I'm perplexed by the low scores for this wine. Are they rating it as a Pinot Noir or something else? Oh well...I have another left to see if the three of us were off base on this one.
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A perfectly acceptable, plain, middle-of-the-road pinot. Bright cherry color, clear, light weight. Nothing wrong, nothing special. I don't normally use numbers, but this was exactly average--an 85.
Decanted 45 min., then had with an appetizer of pesto bread, olives, and roasted tomatoes. It fit that role well.
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14.1% alcohol. Black cherry color. Pleasant nose of black cherry, red cherry, minerals, and a light hint of spice. In the mouth, slightly disjointed acidity sticks its nose into the solid core of black cherry, spice, and minerals. Still a pretty wine but seems to be in a bit of a dumb phase right now. B+
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Tasted against a couple of like-priced wines, a Volnay and an Auxey-Duresses. Oak is immediately evident on the nose in the form of spices and vanilla. Earth and a subtle mushroomy, gamey quality are also present behind all the oak and ripe and dried red fruit. Potency of the nose is a little lacking when compared to the two bargain-burgundies (under $40). Body is medium but well framed by finely knit and dusty tannins that hint at complexity and a bright future for this wine. A nice acidity is also present and the wine maintains balance as a result. Finish is flavorful, but too oaky. Has a nice, distinct style that sets it apart from many a boring, bland Sonoma Pinot, unfortunately the oak gets in the way of what is obviously good quality fruit struggling to find its way out.
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boy I'm glad I picked this up on closeout for $13.99 instead of the regular retail price. This was a mediocre example of the varietal and the region, marred by a slight reductive quality and a lack of overall complexity and depth. Easily worth $14, but not more than $20. Drink thru 2012, I don't see this getting any better. 14,1% abv.
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Very pale color of bright brickish brown. Pretty aromas of rhubarb & mushroom. Light entry of rhubarb with eathy elements of fresh mushroom & very faint nutmeg. Not much in tannin or acidity. Pretty & light.
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Drank in Vegas. Pale bright ruby color. Genache, crushed raspberry and a hint of clove on the nose. Vibrant almost steely acidity with strawberry, dark cherry and cola. A touch hollow mid pallate but lingers with sweet landender tones.
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14.1% alcohol. Another year, another step of positive development for this wine. Reticent at first on the nose, but it opened up to show classic Russian river notes of black cherry, spice, and minerals. In the mouth, great life, with a zingy tang to the black cherry fruit. The spice component takes a turn toward the floral, then runs into the minerality of a strong acidic streak. Long, smooth finish that perhaps packs a bit less power than one might expect from the palate presence. A-
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Nice strawberries and bing cherries on the nose. Had heavy acidity which was fine with the food but I'm not sure this is a wine to drink by itself as it was fairly simple. The tannins are almost fully resolved and the wine is plush and velvety in the mouth. I have to admit I had higher hopes for this due to the asking price but it was pleasant with dinner. I'd drink bottles within the next year. ***
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Opened at Russian River, great nose right away and opened durning lunch. Earthy, with a slight hint of cherry. Light ruby color. A little "thin" but went great with grilled chicken salad on crusty french bread . Had half the bottle and went tasting. Kept the bottle cool over night and had the next day. Much better! The aromas were incredible and we suggest decanting for at least 6 hours before drinking it. It is definelty a food wine, try it with a little goat cheese spread on warm grilled crostini
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This has really opened up over the past year. Classic RRV nose of black cherry and spice, with a charming floral and mineral note. More rounded on the mouth, this has put on a bit of weight in the bottle. Velvety in the mouth, with lovely layers of fruit. Caresses the palate, but there is a nice jolt of acidity. Solid finish. A-
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Itching for a pinot and this bottle was staring at me. Very light in the glass like the color of a dime store ruby. First hour tart red fruit. Thought: opened too soon. Second hour candied cherry fruit, light like a grenache. Thought: reminds me of a good rose. Third hour, developing weight in the body and some depth to the palate. Still predominantly red fruit but now clearly takes on the RRV pinot profile. Final Thought: Very nice pinot on the lighter end of the Cali spectrum but clearly opened too soon.
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Very nice Pinot Noir. Excellent balance and fruit. Just lacking depth overall. Extremely light red in color. Quite light in body. Still showing elegance, though it loses points for being one dimensional. I really enjoy the bottle, but I do not see the hype thus far of Gary Farrell Pinot Noir. I think this tasted like a $15-20 bottle.
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Crisp cranberry color. Light, slightly acidic berries forward. Decanted 3 - 4 hours, settled nicely with very little alcohol on the nose. A little grapey and a bit thin, but a light, easy drinker.
