Popped and poured for leftovers from Thanksgiving. In glass, dark crimson color with no browning at rim. Excellent visually. Nose of dark plum with some earthiness. Another plus. On palette, flavors of red raspberries and dark plum, just enough acidity to balance the medium long finish. Fine but firm tannins really accentuate pairing this with food like turkey (nothing sweet to interfere with this Pinot). This Benovia was recommended by friend who was General Manager of Paul Hobbs at that time. He knew GOOD Pinot Noirs. Wine still can go another 2-3 years.
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Continually surprised at how young these wines are showing. Dark red, no bricking color. Some earthy scents and dark fruit on the nose. Tannins are still firm with balanced acidity on the palate. This would pair nicely with a filet mignon.
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This is good Pinot. Not great and probably a little past its prime. Fruit and spice on the nose; a little lean in the mouth (probably due to age). A very nice wine to drink with Christmas dinner
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Opened, not decanted. Crimson red in color, with only the slightest bricking. The nose features aromas of red fruits and rose petal. On the palate, raspberry and dark cherry notes show, with soft spice and vanilla flavors in the background. Ten years on, and this is still a good wine that is showing little sign of age.
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The nose is fairly simple with red raspberry, spice, and dark cherry. On the palate, the dark fruit is complimented by some spice and oak influence. This wine is medium-bodied with good acidity , but it lacks he mouthfeel of great pinot noir. The finish is moderate with dark fruit and a touch of bitterness creeping into the flavor profile. Overall, this wine is not as expressive as the 06 Kosta Browne Amber Ridge PN, but it is well made and flavorful.
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PnP. Candied nature of fruit noted in 2009 now definitely resolved. Now the fruit is much more cherry to dark cherry with medium-high weight and a 'thickness'. As noted by others, there is spice and other notes to compliment the fruit. While there is decent structure, this is more on the 'bigger' Cali style of pinot - but a good example of one.
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Popped and poured and consumed over a couple of hours. Initially there was some really nice cherry fruit, but this faded a bit over time, exposing secondary flavors of spice and even cedar. On the finish, the alcohol seemed a bit out of balance, but overall Very Good to Excellent. 88-90 Points. thedrunkencyclist.com
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Was a bit disappointed. Was hoping wine would match some of the higher scores rather than the lower, but I agree that it was a bit too thin/short-finishing and restrained for my taste. Certainly better after an hour. But no more impressive than the much lower priced Cambria Julia's that I had a few nights ago, though quite different.
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Impeccably made Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, so much so that it transcends the limitations of its fruit. Has taken on a velvety, voluptuous texture, full bodied and very refined and elegant. Savory, if monochromatic, deep dark plum, almost summer sweet. Not of the high-toned breed, but very well done. On second thought, there is something very special about this wine.
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Any fruit on the nose is overwhelmed by a smokey funk - not a turn-off, just a bit disappointing from what the wine was showing a year ago. There is still some raspberry and cherry, you've just got to hunt for it; I can also find a bit of alcohol, cocoa, caramel, tea and baking spice. The palate is all about red berries, cola, flabby acid and a nice lightly oaked tannic structure - not enough to get in the way but adds a nice backbone. Finish is full but fades a bit quick. Drink up.
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Medium-red color. The nose is red-fruited with raspberry, orange blossom, cola, and a whiff of walnuts. With air, the nose showed dark fruits and more defined floral notes. On the palate, there was raspberry, tomato, ketchup, necco wafer, and cocoa. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine displayed good acidity, but the mid-palate seemed thin with some alcohol poking through. The finish is average. Overall, this was not as good as the previous bottle because the mid-palate seemed flat and the alcohol was out of balance.
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Opened two hours. Nose shows a nice expanse of red berries and cherry, some caramel/oak notes, and earth. Palate is bright and expressive with balanced acid and sweet tannins; hints at some interesting apple, baking spice and cola flavors. Finish fades and becomes one-dimensional - heavily midpalate with black cherries and some drying tannins. This may be at its peak drinking time.
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astonishingly light in color. very varietally correct, crisp and very light on its feet with nice strawberry/raspberry flavors, a little cedar as well. excellent food wine; would probably not show well in a stand-alone comparison with big guns.
