Ripe and mature black and red cherry, overtly spiced, but good weight and still fresh enough, especially for its age. Good depth. Better than another bottle from earlier this year.
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Still very bright and vibrant, with plenty of ripe black and red cherry throughout, accompanied by lots of spice, seemingly a bit too much whole cluster driven, but very fun and tasty.
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Red and black cherry on nose and palate, all still nicely fresh. Just a trace too much whole cluster coming through that hasn't fully integrated. but good overall, especially for its price/ level and age.
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Mature red berry and cherry start-to-finish with good weight for an "entry level" wine with a bit of pronounced whole cluster style spice notes. Medium+ weight. Very good for its price on release. Still drinking well, probably good for a few more years.
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Translucent garnet ruby core fading at the rim. The aromas are pure, elegant, and sweet with specific notes of black cherries, crushed stones, sweet tarts, forest floor, and wet concrete. The palate is supple yet fresh with crisp red and purple fruit, smooth tannins, complicating earthy tones, and admirable persistence. This wine is definitely showcasing the beautiful character expected from Rhys' wines with proper age.
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Crumbling cord required the Durand. This bottle is mature and delicious, showing long tertiary flavors. A pleasant surprise; I like this much more than I did a few years ago.
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At first I thought the stems were a bit strong in this wine but the finish fills out nicely with air. Still structured and lean with complex aromas of crushed stones, rose petals, cherries, and savory spices. The palate is red fruited with vibrant acidity, softening tannins, and crunchy yet attractive stems. I bet this wine will surprise with several more years of age.
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Translucent with light browning on the fringe. Spice and some leathery characteristics on the nose. Vapid mid palate. Tart red fruit, salinity on the finish. I don't recall what this was like in its youth, I'm guessing the stems have transformed into spice and aromatics today, the highlights of the wine.
I enjoyed this more than I did the bottle in 2014 that seemed over the hill. The last bottle I have will rest for another few years as an experiment.
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The cork was saturated and leaking slightly, despite be in the wine cellar since release. Showed signs of some oxidation. Red fruits slighly muted. Still nice spice on the finish. Would love to caught this one earlier.
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Rhys @ QCH (Quality Chop House, London): Declassified Family Farm. Slightly cloudy pale ruby. Soft red fruit and a touch of caramel. There's a gentleness here. Soft and rounded, a bit of liquorice . Relatively short and a bit soft on the finish but very pretty and drinkable. Reminds me of a minor Chambolle, Potel Bellenum 01 VV to be specific. ***1/2
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I am convinced that this is the best Rhys pinot I've ever had, ironic that it would be declassified juice. Good core of red with a great balance of soil, structure and a dustiness to the fruit. Tasty stuff. No rush on these either.
Bright juicy red fruit with a little tomato skin and spice, it picks up intensity through the middle with fine tannin and a hint of tart acidity primes the mouth for another sip. This is a really pretty wine in its prime time, almost irresistible.
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World Cup Final (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Still a big fan of this wine. Love the elegance and complexity it had with layers of red fruit and soft floral accents. The mid palate had this awesome spicy note with a kick of acidity that created a really enjoyable package. I hadn't had this wine in about a year and it seems to consistently great.
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Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. The feel is more to the delicate and feminine side with red fruits, red cherries, spice notes, and some roses. The wine thins out slightly on the mid-palate, bu regains it on the finish.
Overall: This was my last bottle. This was also on straight pop and pour, and I wasn't able to really get back to it later in the day as it was drained fairly fast.
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I was disappointed with this wine upon first opening -- just seemed to be an ok but fairly flat and uninteresting wine. However, after about an hour of air, this evolved into a completely different wine with lovely aromatics and a solid pinot, especially given the price. I think this wine still has time left although this was sadly my last.
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PnP. Light, translucent violet-red. Found this 'lost' wine during cellar re-organization. What a treat. Gushes red berries, dark cherries and spice on nose. Palate features bright red fruit framed in acidity. Is both tart and silky. Nicely balanced. Spice notes add a little flavor complexity and as Nancy noted, it finishes with dirt (tannins and earthy notes, combined - she's not so fond, but I love). Fresh tasting and in a great place now.