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Still drinking young. Probably needs 3-5 years in the cellar. Lots of oak and noticeable alcohol heat. Acidity a little bit more than to my liking. Semi-ripe cherries and hints of strawberries. An excellent wine that just needs more time to further develop and become a bit more balanced.
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Very light pale plum color. Candied nose of stawberries and cherries. Fruit foward and focused and quite open now. No sign of heat (14.1%) . Finish a touch thin for my taste, but a nice bottle for the price. The consumption window confuses me a bit. I do not see it improving in the cellar.
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Agree with Hutch that there was nothing special about this. Typical pinot - cherries and spice. I felt the acidity was a tad overdone, but made the wine more food friendly.
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Lots of oak and some Russian River pine forest on the nose with black cherries as well. Quite fruit forward with good acidity balanced out with a smoky finish that eventually shows some dark chocolate as well. Not quite as good as the 04 but still very nice.
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I have to admit I was disapointed with this bottling, which retails in the $40's here. Very typical cherry/rhubarb, with some spice on the nose. Light bodied, slightly stemmy/stalky on mid palate. Nice acidity. A solid bottle overall, but nothing really of interest or that seperates it from a good $25 bottle. 83-85
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Tasted blind. Up against a good quality Burgundy and a well known Santa Barbara Pinot, this wine held its own and won out for my favorite of the flight. Great nose of berries and little bit of smoke. Silky smooth on the tongue with a great balance of fruit and ash. I have had GF once before and liked it then, this solidifies my crush on this Pinot.
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Young wine purchased for Thanksgiving dinner in San Francisco with Nancy, Tory, Gary and John. Pleasant bouquet, light ruby color, medium finish. Enjoyed by all. Would likely be better in a year or two.
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I really wanted to like this, and the aromatics suggested this would be a great wine. Unfortunately, on the palate, this wine simply didn't follow-through.
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Seattle Vayniac Pinot Noir tasting (Seattle, WA): A bit of a marine smell at first. Resinous. A nice, punchy nose. Mushroom, some good Pinot funk on there. Really tangy with boysenberry. The truest Pinot of the tasting. Me likey.
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Purchased (2 bottles) off the list at Saul's Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Needs a good hour of decanting or another year in bottle. Bright, tight, red cherry fruit with some strawberry notes and a dry finish. Good.
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nose: woodsy, earthy, strawberry. A little plastic sneaking in there... palate: a little dirty. Very acidic. Smooth cherry and twizzler aftertase.....probably needs more air time than I gave it (pop and pour) or a year or so in bottle.
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Light colored and juicy, with mouthwatering strawberry and watermelon notes having a tang reminiscent of Jolly Rancher candy. The usual notes of toffee and spice are there, too, but those are pretty generic and simple. The bright acidity helps counteract the alcohol -- which seems a bit steeper than the asserted 14.1% -- so the wine is more or less balanced, if a little sharp around the edges. Bottom-line impression: it's pretty tasty stuff, and a decent buy at the mid-$30s price point.
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2/8/2016 - abell46 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent
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2/8/2016 - abell46 Likes this wine:
Excellent
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2/8/2016 - abell46 Likes this wine:
Very good
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2/23/2012 - Mnawacki wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable pinot, lovely fruit. Definitely time to drink.
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11/27/2011 - jwhisler wrote: 91 Points
Great compliment to Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Perfect amount of acidity and fruit.
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8/18/2011 - syrahz wrote: 93 Points
I'm perplexed by the low scores for this wine. Are they rating it as a Pinot Noir or something else? Oh well...I have another left to see if the three of us were off base on this one.
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7/4/2011 - AccaDacca wrote: 88 Points
Lots of cherry with a little spice and oak. Not overly complex with short finish.
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4/2/2011 - bowmanbc wrote: 88 Points
liked it, but agree there was heavy oakiness to it.
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2/19/2011 - ZinTinTin wrote: 85 Points
A perfectly acceptable, plain, middle-of-the-road pinot. Bright cherry color, clear, light weight. Nothing wrong, nothing special. I don't normally use numbers, but this was exactly average--an 85.
Decanted 45 min., then had with an appetizer of pesto bread, olives, and roasted tomatoes. It fit that role well.
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12/7/2010 - Mlawrence wrote: 87 Points
Too much oak, very woody which masks the fruit in this wine. Finish was also a little short.
