Apparently in my world “soon” means exactly one year, as the last bottle was opened a year ago today. Decanted off its fine sediment and poured a glass. Youthful ruby/crimson color with no discernible bricking. Cinnamon and warm spice notes dominate the bouquet, with black cherry and pine sap underneath. There’s also an herbaceous quality, something along the lines of rosemary. Flavors of baked cherry, rhubarb and cranberry with warm spice tones carrying the midpalate and finish. On the lighter side of medium-bodied, with enough acidity to provide lift and freshness. Finishes with good length. I wish we had waited to open this bottle with friends or one of the blind tasting groups as this would have turned some heads and surprised a few people. I’ll update later if there is anything else worth noting as we drink through the bottle, but suffice to say this is drinking well and probably at peak for my palate.
We’re about 45 minutes in and still on the first glasses but this has added a floral note and also a sweet, meaty quality…it reminds me a little of a Honeybaked ham, if that gives a frame of reference. It has also put on some weight on the palate, and the fruit has taken on a little darker profile. Really, really nice.
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Holiday tasting (EBCC): Walk around tasting. A bit advanced showing toffee and subtle red fruit. This bottle was over-the-hill. Will open one of our last two bottles soon to see if this was a one-off or true indication of where this wine is at.
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Dark color with initial notes of spice and black cherry and dark fruit. Nice Asian spice overtones, perhaps some cinnamon and nutmeg too. Dark fruits, spices, hints of earth and dried wood.
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Not a fan. A lot of dark fruit and decent earth, but low energy and lacking drive. Gamay-like trollop which probably has some RS too. Fortunately not hot or oaky, but sacrifices freshness and nerve for the sake of concentration. A bit like Russian River Valley in that regard, but not what I look for in Pinot Noir.
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Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Deeper color than the previous two. Aromas of cherries, clay, dark berries with a very subtle earthy undertone. With air the fruit becomes darker and a spice note emerges. Medium-bodied with flavors of dark fruit, cherry and spice. Finishes nicely. 91-92 pts.
I knew this had to be ours; most guesses centered on Sonoma Pinot.
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Beautiful nose of funky earth and plum fruit. But the palate was marred by a dominating bitterness (robitussin-esque, not in a good way). Not sure if phase-related or bottle issue, but I guess in a world of living wines, a few are going to fall over.
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Excellent stuff - really several notches up from the standad NZ pinot. Young but already showing great terroir and complexity - lively sappy finish right now but over 3-4 hours this starts to funk up and give some real meaty, minty notes. Will benefit hugely from time in bottle. Very good.
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We had a half-bottle of this with friends after a half-bottle of 2006 1st Cru Burgundy and a half-bottle of 2007 Joseph Swan Cuvee de Trois RRV PN as part of an "around-the-world" pinot dinner. I found this to be too sappy (Tanzer seemed to like the sappiness based on his note) with no minerality, spice, earthiness, or complexity to speak of, and those are the sides of pinot that can really inspire me. Decent fruit and no real flaws, so I'll give it 89-90 and note that the QPR here is a bit poor in my opinion. This style will appeal to many, but I personally don't appreciate it much. For the price, you could have a solid Burgundy or a well-made California PN with the full package.
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I think a great test of a wine is how delicious it is when consumed from unconventional glassware like simple water glasses. This rocked in spades. Great berry density, a lovely acidity, a roundness mixing with graceful body. Great drinking with rounds of pizza.
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Dark red, subtle nose of red berry fruit with volcanic and minerals overtones, palate is sweet on the attack but turns herbaceous, finish is flooded with bloody beef steak and beef tomato flavors layered with unpleasant volcanic notes
Note: wtf was Tanzer tasting
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Earthy nose (like Lafarge) with something sweet lurking, maybe candied orange peel and hints of talc. Palate is a swirling mix of sweet plum, tart cherry and chalky limestone minerality. More approachable than the 06, or at least less dense. But the tannins are still a little sharp. 3-4 years of patience might be well rewarded. But it's a tough ask. This is brilliant now.
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12/30/2023 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Apparently in my world “soon” means exactly one year, as the last bottle was opened a year ago today. Decanted off its fine sediment and poured a glass. Youthful ruby/crimson color with no discernible bricking. Cinnamon and warm spice notes dominate the bouquet, with black cherry and pine sap underneath. There’s also an herbaceous quality, something along the lines of rosemary. Flavors of baked cherry, rhubarb and cranberry with warm spice tones carrying the midpalate and finish. On the lighter side of medium-bodied, with enough acidity to provide lift and freshness. Finishes with good length. I wish we had waited to open this bottle with friends or one of the blind tasting groups as this would have turned some heads and surprised a few people. I’ll update later if there is anything else worth noting as we drink through the bottle, but suffice to say this is drinking well and probably at peak for my palate.
We’re about 45 minutes in and still on the first glasses but this has added a floral note and also a sweet, meaty quality…it reminds me a little of a Honeybaked ham, if that gives a frame of reference. It has also put on some weight on the palate, and the fruit has taken on a little darker profile. Really, really nice.
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12/30/2022 - AllRed wrote:
Holiday tasting (EBCC): Walk around tasting. A bit advanced showing toffee and subtle red fruit. This bottle was over-the-hill. Will open one of our last two bottles soon to see if this was a one-off or true indication of where this wine is at.