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Medium red. The nose starts off as screaming lush CA pinot. With some air it briefly closed down, but opened back up. For a moment I thought I was smelling a Paulliac with the earthy scents it was giving. Now it's moderate red and dark fruits. The palate is medium body with good balance. Nice finish with decent length. Fun to drink with ever changing flavors and aromas. Still young but seems to be aging well. Should be interesting with another 2 or 3 years in the cellar.
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A significant difference from 4/19/09. While the primary flavors are the same (black cherry and smoke), the tannins have become much softer and the wine is quite silky. The middle is solid and the finish medium at worst. I underestimated this wine. Quite a nice value. Drink now-12/12.
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Much improved over previous bottles. Similar ripe red fruit profile of strawberry and cherry, but liss primary and with some added secondary complexity of baking spices and some slight funky earthy tones. Guess I drank my first tow bottles a little too soon...
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Pop and poured. Dark crimson in color, with aromas of spicy red fruits and forest floor. There have been very pleasing changes in this wine over the past 14 months. A much rounder spicy cherry compote flavor shows through pine, oak, and prominent vanilla notes, with an expansive palate and snappy finish.
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Light crimson color. Very opulent rich style when popped. Deep cherry. Thinned out over 6 hours. Cola, sassafras, fennel come to the front. Missing acidity.
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Medium-to-deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of black cherry and smoke. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and fairly generous tannins for a Pinot. The tannins are somewhat coarse. The flavors mirror the nose. The middle dies off a bit and the finish is a bit short. Not bad for the price. This wine might improve with age, but I am a bit skeptical. Drink 1/10-12/14.
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Considerably more interesting than another recent bottle, with nicely evolving elements of complexity gracing both aromatics and palate. Black cherry fruit was complemented by numerous interesting spices of the Asian variety on the interesting nose. The palate featured a nice melding of red fruit and (lots of) creamy oak, & an intense coffee note on the finish. It seems that, in general, the '06 Pinots are taking their collective time in reaching drinkability, but when they do, the results tend to be more impressive than may have originally been forecast. (Publications such as the Wine Spectator come to mind here.) Just one Pinot junkie's opinion...
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Definitely didn't round into what I had hoped after a year of bottle aging. It seems that I scored the one from last year a few points too high. Medium-dark ruby color. Promising aromatically, with a bit of interesting spice notes which included cinammon and sassafras, but a thin, dilute and ultimately hollow palate impression, with only modest fruit and a bit of slate-like minerality. Perhaps this reflects the fact that the estate vines which provided some of the wine for the blend are still a bit too young. Overall, pleasant but simple and one-dimensional; I am in complete agreement with many of the other notes from this great little wine community of ours. The 2007 vintage should really tell the tale for this winery: if their '07s are unimpressive, they'll really need to rethink what they're doing, in such a good vintage and with all the good competition out there.
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Big, in-your-face style, with cherry and raspberry fruit that borders on being raisiny. Has a healthy dose of vanilla-oak and sweet cola. Not really my style of pinot, and could have been an off bottle. drink now-2012. 85? pts.
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PnP. Magenta red. Strangely pleasurable nose of dark cherry and something I can't articulate (ljl203's call of raisin/allspice/mace seems about right) and some earth. Palate leans towards heavier almost candied fruit, but is nicely balanced with focused tannins and not quite crisp acidity. I think this could develop into a really interesting pinot as the fruit mellows and the strange aromas/flavors morph a bit, but I did enjoy it in its current state.
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Clear crimson color. Slight nose of fresh flowers. Double decanted to open it up. Very well made. Cherry, raisin, fine tannins and overwhelming note of allspice, mace. Enjoyable.
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drunk from the same magnum the night before, but that note isn't up yet. however, this has to be the best overnight tasting of a domestic pinot that i have experienced. not much, if any oxidation, just a pleasant 24 hour evolution to a smoother drinking wine. nevertheless, i liked it better yesterday when the fruit was expressive and not muted.