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12/3/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
14.1% alcohol. Black cherry color. Pleasant nose of black cherry, red cherry, minerals, and a light hint of spice. In the mouth, slightly disjointed acidity sticks its nose into the solid core of black cherry, spice, and minerals. Still a pretty wine but seems to be in a bit of a dumb phase right now. B+
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8/29/2010 - Sweet_Berry_Wine!! wrote: 89 Points
Tasted against a couple of like-priced wines, a Volnay and an Auxey-Duresses. Oak is immediately evident on the nose in the form of spices and vanilla. Earth and a subtle mushroomy, gamey quality are also present behind all the oak and ripe and dried red fruit. Potency of the nose is a little lacking when compared to the two bargain-burgundies (under $40). Body is medium but well framed by finely knit and dusty tannins that hint at complexity and a bright future for this wine. A nice acidity is also present and the wine maintains balance as a result. Finish is flavorful, but too oaky. Has a nice, distinct style that sets it apart from many a boring, bland Sonoma Pinot, unfortunately the oak gets in the way of what is obviously good quality fruit struggling to find its way out.
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6/28/2010 - Tim Heaton wrote:
boy I'm glad I picked this up on closeout for $13.99 instead of the regular retail price. This was a mediocre example of the varietal and the region, marred by a slight reductive quality and a lack of overall complexity and depth. Easily worth $14, but not more than $20. Drink thru 2012, I don't see this getting any better. 14,1% abv.
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6/10/2010 - smphelps wrote: 88 Points
Medium cloudy brick red. Smooth, but not particularly distinctive. Soft cherries, some strawberry, and light spice. Medium finish.
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4/16/2010 - ed-d wrote: 88 Points
Very pale color of bright brickish brown. Pretty aromas of rhubarb & mushroom. Light entry of rhubarb with eathy elements of fresh mushroom & very faint nutmeg. Not much in tannin or acidity. Pretty & light.
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4/2/2010 - BailliSacks wrote: 88 Points
This was awesome a
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3/26/2010 - BailliSacks wrote: 88 Points
Really cherry. Light body. Gentle fruit nose. Delicate sweetness, but very sweet. Reminds me of Williams Selyem but simpler.
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3/25/2010 - swittersMN wrote: 93 Points
Drank in Vegas. Pale bright ruby color. Genache, crushed raspberry and a hint of clove on the nose. Vibrant almost steely acidity with strawberry, dark cherry and cola. A touch hollow mid pallate but lingers with sweet landender tones.
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3/14/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
14.1% alcohol. Another year, another step of positive development for this wine. Reticent at first on the nose, but it opened up to show classic Russian river notes of black cherry, spice, and minerals. In the mouth, great life, with a zingy tang to the black cherry fruit. The spice component takes a turn toward the floral, then runs into the minerality of a strong acidic streak. Long, smooth finish that perhaps packs a bit less power than one might expect from the palate presence. A-
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3/1/2010 - D@vidsWine wrote:
Nice strawberries and bing cherries on the nose. Had heavy acidity which was fine with the food but I'm not sure this is a wine to drink by itself as it was fairly simple. The tannins are almost fully resolved and the wine is plush and velvety in the mouth. I have to admit I had higher hopes for this due to the asking price but it was pleasant with dinner. I'd drink bottles within the next year. ***
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2/20/2010 - bowmanbc wrote: 90 Points
very light, suttle flavors, great nose. paired great with pesto and parm toast and fig jam with gorgonzola and prosciutto.
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11/2/2009 - kscopela wrote: 86 Points
Very acidic and very little fruit. Maybe a bad bottle but not nearly as good as I remember it being
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4/18/2009 - dinomartini wrote: 90 Points
Opened at Russian River, great nose right away and opened durning lunch. Earthy, with a slight hint of cherry. Light ruby color. A little "thin" but went great with grilled chicken salad on crusty french bread . Had half the bottle and went tasting. Kept the bottle cool over night and had the next day. Much better! The aromas were incredible and we suggest decanting for at least 6 hours before drinking it. It is definelty a food wine, try it with a little goat cheese spread on warm grilled crostini
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3/16/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
This has really opened up over the past year. Classic RRV nose of black cherry and spice, with a charming floral and mineral note. More rounded on the mouth, this has put on a bit of weight in the bottle. Velvety in the mouth, with lovely layers of fruit. Caresses the palate, but there is a nice jolt of acidity. Solid finish. A-
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12/31/2008 - dmatley wrote: 91 Points
Itching for a pinot and this bottle was staring at me. Very light in the glass like the color of a dime store ruby. First hour tart red fruit. Thought: opened too soon. Second hour candied cherry fruit, light like a grenache. Thought: reminds me of a good rose. Third hour, developing weight in the body and some depth to the palate. Still predominantly red fruit but now clearly takes on the RRV pinot profile. Final Thought: Very nice pinot on the lighter end of the Cali spectrum but clearly opened too soon.
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11/28/2008 - Vino Uomo wrote: 87 Points
wine was thin to me for this price point
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6/6/2008 - CMARSHALL wrote: 88 Points
More mushrooms than berries, a little tight. Preferred the Ancien.
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4/23/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 88 Points
Very nice Pinot Noir. Excellent balance and fruit. Just lacking depth overall.