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Pale crimson color, moderate transparency. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, and earth. Palate has strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and some earthy elements with nice acidity that carries into a medium finish. Really pretty right now and hard to argue with drinking it up. Drink or hold.
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Medium-dark red color with medium transparency. Black fruited nose with black cherry, blackberry, and some toasty notes. Palate is tart with black cherry and black raspberry and initially on the shy side. With a day open in the cellar, this opens to show more red fruit and mineral notes with cherry, strawberry, and some raspberry notes that carry into a medium finish. Seems to still be improving and opening up. Needs air now but fine to drink.
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Taste: Very pretty medium body with nice medium+ acidity. Very well balanced with silky tones of red fruits, cherries, spice tones, and some tart dark red berries.
Overall: This is very pretty and drinking perfectly. There is good balance to this with a nice tart quality to the fruit.
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Another Friday Afternoon @ Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): I was a big fan of this. The fruit was spicy and rich but had great precision on the palate. Really nice depth too. I've had a bunch of Alesia's over the years and this was certainly one of the most impressive bottles.
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Medium ruby color. Intense, complex nose of wild red berries, spice, and earth notes. Medium bodied on the palate, good on the attack but the middle drops out.
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Medium cran-raspberry red color. Aromas of raspberry, cranberry, cherry, vanilla, and cinnamon. Palate follows the nose with raspberry, tart cherry, cranberry, lemon, and some vanilla elements that lead into a medium finish. There's enough acid here to keep this focused and provide a nice sipping experience. Seems to be gaining some more middle palate fruit after a period of being sort of closed down over the past few bottles/years. Prefer to the Sonoma Coast, Falstaff Road, and Green Valley offerings from 2006 at this point. Drink or hold.
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Another really nice 06 Cali. These wines are seem to be starting to show really well. I have been unsure about the vintage although I have always enjoyed this wine but even the San Mateo is showing nice improvement. The wine is dropping some of the heavy richness that was there before. Showing cleaner berry flavors mixed with spice. Maybe because of the price, I kept pulling the trigger on this. Should have held them all. Drinking really well now but seems fine to hold for a while.
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I waited a year between this bottle and the last, to see how the wine might age. The additional year has softened the wine. The acidity and pine notes that helped frame the edges last year are less prominent and now the wine is a bit more sweeter in tone, with the same lovely strawberry from the last bottle, although this time a distinct plum flesh note is in the fruit, too. There's also a bit of a red apple texture, much like what I might find from the Anderson Valley's Deep End. The sum experience of all this is a mainly sexy red fruited wine, that has some creamy edges and acid, a piney/clovey, 5-spice note, and that is in my idea close to peak and should hold another year for optimum drinking. In fact, the flavors showing in this wine would be a great Thanksgiving pair--think stuffing, cranberry and brown spices. These would sing with this wine's flavors.
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Had it one day after the 06 Alesia SC pinot and it just couldn't compete. Was still a nice pinot...definitely lighter in scale than the SC, but had some bitterness on the finish. Will drink my last bottle of this soon.
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The nose the beautiful, showing ripe strawberry, hints of undergrowth, spice, stone and herbs. On the palate it was soft and juicy with red berry fruits and finished clean, dry and short.
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This showed similarly to the last bottle from a few months ago. Spicy fruit, medium body, and acidity that really completes the package. Nice wine. My discrete CT scale: 95-extraordinary; 90-very good; 85-good; 80-fair; 75-poor
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13.8% alcohol. Just trucking along. A light, elegant Pinot with real substance behind it. Delightful fruit profile. It's fully ready to drink now, but it might be interesting to see what secondary characteristics come about in the next few years. A-
Excellent wine. Medium wieght with very Burgundian acid level. Bright red fruitwith some mineral and spice notes. Would gladly drink any time. Well done.
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Gorgeous cherry red color. Predominantly cherry flavored with some baking spices. Unfortunately, The flavors were obscured by the persistent acidity and the wine seems slightly out of balance. Perhaps this needed some decanting, but even after 2 hours, the acid was overwhelming the fruit.
