Slightly soft cork, used the Durand. Brick edged out of the bottle. Lots of volatile stuff burning off at first. Starts to come together after 30 min. Spice on the nose, rose and dried cherry with a bit of acidity (still!). Near its end of life but a pleasant bottle on a warm summer afternoon.
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very cloudy ruby - spice and earth on the nose - clove, allspice, nutmeg, turned earth. Spiced stewed plums, ripe red raspberry, lingonberry jam, and maraschino topped creme anglaise. a little riper on the palate and more oak influences, some phenolic bitterness. Deep overripe black fruit, burnt toast, black licorice, cherry cola, plenty of alcoholic thrust. Lingering sweet finish.
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Cellared since release. Horrible, dry, crumbly cork. Had to strain. Decanted for an hour or so. Medium body, a little Peay Pinot barnyard that blows off. Very nice nose; on the palate, ripe cherries with hints of chalk and mint.
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Excellent Pinot. Deep scarlet color; only slightly clouded. Nose of cherries and strawberries. Medium body, substantial mouthfeel, wel integrated tannins. No heat: in fact, almost a cooling effect: lightly mentholated red fruit with a saline mineral quality. A little too much oak on the medium-long finish.
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Tasted blind in a Pinot Noir around the world flight. The Pinot of the night for many. Excellent concentration, smooth tannins and the complexity of a top notch Premier Cru Burgundy.
I wish I had more to drink. Highly recommended.
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On the nose, raspberry fruit and alcohol. Raspberry, acid and fruit on the palate, cherry on the finish. Overall, extremely smooth, no perceptible tannins.
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This version of the Scallop Shelf was the first Peay I ever drank in a great restaurant in the Monterey area, Passionfish. It still completely seduces me: dark fruited, complex tannins, long finish…reminiscent of some of the very little grand cru burgundy I have tasted.
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Opened this for Phil Beachy, Tara and Lawrence. Elegant is the best word. Light and ethereal, with herbs, spice, and red/black fruits. Beautifully balanced. Very pretty.
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This wine is decent now. However, it still has serious tannic structure for the amount of fruit present. Hopefully, it can balance out a bit while the fruit persists. Nice acidity.
Opned and let air for about 30 minutes then drank. Nice medium color. Nose was full of strwaberries and tea leaves which continued on the palate. There was a nice sour cherry component and a touch of chalkiness. I thought this paired very well with dinner.
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Opened and aired in the bottle about 30 minutes. Medium colored with a nose of strawberries and tea leaves. Those aromas followed on the palate and were joined by a little sour cherry and slight chalk flavor. Unlike most of the recent pinots I have had there was no earthiness to it. It paired very well with dinner.
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bit fruity/jammy for me after opening...after 2 hours this was singing...black tea, chalk and floral notes on nose...complex...medium full on palate with good length...very balanced w good acid spine...excellent CA pinot
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Medium to light bodied, made in a refined, classy style, but nevertheless could use a little more dazzle at this stage - relatively uninteresting light red fruit and black tea aromas and flavors predominate. Good stuffing and length and seems to have plenty of room to improve over time.
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Refined. Medium to light weight red cherry and strawberry fruit scented with dried rose petals, a bit of delicacy, with some asian spices and a bit of tea. This is evolving nicely, but not there yet. A bit of sweetness comes out of nowhere about a half hour into breathing time but then integrates again. Start drinking or hold.
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Medium/lighter body, medium strawberry garnet in color; such an elegant wine, full of vibrant cherry/strawberry/raspberry notes, wonderful earthiness, hint of black tea through the finish. There's a touch of sweetness in the background, but all in perfect balance. Starting to show off its potential, could be a window opening on this, which should last for quite a few years.
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Peay pickup tasting, April 2010: Fabulous raspberry/strawberry/cherry, beautiful complexities starting to evolve, some spice, great balance. This is the first time I've felt this wine is starting to come out of its shell. I bet this will continue to develop for another couple of years, then be at it's peak for quite a few more.
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Opened not decanted. Starts out a little tight and opens up within an hour with some smoke and black licorice on the nose. Soft, plush, feminine in style with a masculine tannic backbone; fruit profile is strawberry and raspberry with a touch of sweet tomato (?). A well made and solid drinker. Very Good.