Extremely light red in color. Quite light in body. Still showing elegance, though it loses points for being one dimensional.
I really enjoy the bottle, but I do not see the hype thus far of Gary Farrell Pinot Noir. I think this tasted like a $15-20 bottle.
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4/22/2008 - six sandy feet wrote: 88 Points
Crisp cranberry color. Light, slightly acidic berries forward. Decanted 3 - 4 hours, settled nicely with very little alcohol on the nose. A little grapey and a bit thin, but a light, easy drinker.
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4/16/2008 - storres28 wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking young. Probably needs 3-5 years in the cellar. Lots of oak and noticeable alcohol heat. Acidity a little bit more than to my liking. Semi-ripe cherries and hints of strawberries. An excellent wine that just needs more time to further develop and become a bit more balanced.
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3/20/2008 - smphelps wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine but does not have much depth. Pleasing nose, nice open fruit foward approach on the palate but thin at the finish.
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3/2/2008 - smphelps wrote: 89 Points
Very light pale plum color. Candied nose of stawberries and cherries. Fruit foward and focused and quite open now. No sign of heat (14.1%) . Finish a touch thin for my taste, but a nice bottle for the price. The consumption window confuses me a bit. I do not see it improving in the cellar.
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2/22/2008 - gordoyflaca wrote: 91 Points
rich ripe sweet cherries, nice mouthfeel. Well made, but no earth, and perhaps not our style.
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2/17/2008 - jhannah27 wrote: 91 Points
Absolutely smooth, fruity, rustic, and smoky. Not many better Pinots out there for the money.
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1/17/2008 - cellarbrator wrote: 86 Points
Agree with Hutch that there was nothing special about this. Typical pinot - cherries and spice. I felt the acidity was a tad overdone, but made the wine more food friendly.
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1/4/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
Lots of oak and some Russian River pine forest on the nose with black cherries as well. Quite fruit forward with good acidity balanced out with a smoky finish that eventually shows some dark chocolate as well. Not quite as good as the 04 but still very nice.
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11/29/2007 - hutch wrote: 84 Points
I have to admit I was disapointed with this bottling, which retails in the $40's here. Very typical cherry/rhubarb, with some spice on the nose. Light bodied, slightly stemmy/stalky on mid palate. Nice acidity. A solid bottle overall, but nothing really of interest or that seperates it from a good $25 bottle. 83-85
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11/23/2007 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
Transparent ruby red color with lots of cherries and some oak on the nose. Very smooth fruit flavors with a long finish. Excellent wine.
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11/22/2007 - jhannah27 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Up against a good quality Burgundy and a well known Santa Barbara Pinot, this wine held its own and won out for my favorite of the flight. Great nose of berries and little bit of smoke. Silky smooth on the tongue with a great balance of fruit and ash. I have had GF once before and liked it then, this solidifies my crush on this Pinot.
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11/22/2007 - GSW wrote: 90 Points
Young wine purchased for Thanksgiving dinner in San Francisco with Nancy, Tory, Gary and John. Pleasant bouquet, light ruby color, medium finish. Enjoyed by all. Would likely be better in a year or two.
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11/10/2007 - vancouvermatt wrote: 88 Points
I really wanted to like this, and the aromatics suggested this would be a great wine. Unfortunately, on the palate, this wine simply didn't follow-through.
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11/7/2007 - Eric wrote:
Seattle Vayniac Pinot Noir tasting (Seattle, WA): A bit of a marine smell at first. Resinous. A nice, punchy nose. Mushroom, some good Pinot funk on there. Really tangy with boysenberry. The truest Pinot of the tasting. Me likey.
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10/30/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Purchased (2 bottles) off the list at Saul's Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Needs a good hour of decanting or another year in bottle. Bright, tight, red cherry fruit with some strawberry notes and a dry finish. Good.
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10/23/2007 - tarheel17 wrote: 87 Points
nose: woodsy, earthy, strawberry. A little plastic sneaking in there... palate: a little dirty. Very acidic. Smooth cherry and twizzler aftertase.....probably needs more air time than I gave it (pop and pour) or a year or so in bottle.
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10/5/2007 - oski wrote: 91 Points
Very light in color. Good sharp nose with a well balanced finish. Just enough pinot funk to make it interesting.
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8/20/2007 - Stephan O wrote: 90 Points
Light colored and juicy, with mouthwatering strawberry and watermelon notes having a tang reminiscent of Jolly Rancher candy. The usual notes of toffee and spice are there, too, but those are pretty generic and simple. The bright acidity helps counteract the alcohol -- which seems a bit steeper than the asserted 14.1% -- so the wine is more or less balanced, if a little sharp around the edges. Bottom-line impression: it's pretty tasty stuff, and a decent buy at the mid-$30s price point.
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