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I liked this. The fruit and structure seem to be coming together into a nice package of spicy fruit and medium body. This was popped and poured at cellar temperature and enjoyed over a couple of hours. My discrete CT scale: 95-extraordinary; 90-very good; 85-good; 80-fair; 75-poor
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Not as great of a showing as last time. This has been a peculiar bottle for me. I'd be happy to drink this any day, but it doesn't knock my socks off. The nose was amazing, the mouthfeel had some nice minerality, but the finish was tart, short, and kind of ruined the whole experience.
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Chards and Pinots (Shari's house, Mpls, MN): Medium red color. Pop and pour, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Nose is a bit funky, cherry, reticent. The palate seems tannic, bitter, on the green side, thin mid palate, lacking substance or elegance.
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13.8% alcohol. Red cherry color. Pretty nose of light stems, red cherry, and earthy spice. In the mouth, elegant and well-balanced. The cherry fruit steps up front but is cut off by a lightly green stemmy note and good acidity. Smooth finish. This has really smoothed out quite a bit. A-
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A light ruby color. Earthy, raspberries, cherries, minerals, baking spices, vanilla, underbrush and very slight herbal note on the very nice nose. Medium body at most with ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Nice spicy, earthy, red fruit on the palate with a nice herbal note in the background. Long finish with tart fruit and spice. Tasting wonderful now but will hold for a few more years. A top notch CA Pinot Noir for under $30.
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Ripe and sweet red fruited but also with some nice earthiness. A bit too new worldy in the beginning. A lot better after 3 days in the fridge. Less ripe fruitiness and wonderful earthy nuances. A bit too alcoholic for my taste (13.8%). Anyway, not bad at all for a Cali Pinot. A very positive experience, in fact.
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Pop/poured. On opening, this was a "wow" wine. The epitome of smooth and balanced. On the nose, red fruit, resin, earth and an interesting spice. Much of this carries over to the palate, with a sense of stems. With 20 minutes in the glass, this shuts down a bit, with the initial smoothness giving way to a bit of harshness, largely a function of some relatively noticeable tannins. The finish is nevertheless quite long. Initially, I was prepared to rate this 93 points. After 20 minutes...something closer to 90 points. If whether through bottle age or decanting, this could approach the initial impression, it is a killer wine. Even at the 20 minute mark, it's quite pleasant, if perhaps a bit youthful. My only concern on this one is if the tannins will ultimately wash away before the fruit, which is concentrated but not heavy. For the time being, I'll rate this conservatively at 90 points.
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On the nose, bright red berry fruit and some spice. In the mouth, great balance of fruit and acidity with spice and mineral notes. The case I bought at $23/bottle delivered is one of the all-time great QPRs.
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Dark red color with medium transparency. Aromas of cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg, and blood orange. Flavors on the palate seem more filled in than a bottle from a few weeks back (or perhaps the mind fills in the blanks better given the recent experience on day two). Flavors are of cherry, cinnamon, and a slight plum with a medium finish that shows some cranberry and raspberry elements. Fills out a bit on day two, but leftovers were sparse on this bottle. Drink if you have a bunch; drink or hold otherwise.
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Pretty perfume of red cherry juice and warm baking spices. Medium bodied with medium acidity. Ripe, sweet red cherries along with tart cranberry fruit. Some nice cinnamon and clove notes. Tasty.
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13.8% alcohol. In a great place right now. Red cherry color. Pretty nose of black cherry, light stems, and earthy notes. In the mouth, excellent mouth feel. It's got terrific velvety texture and pure, linear cherry fruit, which is complemented nicely by the earth and spice notes. Refined acidity and a solid finish that shows a bit more of the stem influence. A-
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Medium red color with some transparency. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, a hint of licorice, and tea. Palate is initially subdued with a light cherry and raspberry flavor that seems relatively thin in the middle. This carries into a medium-short finish. With a day of air in the bottle, this fills in nicely and drinks more to expectations. This is probably in a transitional phase and seems more appropriate for near-term consumption than long-term storage. Drink with some airtime to help the blanks fill in.
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Can't recall too much about this bottle except it was pleasant if not as nice as previous ones - perhaps needed slightly more aging due to the magnum format.
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Fortunately, sourced 2 more of these so now can enjoy tracking this wine through time. Tonight's bottle open about 2 hours. Shows similarly to the bottle six months ago with the same strawberry and now some cherry, which even shows well at room temp. This time, the forest floor notes, along with some graphite/metal shaving notes, are quite present in the aromatics and the palate. Terrific acidity and vibrant, ths wine is hanging right in there, tasting great still and with lots of life left to go. I think another 2-3 years....delicious.