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Best to decant if you must drink one now...better to hold off another 2 years minimum though. Nice balance of dark red fruit and lively acidity. Finish is solidly tannic, but not overly oaky.
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90+; Ruby color; Spice and cherry on the nose and palate. This had a structure good enough to improve with further bottle time. Not overdone with balance. Very nice! Decanted about 15 minutes prior to consumption.
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Gorgeous, full nose is singing with bing cherry, floral notes and spice. Palate echoes the nose. Shows really tight with a compact, drying mid-palate. This opens up with time but the drying note never resolves over the course of the bottle (drank rather over an hour with dinner). While the nose was memorable, the palate never followed suit.
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Upon opening good nose of dark cherry. Upon first taste good balance and more fruit with some tartness. Very good within the first hour. Nice long balanced finish. Thinking on day two that the balance and eloquence of the wine will show even more and I was not dissappointed. Getting some good cherrry a hint of strawberry and some mineral all in a classy style that takes you away. If you can get a bottle or two, do so.
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All around strong Sonoma Coast Pinot that offered something new each day of the week. It got 6 hours of cork and 18 of vacu-vin each day and was best on days 2 and 3. Very versatile and very tasty wine.
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$54.99. lighter color than the estate, and more nuanced, but still rather heavy in the midpalate. dark cherry seems to be the order of these parcels, a little strawberry in this one, and i can see a little more minerals (thus, the name), but i'm not smitten. i actually like the second label CEP tonight better than the peay designates. it didn't try so hard...it just is a nice sipping pinot. but, i digress.
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This bottle is open for business, and breathing just improved it. Plum tinged cherry fruit with spice and fennel nuances, really pretty, and drinking well. Put on more weight with air, so I'd say this has arrived. Much more open than the last bottles. Start drinking now - 2011.
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Opened not decanted. Subtle fruit, wood and some earthiness on the nose. On the palate: very tight and narrow cherry fruit with a corky mustiness intertwined with some soft spice. Ends with a drying finish with some watery cinnamon and citrus notes. Needs more time and / or several hours of decanting.
Day 2: the nose has opened up more with sweet and soft red fruit. On the palate: rounder and fuller with strawberry and raspberry. The good news is that the corky mustiness has disappeared. The finish ends dry and with a powdery cherry strawberry note. Much better today. Good to Very Good.
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Another beautiful showing of this unusually precocious youngster (my 3rd bottle)! Soft red fruits and pomegranate adorn a silky, medium-bodied frame with gorgeous acid and structure. Spice, nuance, elegance, and a surprisingly lengthy finish. This wine really needs time, but it is so delicious that I am struggling to resist the early pops. Time to buy more. This wine will merit a higher score with some cool years in the cellar. Delicious with pork tenderloin wrapped in porcinis, sage, and prosciutto.
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For those that would argue that a female winemaker makes a distinctly feminine wine, this pinot would be Exhibit A. The wine has an Audrey Hepburn-like feel in that its elegant, delicate and balanced with a finish that is as complex as the wine is light and airy. This will be even better in a few years, but it went wonderful now with a pesto-based pasta as the nuanced finish went beautifully with the herb-laced nature of the pasta. This wine could easily be underestimated as on first blush it appears to lack a certain element of concentration and body. But as you continue to drink, you begin to appreciate the almost luminescent color, ethereal bouquet and truly elegant finish. This is not meant to oversell this wine, but rather express a true appreciation for what it has to offer: elegance, balance with wonderful flavor profiles. I really appreciate this producer and have a hard time understanding why I have not bought more pinot from them in the past. Their syrahs ares great, but I think this pinot may be even better.
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Muted on the nose when first opening. Tart cranberry and cherry. Very evident minerality and earth. Taut on the midpalate. Some tannins here but a lot of the structure comes from the acidity. Recorked and into the fridge. The next day it had smoothed out a little on the midpalate and minerality was even ore pronounced. This will be much better with 5+ years in the cellar, but is very enjoyable now.