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From magnum. Brick red color. Bright cherry nose. Black cherry, cola and raspberry on the palate. Deep earthiness on the mid palate. Well balanced. Soft finish with some elegance. Impressive showing compared to the last two times I've tried this. 14.2% alcohol.
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from magnum. a modern styled pinot that basically still gets it right. this appellation wine shows better now than the single vineyard wines that i have recently tasted. a guilty pleasure.
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Dark red colour. The nose has a confected character with candied red fruits, vanilla and some spicy notes. Full, intense and a little monolithic on the palate with more candied red fruit notes over cloves and moderate acidity. A little alcoholic warmth shows on the finish.
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A bit unfair trying this after the '06 Walter Hansel. Completely different style though. Quite a bit of alcohol on nose with more extracted fruits, dense, almost overripe. Rich cherry and hints of raspberry on palate. Not a balanced wine. No focus on this wine. Finishes with almost a cherry cough syrup quality. 2nd time trying with same results. However, their Chardonnays are amazing!
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Hans tastes some wines: This will have its fans, but don't count me as one of them. The nose was extremely ripe, with the fruit veering into cola properties. On the palate, it seemed monolithic to me, with no suggestions of elegance or finesse. It carried some signifigant tannins and structure, so perhaps this will evolve into something more interesting in a couple of years, it just wasn't that interesting right now. 86-87
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Brought to Tribeca Grill offline. From memory - intense candied cherry nose, like a jolly rancher. Similar flavor profile, bordering on sweet. Tasty, but far too one dimensional at this stage, wait at least one year to try another bottle.
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The previous notes are accurate. A deep dark purple. A reluctantly dark fruited nose. Flavors of sour red fruit, spices, and pine needles. The tannins need plenty of time to resolve. The most disjointed aspect is the heat on the finish. Revisit in late 2009 at the earliest. Loads of potential but needs plenty of time to come together.
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Decanted three hours. Deep purple in color, with aromas of dark fruits, black licorice, and sandalwood. Flavors of warm cherry pie, pine needles, bold spices, and peat moss dominate the mouth. A big style with bold tannins and some heat showing on the finale. Nice elements; hold until 2009 for further integration. 14.2% alcohol.
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Tasted next to 06 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast and held its own, as they both carry a similar flavor profile. Dark red color and highly extracted. The nose began a little shy but opened quickly to display bright red raspberry and cinnamon. In the mouth, this medium-bodied wine continued to showcase ripe, bright red fruit, cinnamon, and milk chocolate. The texture was plush and round with low acidity but no flabbiness. The finish was fruit-packed with good length. Overall, there was a high oak influence that was matched by the red fruit profile, but if you like the style, it was very enjoyable and comparable to the Kosta Browne.
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Benovia (Dulces Latin Bistro): Most of the grapes for this come from the Peterson Vineyard but a few come from the vineyard at the winery. This is a cool climate site and the grapes were picked at 23.5 brix. This wine has lovely aromas and flavors of black cherry and baking spices. Medium weight with a lush mouth feel and a touch of heat on the finish that I think would go away if served a few degrees cooler.
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The only wine of the flight that I guessed correctly. Darkest of the flight, too, with crimson and purple. Brown spice nose, cola nut, plush texture, blueberry and some apple. Clearly forward and big in style so note that going in but good for what it does and glad I own a few.
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Nice strawberry and red cherry nose. sweet, a bit candied as in Jolly Rancher. Palate was full of "berry and cherry cola" with a dash of cream soda. Toasted oak working as well. Clean finish with firm acidity.
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Light pink orange color. Fairly tight nose after five hours. Simple tart cherry beginning, some spice cola, nice lemon acid finish. A little hot. Day after update: tasted a little bit left in the fridge overnight. Pleasantly surprised to taste some evolution - rolling more complex mid-palette, more earthy and subtle spice than the day before. I will give the next bottles a good six hour decant.
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This was really bad. Nose of cherry, spice and some vodka. Lots of cherry, tobacco galore, dirt and sour sour cherry. Too much alcohol on the finish, it can improve with time, but just awful right now.