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As others have noted, this has filled out and become more interesting with a few years in the bottle. It's now a lovely light to medium bodied Pinot which showcases the delicacy of the Rhys style well, although it doesn't have the depth and fullness of the vintages of this bottling that have earned the flagship label.
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Yet another Rhys production that delivers. The bouquet is intoxicating on its own and I could easily mistake this for a young Burgundy with a full red fruit palate. Medium + acidity and enough mineral to shine throughout the length of the beginning, mid-palate, and finish. Plenty of life left if you'd like to lay down but this bottle is drinking beautifully.
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No signs of oxidation in the nose or color, rich red, strawberry fruit, good acidity, clean finish. I would say this wine has another 3-5 years at least ahead of it.
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Aromas of cranberry and pomegranate with a light leafy quality. Lean feeling acidic driven palate. This shows a lot more length than I remember. The finish is expressive showing some signs of wood and charcoal. Fresh and alive. Held up very well over night and I think I may have liked it a bit more the second day. I don't see the depth or concentration that this would need to gain more from aging but it is certainly not in any danger of falling off in the next few years. One of the better values in California Pinot of recent memory.
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From Mag... Opened 1 hour before serving. Great aromatic nose of funky red fruit, earthy mushrooms, and asian spice. Soft palate of red fruits, mainly strawberry and cranberry with baking spice and damp earth. There's a lot more of an earthy edge to this than I remember from past bottles. Drinking very well right now and surely in its prime. There is a little bit of spiky bitterness on the finish that probably is here to stay, but thats just nitpicking as this has turned into a very nice wine.
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This drank beautifully, with a gentle frame and great aromatics. Light in color, with forest floor, baking spices and flavors of strawberry and cinnamon. It's improved tremendously in the last year or so, and a wine that after tasting now look back and wish I would have bought six more. Really delicious, in a great drinking place now.
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Wow, this has really improved since release. I don't know if it can get any better from here, but this is a very compelling pinot in a very comfortable state of drinkability at the moment. I especially love the old-style Burgundian barnyard aromatics; what a contrast to the sweet tooty-frooty scents this had when it first came out. Some lingering carbon dioxide prevents it from being quite so expressive on the palate but a few heavy shakes of the bottle take care of it, although it does retain some slightly spiky acidity that prevents it from being completely harmonious. Nevertheless the result is a far weightier, darker-complexioned wine than this gave any indication of being as recently as two years ago and while it might have a touch of sweetness to betray its New World origins it isn't far off from a Burgundian profile.
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nose: perfumed and aromatic nose of ripe red cherries, creamed tones of red fruits, bits of red florals and some spice tones
taste: pretty medium body with medium acidity and balanced tones of creamed red fruits, spice tones, red cherries and bits of fresh picked berries
overall: this was bottle aired for about an hour or so. Has a nice see through ruby color and the tones flow out of the glass. This seems to be at its best right now with nice length and class on the palate and finish
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13.8% alcohol. This has settled down and smoothed out over the past year. Dark cherry color. Nice nose of stems, black cherry, raspberry, and minerals. In the mouth, quite assertive black cherry is quickly met with the complex notes of stems, minerals, and earth. The acidity has smoothed over noticeably, and the finish is caressing. A slight smokey note on the finish. B+
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This wine seems to be just entering its optimal drinking window, and interestingly has put on quite a bit of weight, since my last tasting. Initially, I found cranberry and baking spice on the nose, but a little more time with this revealed a rather strong orange peel component that correlated through the palate. in fact, the wine finishes with an orange liqueur flavor profile. 50+5+12+16+6
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Popped and poured and then consumed over 4 hours. Medium-bodied wine that is medium ruby in color. On the nose, cherry liqueur, sandalwood, and light VA. On the palate, cherries, strawberries, a touch of citrus, and clove. This wine is loaded with succulent, pure fruit, and the balance is nice with just a touch of heat on the very long 30-40 second finish.
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Same as last bottle: Light garnet color. Nice, complex nose with cranberry, cola, sandalwood, and Asian spices. The palate is medium-full weight. Pronounced flavors, but not heavy. Interesting with some depth. Moderate finish.