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12/14/2020 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Very acceptable, even in light of its age.
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8/8/2019 - LoireFan wrote: 92 Points
Still too young. Screwcap perhaps preventing maturity?
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8/26/2017 - petitblanc wrote:
Madison Offline 2017; 8/24/2017-8/26/2017: This showed some pretty ripe fruit, but notes of wet grass and old meat limited my pleasure. Not scored.
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8/30/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Opened by Allred. A nicely aged Pinot with a fresh and bright red fruit profile. 91 points.
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8/29/2015 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Dark color with initial notes of spice and black cherry and dark fruit. Nice Asian spice overtones, perhaps some cinnamon and nutmeg too. Dark fruits, spices, hints of earth and dried wood.
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5/9/2015 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
Not a fan. A lot of dark fruit and decent earth, but low energy and lacking drive. Gamay-like trollop which probably has some RS too. Fortunately not hot or oaky, but sacrifices freshness and nerve for the sake of concentration. A bit like Russian River Valley in that regard, but not what I look for in Pinot Noir.
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2/23/2015 - Mr T wrote:
Most of this ended up in an incredible beef Bourguignon. 2.5 cups in the stew and what was left was fine and tasty
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10/2/2013 - NZ_Mag wrote: 93 Points
Deep-flavoured fruit: dark cherries and plums, earthy, a good structure and velvety tannins
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4/5/2013 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Deeper color than the previous two. Aromas of cherries, clay, dark berries with a very subtle earthy undertone. With air the fruit becomes darker and a spice note emerges. Medium-bodied with flavors of dark fruit, cherry and spice. Finishes nicely. 91-92 pts.
I knew this had to be ours; most guesses centered on Sonoma Pinot.
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10/14/2012 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2004 California Cabs (Rich & Dana's): Notes of rhubarb, cherry, red fruit and spice. Bright flavors of cherry and red fruit across the palate, with balancing acidity. Lengthy finish.
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10/1/2011 - RationalDenial wrote:
Beautiful nose of funky earth and plum fruit. But the palate was marred by a dominating bitterness (robitussin-esque, not in a good way). Not sure if phase-related or bottle issue, but I guess in a world of living wines, a few are going to fall over.
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3/2/2011 - Mr T wrote:
fruit forward, sappy and delish....paired well with crab cakes
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2/28/2011 - pjaines wrote:
Excellent stuff - really several notches up from the standad NZ pinot. Young but already showing great terroir and complexity - lively sappy finish right now but over 3-4 hours this starts to funk up and give some real meaty, minty notes. Will benefit hugely from time in bottle. Very good.
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8/8/2010 - curtispomeroy wrote: 91 Points
Very fruit forward. Sappy is a very apt descriptor for this wine but it does possess complexity on both the nose and palate.
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8/3/2010 - rcmcb wrote: 90 Points
We had a half-bottle of this with friends after a half-bottle of 2006 1st Cru Burgundy and a half-bottle of 2007 Joseph Swan Cuvee de Trois RRV PN as part of an "around-the-world" pinot dinner. I found this to be too sappy (Tanzer seemed to like the sappiness based on his note) with no minerality, spice, earthiness, or complexity to speak of, and those are the sides of pinot that can really inspire me. Decent fruit and no real flaws, so I'll give it 89-90 and note that the QPR here is a bit poor in my opinion. This style will appeal to many, but I personally don't appreciate it much. For the price, you could have a solid Burgundy or a well-made California PN with the full package.
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6/7/2010 - ianinvirginia wrote: 88 Points
DCWineDinners' (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcwinedinners/) Pinot Noir Dinner at Dino (Dino Restaurant, Washington, DC): Nose of vanilla and Luden's Black Cherry cough drop. Cherry and vanilla on the mouth as well. Pretty but relatively primary and sappy, although I did get some more interesting spice after some more time in the glass.
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4/28/2010 - silton wrote: 92 Points
Just as good as my previous bottle, I plan to get more. Most $50 Cali pinots cannot hold a candle to this comprehensive gem. The IWC note is dead-on.
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11/29/2009 - silton wrote: 92 Points
Superb. Akin to a snappy sappy Sonoma Coast Pinot.
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11/20/2009 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
I think a great test of a wine is how delicious it is when consumed from unconventional glassware like simple water glasses. This rocked in spades. Great berry density, a lovely acidity, a roundness mixing with graceful body. Great drinking with rounds of pizza.
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10/21/2009 - duchamp wrote: 87 Points
Dark red, subtle nose of red berry fruit with volcanic and minerals overtones, palate is sweet on the attack but turns herbaceous, finish is flooded with bloody beef steak and beef tomato flavors layered with unpleasant volcanic notes
Note: wtf was Tanzer tasting
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10/11/2009 - RationalDenial wrote: 92 Points
Earthy nose (like Lafarge) with something sweet lurking, maybe candied orange peel and hints of talc. Palate is a swirling mix of sweet plum, tart cherry and chalky limestone minerality. More approachable than the 06, or at least less dense. But the tannins are still a little sharp. 3-4 years of patience might be well rewarded. But it's a tough ask. This is brilliant now.
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