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Decanted for three hours. Fruity nose of bing cherries, berries and hints of earth. Ripe and heavy flavors of cherry, raspberry and cola. Tannins have some grip on the finish. Just enough acidity to keep the flavors lively. Maybe more bottle time this will mellow out. A nice wine for those who like a little more full throttle pinot, but a little over the top for me. Maybe an influence of the vineyard sources? But, will revisit at a later point in time, not sure this is the right bottle to evaluate what they are doing at Benovia.
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Dark red. Strawberry, black cherry, and warm earth on the nose. The palate has supple tannins and well balanced acidity. Nice finish with fruits and subtle spices.
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Clear garnet red colour. Lovely nose of red fruits and spices with a faint candied note. Palate is medium bodied and has elegant sweet red fruit flavours over spices, good acidity and a medium length finish.
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Opened this and tasted blind alonside Kosta Browne RRV and Sonoma Coast from same vintage--all decanted for a few hours. Initially, this was the winner for me, and we tasted them blind. L felt differently and sided with KB RRV.
Long story short this lived in a decanter in the refridgerator for a day before we revisited. And what a revist. Brought it back to cellar temp and it was stunning. Impressions were the same for me as on the first night, but now it's got an added layer of integration. Nose is full of dessert spice smells without being sweet or cloying. Launches into dark berry, black cherry, cola, spice and licorice flavors. Great texture and round mouth feel and everything singing together hamoniously. Finish is long and too much oak/cream soda for old world purists, but packed with layers of red and blue fruits and a continuation of fantastic, creamy textures.
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OK, I knew it was going to be both WAY too young and still a little "shocky" from traveling, but I've had such a good feeling about this winery that I had to try one anyway. And it is certainly still very grapey and primary, but the raw materials are very, very impressive indeed. I wouldn't plan on opening another one for about six months or so. Beautiful color, dark ruby with hints of pink and purple. At this stage, the nose is mostly dominated by some cherry cola notes, a bit of vanilla from the oak, a touch of baking spices like cloves, and an alcoholic intensity. The palate is firm and tannic, with a deceptively light yet evolving mouthfeel that leads to a nice lengthy finish with an exceptionally pronounced earthiness and some bitter chocolate notes. With more air, an explosion of roasted espresso beans graced the finish as well. Seems very correct for the appellation. Give it some time to allow those component parts to integrate and you're going to be left with one damn fine Pinot. Is the Sonoma Coast the superior appellation to the RRV? Let the debate begin!
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11/24/2023 - SCM Fan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured for leftovers from Thanksgiving. In glass, dark crimson color with no browning at rim. Excellent visually. Nose of dark plum with some earthiness. Another plus. On palette, flavors of red raspberries and dark plum, just enough acidity to balance the medium long finish. Fine but firm tannins really accentuate pairing this with food like turkey (nothing sweet to interfere with this Pinot). This Benovia was recommended by friend who was General Manager of Paul Hobbs at that time. He knew GOOD Pinot Noirs. Wine still can go another 2-3 years.
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2/10/2022 - kris.h Likes this wine: 90 Points
Continually surprised at how young these wines are showing. Dark red, no bricking color. Some earthy scents and dark fruit on the nose. Tannins are still firm with balanced acidity on the palate. This would pair nicely with a filet mignon.
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12/25/2021 - apg23 wrote: 89 Points
This is good Pinot. Not great and probably a little past its prime. Fruit and spice on the nose; a little lean in the mouth (probably due to age). A very nice wine to drink with Christmas dinner
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3/17/2019 - scott davis wrote: 89 Points
Opened, not decanted. Crimson red in color, with only the slightest bricking. The nose features aromas of red fruits and rose petal. On the palate, raspberry and dark cherry notes show, with soft spice and vanilla flavors in the background. Ten years on, and this is still a good wine that is showing little sign of age.
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12/14/2013 - Meerlust wrote: 88 Points
The nose is fairly simple with red raspberry, spice, and dark cherry. On the palate, the dark fruit is complimented by some spice and oak influence. This wine is medium-bodied with good acidity , but it lacks he mouthfeel of great pinot noir. The finish is moderate with dark fruit and a touch of bitterness creeping into the flavor profile. Overall, this wine is not as expressive as the 06 Kosta Browne Amber Ridge PN, but it is well made and flavorful.