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13.8% ABV. Very translucent tawny ruby garnet in the glass. Earthy black cherry nose. Medium bodied with complex earthy black cherry flavors on the palate. Has an old world feel to it with lots of personality even if it doesn't complete wow me.
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First day boring and average. Second day lively, exciting, brambly. Finished it on the 2nd day because it was in a great place. This wine has hit its stride.
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consumed with pan roasted salmon drizzeled with good balsamic. color is just beginning to show a wine in transition to age. nose still largely dominated by stems, but they are better intergrated than in past bottles. red fruits, menthol, flowers, and forest floor apparent as well. medium body and soft mouthfeel. enough acid holds these components in check. finishes with clean red fruits, acid, and a whiff of minerals. well done and stellar qpr.
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So delicious. Initial nose of cocoa powder, raspberries, cedar, and menthol. Very perfumey. Flavors of raspberry, black cherry, anise, herbs, and cranberry. Good acidity. Nice finish. Needs some air to fill it out. Day two has more black cherry, but still really elegant and nice. One bottle left...so sad.
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Popped open last night, and have been following it most of today.
This wine is in a really good spot right now, showing a lot of nerve and energy on the palate. The nose is full of bright, red berry fruit and pine resin notes. I get much of the same in the mouth as well. While still quite young, the baby fat has been shed and it seems to be entering the early side of its peak drinking window. Delicious stuff.
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Popped open last night, and have been following it most of today.
This wine is in a really good spot right now, showing a lot of nerve and energy on the palate. The nose is full of bright, red berry fruit and pine resin notes. I get much of the same in the mouth as well. While still quite young, the baby fat has been shed and it seems to be entering the early side of its peak drinking window. Delicious stuff.
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Good solid pinot. Good spiciness, interesting fruit and nice color and aromas. All hinting at getting "there" but never quite "there". Quite enjoyable in any event, and I'm sad there is no more in the cellar. Very Good to Excellent.
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This bottle was more youthful than the last one I drank earlier in the year. Took about 2 hours for it to open up and the palate to fill in. When it did, it was the bright, intense red fruit profile that I remembered. Perfectly balanced for food. Glad I have lots more.
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Murky , thin ruby red color. Awesome nose of sour cherry, spice and mineral. Medium weight and elegant on the palate. Perfect balance. Literally bursting with flavors of red fruit, earth, spice and brown sugar. Excellent flavor intensity from the attack through the long, long, satisfying finish. Maybe a touch of heat on the finish, but endearing nonetheless. This is really an impressive bottle of domestic pinot. I'm so glad to have finally made the Rhys list.
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Caveat re: my score...I completely dig this wine, and the style in which it's made. On the nose, a minerality disguises a rich pinot aroma. Rock and cherry, with some background acidic notes. On the palate, well balanced, but I think another few years will open this up even more. A light resin without being heavy, some balancing acidity, and a bit of that same minerality that is right now a touch (minor) astringent. This latter comment holds my score down, along with the fact that the finish gives an appearance of being short. I say "appears" because I think the astringent/tight note gives that impression.....the finish is actually relatively long, if light. But what holds my attention is the precision that this wine seems to have. I have every hope that this will be better in the coming years.
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13.8% ABV. Tasted over a couple days. Translucent light ruby with a clearing rim. Earthy black cherry nose with some nuances of metal, and something like wilting basil/anise. Medium bodied with black cherry and earth flavors mirroring the nose. Nice complexity.
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I'm a bit torn on this bottle - I went in with fairly high expectations, some were met. Lovely color that managed to be clear and deep at the same time. Earth and spice were the dominant themes on the nose and palate, with baked red fruit notes throughout, like a sour cherry cobbler with cinnamon. But there was an undercurrent of alcohol heat that didn't dissipate over an hour plus, as I hoped it would. Maybe because it was a warm night, that didn't sit well with me. Will see how it is on night two...
OK, night two, and yes, as expected, the heat is gone. The spice and depth is still here, w strawberry notes more prominent on the palate and finish. Much better, to me at least.