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High-toned raspberry and cherry fruit aromas and flavors. Intriguing notes of orange peel and fine-grained tannins. Very smooth. Lighter in the mid-palate than the Pomarium.
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At Sona consumed over 2-1/2 hours. Infanticide. Tight, never opened up. Will wait appropriately on my own stash. I asked Mark Mendoza why no older vintages. They have an inventory of 18,000 bottles. When you realize they probably sell that much wine in a year, it is clear they can principally offer only current vintages. Which is why, I, and presumably many if not most CellarTracker's bring their properly aged wines to restaurants.
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7/15/2021 - mdgberg wrote: 92 Points
Better than the identical bottle a month ago, much more life and balance. Not oxidized at all and really enjoyable. Probably just a year or two left.
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6/12/2021 - mdgberg wrote: 91 Points
Slightly soft cork, used the Durand. Brick edged out of the bottle. Lots of volatile stuff burning off at first. Starts to come together after 30 min. Spice on the nose, rose and dried cherry with a bit of acidity (still!). Near its end of life but a pleasant bottle on a warm summer afternoon.
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1/18/2021 - Ellenkf Likes this wine: 92 Points
very cloudy ruby - spice and earth on the nose - clove, allspice, nutmeg, turned earth. Spiced stewed plums, ripe red raspberry, lingonberry jam, and maraschino topped creme anglaise. a little riper on the palate and more oak influences, some phenolic bitterness. Deep overripe black fruit, burnt toast, black licorice, cherry cola, plenty of alcoholic thrust. Lingering sweet finish.
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6/22/2017 - mobley wrote:
VA - good material under the strong VA aroma.
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6/21/2017 - mobley wrote:
VA - good material under the strong VA aroma.
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12/3/2016 - prism wrote: 93 Points
Cellared since release. Horrible, dry, crumbly cork. Had to strain. Decanted for an hour or so. Medium body, a little Peay Pinot barnyard that blows off. Very nice nose; on the palate, ripe cherries with hints of chalk and mint.
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12/31/2015 - doublehorn wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic.
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4/28/2014 - Ellenkf Likes this wine: 91 Points
Always Crowd pleasing!
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1/1/2014 - irish87 wrote: flawed
VA
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11/29/2013 - prism wrote: 93 Points
Excellent Pinot. Deep scarlet color; only slightly clouded. Nose of cherries and strawberries. Medium body, substantial mouthfeel, wel integrated tannins. No heat: in fact, almost a cooling effect: lightly mentholated red fruit with a saline mineral quality. A little too much oak on the medium-long finish.
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11/21/2013 - BordeauxBuff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind in a Pinot Noir around the world flight. The Pinot of the night for many. Excellent concentration, smooth tannins and the complexity of a top notch Premier Cru Burgundy.
I wish I had more to drink. Highly recommended.
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11/15/2013 - ksmith wrote: 92 Points
On the nose, raspberry fruit and alcohol. Raspberry, acid and fruit on the palate, cherry on the finish. Overall, extremely smooth, no perceptible tannins.
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11/8/2013 - Daniels Collection Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good, light color with vibrant strawberry flavor. In it's prime!
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4/30/2013 - Forest Floor Likes this wine: 93 Points
This version of the Scallop Shelf was the first Peay I ever drank in a great restaurant in the Monterey area, Passionfish. It still completely seduces me: dark fruited, complex tannins, long finish…reminiscent of some of the very little grand cru burgundy I have tasted.
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4/27/2013 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Enjoyable bottle, good, but not great. It did open open and improve with some air. Nice nose. The finish was a bit short.
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3/13/2013 - James Kim wrote: 93 Points
Opened this for Phil Beachy, Tara and Lawrence. Elegant is the best word. Light and ethereal, with herbs, spice, and red/black fruits. Beautifully balanced. Very pretty.
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3/31/2012 - CTuttle wrote:
This wine is decent now. However, it still has serious tannic structure for the amount of fruit present. Hopefully, it can balance out a bit while the fruit persists. Nice acidity.
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2/15/2012 - awilliamson4 wrote: 90 Points
Opned and let air for about 30 minutes then drank. Nice medium color. Nose was full of strwaberries and tea leaves which continued on the palate. There was a nice sour cherry component and a touch of chalkiness. I thought this paired very well with dinner.