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5/17/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Candied nature of fruit noted in 2009 now definitely resolved. Now the fruit is much more cherry to dark cherry with medium-high weight and a 'thickness'. As noted by others, there is spice and other notes to compliment the fruit. While there is decent structure, this is more on the 'bigger' Cali style of pinot - but a good example of one.
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5/5/2013 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 89 Points
Popped and poured and consumed over a couple of hours. Initially there was some really nice cherry fruit, but this faded a bit over time, exposing secondary flavors of spice and even cedar. On the finish, the alcohol seemed a bit out of balance, but overall Very Good to Excellent. 88-90 Points. thedrunkencyclist.com
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5/25/2012 - dlstrauss wrote: 91 Points
Was a bit disappointed. Was hoping wine would match some of the higher scores rather than the lower, but I agree that it was a bit too thin/short-finishing and restrained for my taste. Certainly better after an hour. But no more impressive than the much lower priced Cambria Julia's that I had a few nights ago, though quite different.
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4/1/2012 - Henry Miller wrote: 94 Points
Impeccably made Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, so much so that it transcends the limitations of its fruit. Has taken on a velvety, voluptuous texture, full bodied and very refined and elegant. Savory, if monochromatic, deep dark plum, almost summer sweet. Not of the high-toned breed, but very well done. On second thought, there is something very special about this wine.
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12/10/2011 - tlinch wrote: 89 Points
Any fruit on the nose is overwhelmed by a smokey funk - not a turn-off, just a bit disappointing from what the wine was showing a year ago. There is still some raspberry and cherry, you've just got to hunt for it; I can also find a bit of alcohol, cocoa, caramel, tea and baking spice. The palate is all about red berries, cola, flabby acid and a nice lightly oaked tannic structure - not enough to get in the way but adds a nice backbone. Finish is full but fades a bit quick. Drink up.
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9/30/2011 - Meerlust wrote: 87 Points
Medium-red color. The nose is red-fruited with raspberry, orange blossom, cola, and a whiff of walnuts. With air, the nose showed dark fruits and more defined floral notes. On the palate, there was raspberry, tomato, ketchup, necco wafer, and cocoa. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine displayed good acidity, but the mid-palate seemed thin with some alcohol poking through. The finish is average. Overall, this was not as good as the previous bottle because the mid-palate seemed flat and the alcohol was out of balance.
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6/17/2011 - dlstrauss wrote: 92 Points
Started off slow, even after vinturi, but really opened up after about 30 minutes.
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11/15/2010 - tlinch wrote: 90 Points
Opened two hours. Nose shows a nice expanse of red berries and cherry, some caramel/oak notes, and earth. Palate is bright and expressive with balanced acid and sweet tannins; hints at some interesting apple, baking spice and cola flavors. Finish fades and becomes one-dimensional - heavily midpalate with black cherries and some drying tannins. This may be at its peak drinking time.
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9/11/2010 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Coming together beautifully!
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5/16/2010 - Double D wrote: 90 Points
A bit better than I remember, nicely balanced and light enough to go along with portobello stuffed with crab meat.
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3/5/2010 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
As delicious as the last bottle!
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12/28/2009 - crdwino wrote: 90 Points
astonishingly light in color. very varietally correct, crisp and very light on its feet with nice strawberry/raspberry flavors, a little cedar as well. excellent food wine; would probably not show well in a stand-alone comparison with big guns.
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11/20/2009 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
Medium red. The nose starts off as screaming lush CA pinot. With some air it briefly closed down, but opened back up. For a moment I thought I was smelling a Paulliac with the earthy scents it was giving. Now it's moderate red and dark fruits. The palate is medium body with good balance. Nice finish with decent length. Fun to drink with ever changing flavors and aromas. Still young but seems to be aging well. Should be interesting with another 2 or 3 years in the cellar.
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10/20/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
A significant difference from 4/19/09. While the primary flavors are the same (black cherry and smoke), the tannins have become much softer and the wine is quite silky. The middle is solid and the finish medium at worst. I underestimated this wine. Quite a nice value. Drink now-12/12.
