it's best. Typical Summa that at first was not that close to the OV version, but as time passed, started to show closer to it's brethren.
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OMG was this good. nose a little muted but totally delivered. Nice fruit, everything in balance. Love the tannic finish, just right. Well done. Will be loading up on this one going forward, super pleased with it.
Man...if I ever did crack, I'd kick it for this! These RM Pinot's, and Chard's for that matter, are SO friggin deLISH! I need to buy more on release(note to self) cuz I blow through them in the first year after receiving them! This 18 Summa(last bottle) is seductive, intoxicating, expressive...just loaded with pure exotic red berry fruits, florals, and spices...silky smooth liqueured berries...seamless and engaging...intoxicating sandalwood, smoke cherry, forest floor, rose petal florals...DAMN! Just love it! Going big next mailer...
Beautiful, soft, elegant, complex wine. A hint of tobacco smoke on the nose, and a surprising grapefruit citrus flavor. Delicious red fruit, plus herbal and floral notes. 4.5+/5. Great now but will certainly age. Summa is the first vineyard Rivers-Marie made wine from, and the only estate vineyard.
(Notes taken from memory after a tasting at the new Calistoga tasting room.)
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Great wine. Structurally solid. I think this could use a few years, at least one or two to further develop or "come into its own". But great drinking now for sure.
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Popped and poured. As tlv pointed out, this is quite a shock to the palate after the WesMars (which was to be expected). Loads of dark pinot fruit and cola, with hints of spice as well. Full-bodied with a lingering finish. Excellent in this style.
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Really excellent and ready to go. Medium to dark garnet with a memorable nose of strawberries, wet forest floor, mushrooms and pleasant barnyard. On the palate there is medium to full bodied fruit in balance with wet sticks / leaves, and light pepper. Lovely and striking and rather signature, complex and higher end RM.
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Pale, translucent red. A very open, pretty, and old school, Williams-Selyem-esque nose offers aromas of fresh red cherries, dried cranberries, fresh roses, Campari, orange peel, cinnamon, and toasted bread. Just medium bodied on the palate, this manages to be juicy and vibrant but also quite lithe.
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My local retailer offered me some today at a good price, so this infanticide is not just in the name of science and CT glory, but also to decide whether I should reload (I will not), and whether Jeb Dunnuck's 98 points are for reals (they are not). This wine has the typical aromas that I associate with Summa pinot: orange peel, red raspberry and dusty spicebox. There is a preternaturally expressive nose of citrus and red fruits, practically jumping out of the glass even with minimal air. Silky and suave, but with the usual Rivers-Marie acidity to keep things lively, finishing long with cranberry and a bit of cherry cola (not my favorite flavor in pinot). The oak is also still pretty noticeable at this point, so this could use some time (obviously) to come together. This is a big, unapologetic pinot, and not that RM pinots are ever subtle, but I feel like they have always toed the line between fruit and elegance/restraint. Clearly Californian, but made to appeal to both New and Old World palates. This one may have crossed the line for my OW palate.
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2018 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, 325 cases
$43.99
I felt like this was the most complete wine in the lineup at bottling and that continues to be the case today. At 20 years of vine age, there is no longer an impression of this being the baby Summa bottling. Better farming and vine maturity have eliminated all the holes found in previous editions of this wine. It has also provided nuance that makes this wine more and more similar to its Old Vines sibling every year. This once again is richer and a little deeper than that wine but it is beginning to catch up on the ethereal side of things. There’s a lightness that cuts into the richness which provides a mouth-watering freshness to the palate. Red fruits, citrus peel, cut hay, sandalwood and clove complete the experience.
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Flavors of bing cherry and cola are accented by orange rind and hints of oolong tea in this impressively concentrated new world Pinot. Tannins are abundant but very finely textured and acidity is elevated to balance the ripe fruit. It’s not profound, but it is intense.
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Fresh off the UPS truck, been open about 2hrs. Black raspberry, blood orange and some Sonoma Coast funkiness. Nice texture, lip smackingly bright and edgy. Have about 4oz left that I’ll save for tomorrow to see if it tones down a notch and softens the bitter tannin streak on the finish. Tangy dark cherry lingers on. Real tasty.