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2/14/2012 - awilliamson4 wrote: 90 Points
Opened and aired in the bottle about 30 minutes. Medium colored with a nose of strawberries and tea leaves. Those aromas followed on the palate and were joined by a little sour cherry and slight chalk flavor. Unlike most of the recent pinots I have had there was no earthiness to it. It paired very well with dinner.
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4/15/2011 - budman wrote: 90 Points
Solid pinot. Notes of sour strawberry and spice. This probably still needs a year or two to hit its prime.
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1/20/2011 - olm2000 wrote: 93 Points
bit fruity/jammy for me after opening...after 2 hours this was singing...black tea, chalk and floral notes on nose...complex...medium full on palate with good length...very balanced w good acid spine...excellent CA pinot
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1/1/2011 - pgb67 wrote: 89 Points
Medium to light bodied, made in a refined, classy style, but nevertheless could use a little more dazzle at this stage - relatively uninteresting light red fruit and black tea aromas and flavors predominate. Good stuffing and length and seems to have plenty of room to improve over time.
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12/24/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened and not decanted. Similar to my 2/9/10 note, without the tomato. Consumed over 2 days. Better on Day 2. Good+
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11/26/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured on Thanksgiving.
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6/29/2010 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
Refined. Medium to light weight red cherry and strawberry fruit scented with dried rose petals, a bit of delicacy, with some asian spices and a bit of tea. This is evolving nicely, but not there yet. A bit of sweetness comes out of nowhere about a half hour into breathing time but then integrates again. Start drinking or hold.
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4/12/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium/lighter body, medium strawberry garnet in color; such an elegant wine, full of vibrant cherry/strawberry/raspberry notes, wonderful earthiness, hint of black tea through the finish. There's a touch of sweetness in the background, but all in perfect balance. Starting to show off its potential, could be a window opening on this, which should last for quite a few years.
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4/3/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Peay pickup tasting, April 2010: Fabulous raspberry/strawberry/cherry, beautiful complexities starting to evolve, some spice, great balance. This is the first time I've felt this wine is starting to come out of its shell. I bet this will continue to develop for another couple of years, then be at it's peak for quite a few more.
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2/17/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
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2/9/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Starts out a little tight and opens up within an hour with some smoke and black licorice on the nose. Soft, plush, feminine in style with a masculine tannic backbone; fruit profile is strawberry and raspberry with a touch of sweet tomato (?). A well made and solid drinker. Very Good.
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1/2/2010 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
Same as last note.
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12/5/2009 - vordo wrote: 92 Points
need more time, but when it did open up (late in day 2) it was fabulous with long vanilla notes.
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10/8/2009 - sco3point14 wrote:
Best to decant if you must drink one now...better to hold off another 2 years minimum though. Nice balance of dark red fruit and lively acidity. Finish is solidly tannic, but not overly oaky.
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8/15/2009 - pleiades wrote:
Note to self: don't drink red wine with Chinese food.
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8/3/2009 - Winetex wrote: 90 Points
90+; Ruby color; Spice and cherry on the nose and palate. This had a structure good enough to improve with further bottle time. Not overdone with balance. Very nice! Decanted about 15 minutes prior to consumption.
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5/20/2009 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Gorgeous, full nose is singing with bing cherry, floral notes and spice. Palate echoes the nose. Shows really tight with a compact, drying mid-palate. This opens up with time but the drying note never resolves over the course of the bottle (drank rather over an hour with dinner). While the nose was memorable, the palate never followed suit.
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5/9/2009 - Ellenkf wrote:
really pretty and balanced, can drink all night; decant 45min 2009
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4/5/2009 - SPK wrote:
Upon opening good nose of dark cherry. Upon first taste good balance and more fruit with some tartness. Very good within the first hour. Nice long balanced finish. Thinking on day two that the balance and eloquence of the wine will show even more and I was not dissappointed. Getting some good cherrry a hint of strawberry and some mineral all in a classy style that takes you away. If you can get a bottle or two, do so.