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10/10/2009 - Grape_ape wrote: 90 Points
Much improved over previous bottles. Similar ripe red fruit profile of strawberry and cherry, but liss primary and with some added secondary complexity of baking spices and some slight funky earthy tones. Guess I drank my first tow bottles a little too soon...
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9/5/2009 - scott davis wrote: 90 Points
Pop and poured. Dark crimson in color, with aromas of spicy red fruits and forest floor. There have been very pleasing changes in this wine over the past 14 months. A much rounder spicy cherry compote flavor shows through pine, oak, and prominent vanilla notes, with an expansive palate and snappy finish.
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6/29/2009 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Delicious cherry aromas and flavors with floral and oak notes on the finish. Drinking well.
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6/16/2009 - BoulderWine wrote: 93 Points
Medium dark color, nice floral Pinot aromas. Great depth of fruit and balance and an incredible finish. This is a fantastic Pinot. Enjoy now.
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6/11/2009 - pakabear wrote: 80 Points
Extracted cherry notes, but fairly simple overall... The finish gets a weird bitter taste like last time, not good at all.
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6/1/2009 - ljl203 wrote: 89 Points
Light crimson color. Very opulent rich style when popped. Deep cherry. Thinned out over 6 hours. Cola, sassafras, fennel come to the front. Missing acidity.
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4/25/2009 - Grape_ape wrote:
Brought to Mike and Kathleens. Less candied and more complex then last bottle.
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4/19/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 84 Points
Medium-to-deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of black cherry and smoke. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and fairly generous tannins for a Pinot. The tannins are somewhat coarse. The flavors mirror the nose. The middle dies off a bit and the finish is a bit short. Not bad for the price. This wine might improve with age, but I am a bit skeptical. Drink 1/10-12/14.
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4/8/2009 - TampaDan wrote: 89 Points
Considerably more interesting than another recent bottle, with nicely evolving elements of complexity gracing both aromatics and palate. Black cherry fruit was complemented by numerous interesting spices of the Asian variety on the interesting nose. The palate featured a nice melding of red fruit and (lots of) creamy oak, & an intense coffee note on the finish. It seems that, in general, the '06 Pinots are taking their collective time in reaching drinkability, but when they do, the results tend to be more impressive than may have originally been forecast. (Publications such as the Wine Spectator come to mind here.) Just one Pinot junkie's opinion...
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3/21/2009 - TampaDan wrote: 86 Points
Definitely didn't round into what I had hoped after a year of bottle aging. It seems that I scored the one from last year a few points too high. Medium-dark ruby color. Promising aromatically, with a bit of interesting spice notes which included cinammon and sassafras, but a thin, dilute and ultimately hollow palate impression, with only modest fruit and a bit of slate-like minerality. Perhaps this reflects the fact that the estate vines which provided some of the wine for the blend are still a bit too young. Overall, pleasant but simple and one-dimensional; I am in complete agreement with many of the other notes from this great little wine community of ours. The 2007 vintage should really tell the tale for this winery: if their '07s are unimpressive, they'll really need to rethink what they're doing, in such a good vintage and with all the good competition out there.
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3/12/2009 - riccodog13 wrote: 85 Points
Big, in-your-face style, with cherry and raspberry fruit that borders on being raisiny. Has a healthy dose of vanilla-oak and sweet cola. Not really my style of pinot, and could have been an off bottle. drink now-2012. 85? pts.
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2/2/2009 - dougie wrote: 89 Points
Well liked at a superbowl party.
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1/16/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Magenta red. Strangely pleasurable nose of dark cherry and something I can't articulate (ljl203's call of raisin/allspice/mace seems about right) and some earth. Palate leans towards heavier almost candied fruit, but is nicely balanced with focused tannins and not quite crisp acidity. I think this could develop into a really interesting pinot as the fruit mellows and the strange aromas/flavors morph a bit, but I did enjoy it in its current state.
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12/13/2008 - ljl203 wrote: 90 Points
Clear crimson color. Slight nose of fresh flowers. Double decanted to open it up. Very well made. Cherry, raisin, fine tannins and overwhelming note of allspice, mace.