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Delightful juicy strawberry fruit, cassis note, light earth, rose petal and lavender. Airy, delicate and bright on the palate. Strong acid finish. Best showing yet. More open with integrated stem tannin.
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after a quick half hour decant, this was really open and ready to be enjoyed. Probably just the meal, but this bottle (tho in great balance) seemed a little more delicate than my memory of the past 15 or so I have drank. If I had to judge from this showing, I would say this is in its prime drinking window, as there are no rough edges and it really seems integrated into a well mannered, delicately dancing pinot, with the best QPR EVER!!
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Showed very well (but it was a beautiful night at Tanglewood and the ambience may have helped) -- elegant, with good fruit balanced with nice minerality and acidity.
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Best bottle yet, in a good place. Translucent light ruby red colored. Perfumed cherries and raspberries, with nice earthy, loamy mushroom notes. If this is their second wine, I can't wait to taste the Estate pinots. One of my best P/Q's ever; wish I had bought much more...
I was way more attentive to the attributes of this wine the last time I wrote a tasting note. This time, I thin we liked it more, less critically. Still very enjoyable and woiuld still probably benefit from more time in bottle.
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This time around it was better, but it took about 30-60 minutes in the glass. It surprised me that this declassified wine took so long to come around. This was the first of 3 bottles that I enjoyed. A good value and looking forward to the few I have left.
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First a llittle backstory. This wine is de-classified Rhys Family Farm. Declassified - so Rhys is not particularly proud of this.
13.8% alcohol. Medium ruby red. very expressive red and black fruit aromas. Concentrated cherry, strawberry, rasberry and asian spice flavors. Very well balanced. Lingering aftertaste.
This wine has improved very markedly since release. It is a delightful wine. And Rhys didn't feel that it was quite up to snuff. Just one reason why I value Rhys!
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Double decanted for an hour. great as usual, a tad hot of cake spice at first, then the red fruits rounded it out for better balance. I just love this wine.
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13.8% alcohol. Medium ruby red. Expressive and complex red and black fruit aromas.Focused and concentrated black cherry, strawberry, spice, a little forrest floor ... lively, nuanced, complex and very tasty. Lingering aftertaste. I tasted this about six months back and it was not nearly as enjoyable. This should continue to imporve for several years.
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nose: pretty and elegant nose of red cherries, red fruits, some bits of creamed berries, spice tones, floral bits and a touch of rhubarb. Well balanced aromatics with a perfumed quality to it, but on the softer side of things
taste: tasty medium feel with excellent tones of red cherries, raspberries, red fruits, spices and a bit of floral tones. Good medium acidity backs this up well
overall: starting to really open up. The tones seem more rounded then before and the acidity has pulled back a bit. This can certainly go longer, but is really tasty right now
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as good a showing as any, and one of the best appellation level pinot's I have had. Popped and poured half into a 375ml, and let the remaining half breath for 2 hours in bottle, outside in the cool spring air. Served with a grilled sirloin, and it really delivered the goods!
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Medium-full, beautiful complex nose of strawberry, dark cherry and earth tones of mushroom and leather. Palate has medium body with great balance of soft fruit and acidity. The wine's character is a split of new world and old with fruit and funk working in harmony.
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Popped a bottle 4 nights ago and devoured first half of bottle with zeal. Left bottle on counter for 4 days and finally got around to finishing it off. Wow! What a beaut. This wine will definetely get better in the cellar if you have the patience.
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This bottle was really great. I decanted (small decanter) and left outside in the cool spring air for almost 2 hours prior to serving. This was the first bottle I decanted and it really helped it open and integrate. Same beautiful profile with red fruits, some little earth element (maybe stems too) and enough tannins to say this wine is still very young.
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Perfumed nose of strawberry, cola, and spring water. Palate feels rich, somewhat heavy for a Pinot, but not at all syrupy. Dark cherry, sour cherry, and strawberry dominate along with more cola and a bit of steminess. The greenness, which is well balanced and not intrusive, continues into the finish, where cherry and cola continue on as well. This is a richer Pinot than the Ayres we also enjoyed tonight with the salmon - both high quality and highly enjoyable.
Whoever said this wine is nearing the end of its useful life must have had an off bottle (though this was a magnum). Started off almost completely shut down, then blossomed into a truly lovely pinot. It's all about elegance, red fruit, balance and finesse. Wish I had more.