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3/5/2009 - silton wrote: 91 Points
All around strong Sonoma Coast Pinot that offered something new each day of the week. It got 6 hours of cork and 18 of vacu-vin each day and was best on days 2 and 3. Very versatile and very tasty wine.
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2/24/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Peay Vineyards Tasting with Andy Peay (Enotria, Scottsdale): Ruby color. Bing cherry nose. Tastes of cherry, cola and earth. Nicely balanced. Elegant finish.
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2/24/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 89 Points
$54.99. lighter color than the estate, and more nuanced, but still rather heavy in the midpalate. dark cherry seems to be the order of these parcels, a little strawberry in this one, and i can see a little more minerals (thus, the name), but i'm not smitten. i actually like the second label CEP tonight better than the peay designates. it didn't try so hard...it just is a nice sipping pinot. but, i digress.
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2/21/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
This bottle is open for business, and breathing just improved it. Plum tinged cherry fruit with spice and fennel nuances, really pretty, and drinking well. Put on more weight with air, so I'd say this has arrived. Much more open than the last bottles. Start drinking now - 2011.
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1/10/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Subtle fruit, wood and some earthiness on the nose. On the palate: very tight and narrow cherry fruit with a corky mustiness intertwined with some soft spice. Ends with a drying finish with some watery cinnamon and citrus notes. Needs more time and / or several hours of decanting.
Day 2: the nose has opened up more with sweet and soft red fruit. On the palate: rounder and fuller with strawberry and raspberry. The good news is that the corky mustiness has disappeared. The finish ends dry and with a powdery cherry strawberry note. Much better today. Good to Very Good.
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1/5/2009 - Moorese wrote: 92 Points
Another beautiful showing of this unusually precocious youngster (my 3rd bottle)! Soft red fruits and pomegranate adorn a silky, medium-bodied frame with gorgeous acid and structure. Spice, nuance, elegance, and a surprisingly lengthy finish. This wine really needs time, but it is so delicious that I am struggling to resist the early pops. Time to buy more. This wine will merit a higher score with some cool years in the cellar. Delicious with pork tenderloin wrapped in porcinis, sage, and prosciutto.
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12/29/2008 - TomTom wrote:
For those that would argue that a female winemaker makes a distinctly feminine wine, this pinot would be Exhibit A. The wine has an Audrey Hepburn-like feel in that its elegant, delicate and balanced with a finish that is as complex as the wine is light and airy. This will be even better in a few years, but it went wonderful now with a pesto-based pasta as the nuanced finish went beautifully with the herb-laced nature of the pasta. This wine could easily be underestimated as on first blush it appears to lack a certain element of concentration and body. But as you continue to drink, you begin to appreciate the almost luminescent color, ethereal bouquet and truly elegant finish. This is not meant to oversell this wine, but rather express a true appreciation for what it has to offer: elegance, balance with wonderful flavor profiles. I really appreciate this producer and have a hard time understanding why I have not bought more pinot from them in the past. Their syrahs ares great, but I think this pinot may be even better.
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12/25/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 89 Points
Needs time.
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11/5/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 89 Points
Maturing. Needs another year, but nice cranberry tinged red fruits and dusty oak on the nose and palate.
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8/24/2008 - popquizkid wrote: 90 Points
Muted on the nose when first opening. Tart cranberry and cherry. Very evident minerality and earth. Taut on the midpalate. Some tannins here but a lot of the structure comes from the acidity. Recorked and into the fridge. The next day it had smoothed out a little on the midpalate and minerality was even ore pronounced. This will be much better with 5+ years in the cellar, but is very enjoyable now.
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6/29/2008 - drdebs wrote: 93 Points
High-toned raspberry and cherry fruit aromas and flavors. Intriguing notes of orange peel and fine-grained tannins. Very smooth. Lighter in the mid-palate than the Pomarium.
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6/18/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
At Sona consumed over 2-1/2 hours. Infanticide. Tight, never opened up. Will wait appropriately on my own stash. I asked Mark Mendoza why no older vintages. They have an inventory of 18,000 bottles. When you realize they probably sell that much wine in a year, it is clear they can principally offer only current vintages.
Which is why, I, and presumably many if not most CellarTracker's bring their properly aged wines to restaurants.
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