Enjoyable.
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12/7/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 89 Points
drunk from the same magnum the night before, but that note isn't up yet. however, this has to be the best overnight tasting of a domestic pinot that i have experienced. not much, if any oxidation, just a pleasant 24 hour evolution to a smoother drinking wine. nevertheless, i liked it better yesterday when the fruit was expressive and not muted.
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12/7/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 89 Points
From magnum. Brick red color. Bright cherry nose. Black cherry, cola and raspberry on the palate. Deep earthiness on the mid palate. Well balanced. Soft finish with some elegance. Impressive showing compared to the last two times I've tried this. 14.2% alcohol.
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12/6/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
from magnum. a modern styled pinot that basically still gets it right. this appellation wine shows better now than the single vineyard wines that i have recently tasted. a guilty pleasure.
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10/4/2008 - salil wrote: 88 Points
Dark red colour. The nose has a confected character with candied red fruits, vanilla and some spicy notes. Full, intense and a little monolithic on the palate with more candied red fruit notes over cloves and moderate acidity. A little alcoholic warmth shows on the finish.
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9/13/2008 - jjclips2 wrote: 83 Points
A bit unfair trying this after the '06 Walter Hansel. Completely different style though. Quite a bit of alcohol on nose with more extracted fruits, dense, almost overripe. Rich cherry and hints of raspberry on palate. Not a balanced wine. No focus on this wine. Finishes with almost a cherry cough syrup quality. 2nd time trying with same results. However, their Chardonnays are amazing!
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9/10/2008 - hutch wrote: 86 Points
Hans tastes some wines: This will have its fans, but don't count me as one of them. The nose was extremely ripe, with the fruit veering into cola properties. On the palate, it seemed monolithic to me, with no suggestions of elegance or finesse. It carried some signifigant tannins and structure, so perhaps this will evolve into something more interesting in a couple of years, it just wasn't that interesting right now. 86-87
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8/26/2008 - Grape_ape wrote:
Brought to Tribeca Grill offline. From memory - intense candied cherry nose, like a jolly rancher. Similar flavor profile, bordering on sweet. Tasty, but far too one dimensional at this stage, wait at least one year to try another bottle.
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8/25/2008 - dougie wrote: 89 Points
It has a unique taste that I liked. A very good wine.
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8/20/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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7/18/2008 - ClassicWater wrote: 87 Points
The previous notes are accurate. A deep dark purple. A reluctantly dark fruited nose. Flavors of sour red fruit, spices, and pine needles. The tannins need plenty of time to resolve. The most disjointed aspect is the heat on the finish. Revisit in late 2009 at the earliest. Loads of potential but needs plenty of time to come together.
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7/12/2008 - scott davis wrote: 89 Points
Decanted three hours. Deep purple in color, with aromas of dark fruits, black licorice, and sandalwood. Flavors of warm cherry pie, pine needles, bold spices, and peat moss dominate the mouth. A big style with bold tannins and some heat showing on the finale. Nice elements; hold until 2009 for further integration. 14.2% alcohol.
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7/4/2008 - Meerlust wrote: 90 Points
Tasted next to 06 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast and held its own, as they both carry a similar flavor profile.
Dark red color and highly extracted. The nose began a little shy but opened quickly to display bright red raspberry and cinnamon. In the mouth, this medium-bodied wine continued to showcase ripe, bright red fruit, cinnamon, and milk chocolate. The texture was plush and round with low acidity but no flabbiness. The finish was fruit-packed with good length. Overall, there was a high oak influence that was matched by the red fruit profile, but if you like the style, it was very enjoyable and comparable to the Kosta Browne.
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7/2/2008 - kris.h wrote: 90 Points
Benovia (Dulces Latin Bistro): Most of the grapes for this come from the Peterson Vineyard but a few come from the vineyard at the winery. This is a cool climate site and the grapes were picked at 23.5 brix. This wine has lovely aromas and flavors of black cherry and baking spices. Medium weight with a lush mouth feel and a touch of heat on the finish that I think would go away if served a few degrees cooler.
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6/30/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 87 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Finish was hot and not enough fruit.