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5/3/2024 - lert Likes this wine: 93 Points
Oh man the nose of this wine is intoxicating. I love smelling this wine. Anyways lots of red fruit and drinking beautifully right now. Went great with Lichon and Sisig.
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5/2/2024 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious sour red cherries, floral, and spice notes on the nose and ripe palate with hints of orange rind culminating in a long finish. Drinking beautifully!
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4/29/2024 - mhauser Likes this wine:
Very big for Sonoma Coast. Drink now.
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3/28/2024 - jackstraw Likes this wine: 94 Points
Exceptional - you could wait to drink it, but not sure it gets better
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3/17/2024 - silton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Summa's trademark easygoing earthiness is centered on red cherry plus pomegranate, plum, marionberry, and tangerine, with herbal nuance -- a wine of warmth and depth and harmony, not vibrancy or precision. Entering its prime window, drink or hold.
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3/2/2024 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Very nice and our guests loved it. A tad big for me, but very enjoyable. Dark cherries, dark berries, evergreen, dried herbs.
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10/12/2023 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Old world style Pinot Noir in the heart of the Sonoma coast. Dark cherry with earth notes of forest floor and mushroom. Distinct spice and floral notes on the finish. Well made wine that is distinctive but not a bullseye on my style of Pinot Noir.
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12/9/2022 - PVJC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium+ body, good depth of fruit, trends a little sour (& maybe stemmy?) on the finish, J didn't like as much as I did because of that. Was still drinking well on day 2 & 3.
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11/20/2022 - cobalt2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth with nice acidity. Slight tartness which worked great with the mature cherry and berry fruit .
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11/19/2022 - SMZ wrote: 94 Points
Delicious….full bodied with amazing flavors and a hint of spice.
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9/8/2022 - DrBad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Floral aromas, medium plus body, succulent red fruits with a tingling mineral finish. These R-M Pinots are hitting their stride!
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8/9/2022 - Jbird73 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful deep color and fairly opaque in the glass. Nose has a deep fruit melody and definitely some tea for a bit of "earthiness". Beautiful in the mouth with nothing out of place even in the slightest. I burned through these defending the Summa OV (favorites) and wish I would have saved one to see what it is like 5 years from now. It is delicious at present, however, so why wait all the same!
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8/7/2022 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really complex and intellectual pinot. So much going on -- complex flavors, fine yet noticeable tannins, long finish. There is spice, tea leaf, slight woodiness, earth all in moderation adding depth. This is really nice!
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5/22/2022 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Can’t top William Kelley’s description which is very accurate. In addition, this has a real CA density and richness to it. However it *is* unmistakably PN unlike some of them (CA pinots )which taste like cote Rotie. So mark this as a very good example of Californian Pinot as very different from Burgundy. What you give up in transparency you gain in an almost creamy ripeness.
Score: 92-93. Relative to expectations: ++
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12/20/2021 - EMark Likes this wine:
Very pretty red plum color. A bit of a shy nose, some sulfur funk and some floral. Red cherry up front, but with an associated mitigating tartness that suggests citrus. Some mid-palate baking spice. Terrific hit of tart, spicy fruit under the rear palate, leads to a more than pleasant finish.
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9/25/2021 - Mbad77 wrote: 93 Points
Very much sonoma on the nose. Touch of orange, very giving nose, with floral and forest notes. Rich fruit and some cream and touch of mint.
Lovely fruit with a real tangy, initially slightly sour bite that then opens into a long spice feeling.
Gave this over an hour decant
A softness and rich silky casing with a medium body. Rather good this.
Ideally a few years in bottle would be beneficial but drinking with enough ease now.
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9/5/2021 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 30 minutes. Aromas of red cherry, loamy earth, toasted oak and baking spice. Black and red fruit, loamy earth, toasted oak and spice on the palate. Very pure with a long finish. Medium bodied. Served with smoked salmon.
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8/6/2021 - fdub Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super pure and expressive. Very site driven.
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7/5/2021 - kabert Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is delicious, though I think I’ll try to let my two remaining bottles age a few more years so this can pick up some more complexity. As is, this full-bodied pinot had delectable strawberry and cherry flavors, with a touch of earth becoming noticeable after the bottle was open a couple hours. My favorite RM pinots over the last 6 months have been those that are @10 years old.