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Nice perfume of fresh raspberry jam, black cherry, cherry cough drops, forest, anise, and spice. (Despite the jam/candy descriptors, this isn't sweet in the least.) More lovely raspberry and cherry flavors, followed by licorice and spice. Good acidity. Elegant and balanced. Good finish. Seems more expensive than it is. Definitely makes you want to keep drinking it, though I kept some for the next few days. After a few days, the raspberries disappeared and darker fruit came in. Still delicious, but not as elegant or beautiful. 90-91.
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It seems to have lost its voice it was so mute. It could be a dumb phase but more likely I think it is nearing the end of its useful life. Nice while it lasted.
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13.8% alcohol. Just rocking on this day. Pretty red and black cherry on the nose, with a touch of steminess and plenty of spice. In the mouth, linear and lively, with bright fruit and structure that awakens your palate. The complexity is deep, and the acidity is racy. Strong finish. Drinking very well with another few years of upside, too. A-
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Wonderful cherry flavors right away. Smooth and elegant describe this one. Terrific with a variety of foods such as pork or chicken. Or just drink it. Need more.
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What the heck? When first opened, this bottle was way funky and had some effervescence (like the kind I've only experienced shortly after release). Much bottle variation among this case. In any event, this pup settled down after an hour of air. Nose of cool fruits with a bit of forest and a little brine. Nice subtle multiple layers of soft red fruits with a bit of earthiness. Nice smooth texture. An intellectual wine.
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Red, delicious fruit lifted by excellent acidity make this a favorite pinot in our house. Some baking spice and herbalness are also present to add to the complexity.
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Nose of cherry, chalk dust and baking spice is framed by pretty floral aromas. Very pure and crystalline flavors of cherry, wet stones and baking spice. Laser-like acidity carries the structure and provides excellent cut for this elegant yet beautifully ripe pinot. Excellent now, but has the ability to age on its balance alone. Drink now-2015. 91 pts.
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Spicy red Pinot fruit, without quite the stemmy undertone that I picked up on earlier bottles, this is a pleasant drink if it doesn't have the length and complexity of some of the other in the Rhys-Alesia lineup.
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Opened two hours before drinking. Light red, with crystalline clarity. Bright strawberry nose. Not super complex, but a little earthiness added to the light fruit. Good acidity. Seriously pleasurable if not profound. Very quaffable.
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Very good. Translucent red. Gains weight in the glass. Fairly simple, with perfumed cherries. We really enjoyed this, and I suspect it will gain complexity without losing its freshness with a little bottle age.
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I have experienced minor bottle variation ranging from very good to excellent. This bottle seemed more accessible from the pop, and really showed balance and grace with nice spice notes. I am sure some bottle variation is masked as palate variation, but on this night, with this bottle it showed better than others.
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Still absolutely kicking ass. What a great wine for its modest cost. Pale red in the glass. Full of stemmy-spice notes and a long herbal warmth on the finish. So persistent with cranberry fruit and stemmy-spice on the palate. So light on its feet, yet so packed with intensity. Bravo Kevin and co.
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Not quite as fresh as the bottles I drank last year. This is still delicious, but it's also a bit muddled. Cola, red berries, bramble, and spice. Not as precise and angular as previous bottles, this seems a bit soft and unsure of itself. Maybe in an awkward stage. Still, I'm picking nits, as we finished off the bottle quickly--this remains a tasty, restrained, and relatively deep CA pinot.
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This is a good Pinot and on the lighter side for Cali. Pretty garnet color and good mouthfeel. At this point this is more approachable than the '06 Sonoma Coast.
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Wow, what a fantastic pinot. Popped and decanted after pouring a taste and this wine was very aromatic and spicy right away. Not sure it changed being in decanter for about 2 hours. Started off with the cherry cola thing and then changed to a deeper fruit profile. Great pairing with roasted salmon and spanish tortilla.
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Decanted about an hour, note from an hour later. Light ruby red color. Cherry, cola, earthy elements, cinnamon, and a touch of smoke on the nose. Medium body with very good acidity and light, subtle tannins. Nice length on the spicy finish with a slight herbal note creaping in.