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6/28/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
The only wine of the flight that I guessed correctly. Darkest of the flight, too, with crimson and purple. Brown spice nose, cola nut, plush texture, blueberry and some apple. Clearly forward and big in style so note that going in but good for what it does and glad I own a few.
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6/14/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 86 Points
Falltacular 2008 (San Juan Capistrano, CA): Bright strawberry fruit and minerals, but the finish seems a little underdeveloped.
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5/30/2008 - N2Vin wrote: 87 Points
Nice strawberry and red cherry nose. sweet, a bit candied as in Jolly Rancher. Palate was full of "berry and cherry cola" with a dash of cream soda. Toasted oak working as well. Clean finish with firm acidity.
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5/10/2008 - ljl203 wrote: 89 Points
Light pink orange color. Fairly tight nose after five hours. Simple tart cherry beginning, some spice cola, nice lemon acid finish. A little hot.
Day after update: tasted a little bit left in the fridge overnight. Pleasantly surprised to taste some evolution - rolling more complex mid-palette, more earthy and subtle spice than the day before.
I will give the next bottles a good six hour decant.
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4/29/2008 - pakabear wrote: 79 Points
This was really bad. Nose of cherry, spice and some vodka. Lots of cherry, tobacco galore, dirt and sour sour cherry. Too much alcohol on the finish, it can improve with time, but just awful right now.
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4/13/2008 - tim_c wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for three hours. Fruity nose of bing cherries, berries and hints of earth. Ripe and heavy flavors of cherry, raspberry and cola. Tannins have some grip on the finish. Just enough acidity to keep the flavors lively. Maybe more bottle time this will mellow out. A nice wine for those who like a little more full throttle pinot, but a little over the top for me. Maybe an influence of the vineyard sources? But, will revisit at a later point in time, not sure this is the right bottle to evaluate what they are doing at Benovia.
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4/10/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Short note as I got distracted. Juicy, dark fruit with flavors of deep red and blue.
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3/31/2008 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
Dark red. Strawberry, black cherry, and warm earth on the nose. The palate has supple tannins and well balanced acidity. Nice finish with fruits and subtle spices.
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3/18/2008 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Clear garnet red colour. Lovely nose of red fruits and spices with a faint candied note. Palate is medium bodied and has elegant sweet red fruit flavours over spices, good acidity and a medium length finish.
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3/18/2008 - swp3 wrote: 94 Points
Opened this and tasted blind alonside Kosta Browne RRV and Sonoma Coast from same vintage--all decanted for a few hours. Initially, this was the winner for me, and we tasted them blind. L felt differently and sided with KB RRV.
Long story short this lived in a decanter in the refridgerator for a day before we revisited. And what a revist. Brought it back to cellar temp and it was stunning. Impressions were the same for me as on the first night, but now it's got an added layer of integration. Nose is full of dessert spice smells without being sweet or cloying. Launches into dark berry, black cherry, cola, spice and licorice flavors. Great texture and round mouth feel and everything singing together hamoniously. Finish is long and too much oak/cream soda for old world purists, but packed with layers of red and blue fruits and a continuation of fantastic, creamy textures.
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3/15/2008 - TampaDan wrote: 92 Points
OK, I knew it was going to be both WAY too young and still a little "shocky" from traveling, but I've had such a good feeling about this winery that I had to try one anyway. And it is certainly still very grapey and primary, but the raw materials are very, very impressive indeed. I wouldn't plan on opening another one for about six months or so. Beautiful color, dark ruby with hints of pink and purple. At this stage, the nose is mostly dominated by some cherry cola notes, a bit of vanilla from the oak, a touch of baking spices like cloves, and an alcoholic intensity. The palate is firm and tannic, with a deceptively light yet evolving mouthfeel that leads to a nice lengthy finish with an exceptionally pronounced earthiness and some bitter chocolate notes. With more air, an explosion of roasted espresso beans graced the finish as well. Seems very correct for the appellation. Give it some time to allow those component parts to integrate and you're going to be left with one damn fine Pinot. Is the Sonoma Coast the superior appellation to the RRV? Let the debate begin!
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