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6/18/2021 - ColluraJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light crimson. Very aromatic with strawberry leaves, hibiscus and a touch of earth. Fuller bodied than expected. A little acidic with some structure. Flavors of dried cherries, mushroom and flowers. Pretty good.
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5/10/2021 - WineGold wrote:
Drank over two days. Was a bit shut down and stingy on day one, and opened up some more on the second day. Day two notes: pours a darker garnet, with an interesting and distinct nose of marijuana (no joke). Going deeper, this is bramble, wet forest floor of leaves and earth. This must be the cluster stems at work. On the palate, it’s still a bit muted on the second day. There is red fruit, and a strong savory earthiness. Not going to score this one, since it’s significantly different from previous bottles we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of RM Summa Pinot over the years and various vintages and this one doesn’t measure up to the standard. This is either bottle variation, or more likely, a time where the wine is shut down and much flatter than previously. Revisit in 6 months to a year.
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5/5/2021 - fdub Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great acid and lift but a bit soft in the structure. Fresh red berries.
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5/2/2021 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 96 Points
So much going on in this Sonoma Pinot. Some earthy funk on the nose upon opening. Lots of blue and darker fruits, orange peal, and tea. There was also a bit of iron/game meat which reminded me of Cayuse Grenache (which I love). This was my first RM Pinot and it was awesome, I get why these draw a lot of attention.
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4/22/2021 - hardykevin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful pinot that really evolved over the course of 2 hours.
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3/30/2021 - tunaguy Likes this wine:
A linebacker doing ballet. This is very impressive. Powerful nose of ripe mixed berries, spices, vanilla, pine needles, orange peel, dark rocky minerals. Dense berries, spice, and orange peel on the palate for now. Soft and round on the entry with a wave of acid following to wash everything down then leaving you wanting another sip. I see this evolving incredibly well over the next 15+ years. Drank best after 90 minutes of air
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2/9/2021 - William Kelley Likes this wine:
The 2018 Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir from Rivers-Marie is showing superbly out of the gates, offering up aromas of wild berries and rhubarb mingled with cinnamon, coniferous forest floor, blood orange, cloves and subtle hints of raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most vibrant and defined young Summa I can remember tasting, with bright fruit tones, beautifully refined tannins, and tangy acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. While this is a touch fuller-bodied, it does rather remind me of Burt William's debut 1988 Summa for Williams-Selyem.
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1/31/2021 - buymoreredsdrinkmorewhites wrote:
Opened 1 hour prior but not decanted. Strong sulpher/sandlewood notes on nose. Red & black fruits, candied blood orange notes on the palate with a smooth finish. Really opened up with more time in the glass as last pour was much better as some pine notes and black cherry notes also came through. Was an idiot for not decanting, if drinking now recommend long decant as wine was much better after a couple hours. Should improve with more cellar time and will wait on other bottles.
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1/22/2021 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
Needed to open up for a few hours to show it's best. Typical Summa that at first was not that close to the OV version, but as time passed, started to show closer to it's brethren.
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1/20/2021 - DrBad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely floral aromas. Red fruits and spice.
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1/15/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 94 Points
OMG was this good. nose a little muted but totally delivered. Nice fruit, everything in balance. Love the tannic finish, just right. Well done. Will be loading up on this one going forward, super pleased with it.
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1/14/2021 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Man...if I ever did crack, I'd kick it for this! These RM Pinot's, and Chard's for that matter, are SO friggin deLISH! I need to buy more on release(note to self) cuz I blow through them in the first year after receiving them! This 18 Summa(last bottle) is seductive, intoxicating, expressive...just loaded with pure exotic red berry fruits, florals, and spices...silky smooth liqueured berries...seamless and engaging...intoxicating sandalwood, smoke cherry, forest floor, rose petal florals...DAMN! Just love it! Going big next mailer...
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12/31/2020 - SonnyJay Likes this wine:
Cherries, strawberries, blueberries, meaty notes. I am a big fan, already very nice and drinkable but should benefit from some age
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12/25/2020 - Super Dave AZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wish I had more. TRB is one of the best
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11/26/2020 - Super Dave AZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thanksgiving wine. Rose petals, mild licorice. red fruit
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11/26/2020 - jonh1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful, soft, elegant, complex wine. A hint of tobacco smoke on the nose, and a surprising grapefruit citrus flavor. Delicious red fruit, plus herbal and floral notes. 4.5+/5. Great now but will certainly age. Summa is the first vineyard Rivers-Marie made wine from, and the only estate vineyard.
(Notes taken from memory after a tasting at the new Calistoga tasting room.)
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11/3/2020 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine. Structurally solid. I think this could use a few years, at least one or two to further develop or "come into its own". But great drinking now for sure.
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10/31/2020 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. As tlv pointed out, this is quite a shock to the palate after the WesMars (which was to be expected). Loads of dark pinot fruit and cola, with hints of spice as well. Full-bodied with a lingering finish. Excellent in this style.
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10/9/2020 - cobalt2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Simply delicious, better than I remembered.
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10/8/2020 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 95 Points
intoxicating exotic floral spice! Yum!
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9/6/2020 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
Really excellent and ready to go. Medium to dark garnet with a memorable nose of strawberries, wet forest floor, mushrooms and pleasant barnyard. On the palate there is medium to full bodied fruit in balance with wet sticks / leaves, and light pepper. Lovely and striking and rather signature, complex and higher end RM.
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6/22/2020 - wino_tim wrote: 93 Points
Pale, translucent red. A very open, pretty, and old school, Williams-Selyem-esque nose offers aromas of fresh red cherries, dried cranberries, fresh roses, Campari, orange peel, cinnamon, and toasted bread. Just medium bodied on the palate, this manages to be juicy and vibrant but also quite lithe.
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6/7/2020 - Steven DiFiore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruit berry forward mid weight.
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5/26/2020 - GrapeScott wrote: 92 Points
My local retailer offered me some today at a good price, so this infanticide is not just in the name of science and CT glory, but also to decide whether I should reload (I will not), and whether Jeb Dunnuck's 98 points are for reals (they are not). This wine has the typical aromas that I associate with Summa pinot: orange peel, red raspberry and dusty spicebox. There is a preternaturally expressive nose of citrus and red fruits, practically jumping out of the glass even with minimal air. Silky and suave, but with the usual Rivers-Marie acidity to keep things lively, finishing long with cranberry and a bit of cherry cola (not my favorite flavor in pinot). The oak is also still pretty noticeable at this point, so this could use some time (obviously) to come together. This is a big, unapologetic pinot, and not that RM pinots are ever subtle, but I feel like they have always toed the line between fruit and elegance/restraint. Clearly Californian, but made to appeal to both New and Old World palates. This one may have crossed the line for my OW palate.
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4/10/2020 - JLNCellar wrote:
Don’t drink before 2022
2018 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, 325 cases
$43.99
I felt like this was the most complete wine in the lineup at bottling and that continues to be the case today. At 20 years of vine age, there is no longer an impression of this being the baby Summa bottling. Better farming and vine maturity have eliminated all the holes found in previous editions of this wine. It has also provided nuance that makes this wine more and more similar to its Old Vines sibling every year. This once again is richer and a little deeper than that wine but it is beginning to catch up on the ethereal side of things. There’s a lightness that cuts into the richness which provides a mouth-watering freshness to the palate. Red fruits, citrus peel, cut hay, sandalwood and clove complete the experience.
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4/2/2020 - poppacork Likes this wine: 92 Points
Flavors of bing cherry and cola are accented by orange rind and hints of oolong tea in this impressively concentrated new world Pinot. Tannins are abundant but very finely textured and acidity is elevated to balance the ripe fruit. It’s not profound, but it is intense.
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3/31/2020 - Lederhosen Likes this wine: 92 Points
I got raspberries, strawberries, and mushrooms on the nose. Spicy, long, sour cherry tart finish.
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3/24/2020 - River Rat Likes this wine:
Fresh off the UPS truck, been open about 2hrs. Black raspberry, blood orange and some Sonoma Coast funkiness. Nice texture, lip smackingly bright and edgy. Have about 4oz left that I’ll save for tomorrow to see if it tones down a notch and softens the bitter tannin streak on the finish. Tangy dark cherry lingers on. Real tasty.
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