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Light garnet color. Nice, complex nose with cranberry, cola, sandalwood, and Asian spices. The palate is medium-full weight. Pronounced flavors, but not heavy. Interesting with some depth. Moderate finish.
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This started off very good, diminished a bit during the course of a dinner and then finished good again. Nose had plum, spice and a bit of graphite. The mouth feel really defined the wine, almost syrupy but not at all cloying. That density is what made it less enjoyable as it went on. A bit of woodsy, tea like flavor emerged at the end and added some complexity. Interesting and enjoyable. We had it with peppered tuna which might not have been the perfect food match. Will try with different food match another time.
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Good pinot typicity, straddling the new world/old world divide. This seemed a little simpler and more fruit forward than some bottles -- is it bottle variation, timing, something else? I don't know. At this price, a superb accompaniment to seared salmon.
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NIce open nose of forest floor, smoke, cherry, strawberry. This had a lot going for it, nice acidity and well integrated alcohol. On the palate a nice minerality, earth, mushroom and very tart cherry. This was a lot of fun until about hour #3 of it being open then it went down a swift spiral downward. If you drink make sure it's not something that is open for too long at this point. Might have just been going in and out of dumb phases as I really liked it upon first opening.
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Bright garnet color, light body, incredibly aromatic nose; one of the lightest and most aromatic Pinot Noirs I have tasted. It has a very feminine and understated style that lets all of the secondary flavors of the varietal gently emerge. One of the night's favorites, but some thought it was almost too light to be of interest... I loved it.
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13.8% ABV. Light in the glass with a transparent garnet color and a clearing rim. Rich smelling with aromas of dark earth and some cinnamon spice. Typical funky Pinot fruit of sour black cherry. Medium bodied but concentrated with a rusty earthy finish. Interesting. Pretty good. My wife wouldn't drink it though. Does have an interesting old world/new world composition.
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Similar to prior bottles. Same awesome minerality on the nose and palate. Wonderful strawberry aromas. If there is a change from the last bottle, it is that the fruit appears to have receded somewhat on the palate.
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Seems to be showing a little more new world fruity than earlier bottles. Still some backbone, spice and minerality, just not quite as much as I remembered.
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Lovely dark brick red color. Very enticing aromas of exotic spices, cherry juice and earth. On the palate it is not as extraordinary though mostly very pleasing - cherry, spice, earth and a noticable herbiness. However, every now and then there is an unpleasant taste of pith or grapeseed on the finish. Nonetheless this is a very elegant wine and paired well with goose. Very good/Excellent
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Thanksgiving Wines: Unfortunately, this was another average bottle of this wine. I've had average and I've had very good. Disappointing showing. Flabby, sweet, simple, and forgettable. The only wine that did not get finished last night, and even the non-geeks in the crowd (which was practically everyone) didn't care too much for this.
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Brief impression: very shy on the nose; on the palate it seemed much tighter nit and cohesive than prior bottles. No sappiness or sweetness. Very nice.
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Perfumed or candied cherry, simple. addendum: I just read the review below after I had written this note, and it also mentions "Perfume", "Candy" and "Cherries"
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Restrained and graceful. Subtle earth, sour cherry and perfume notes make for an uncomplicated, but classy drink. Well complements the meal, then puts on a bit of weight to end the evening. Clean lines, with unobtrusive acid and structure to cleanse and persist the finish.
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This bottle absolutely lives up to its reputation as an excellent CA pinot QPR. Red fruits and a bit of cola form most of the flavor profile here, with some dark notes. On the palate, sweet fruit and tannins provide ample pleasure. The only knock against this wine is a bitterness on the finish that probably explains why Rhys decided to declassify this rather than sell it as a Family Farm bottling. Over the course of the evening, some of the bitterness melted away, resulting in a balanced (with alcohol in check, just barely) pinot that is just way more enjoyable to me than some of the recent bottles I've had from producers with good reputations but were just too stewed and roasted in their flavors.
If this is an indication of what my other Alesia and Rhys purchases will be like, this will be the first mailing list producer that I'm in for, every time. Shows its CA origin, so it won't be confused with Burgundy, but it is truly a CA pinot that Burg fans can really get into. 91+, and truly outstanding on the basis of being a rare pinot of this quality at under $30. By comparison to 07 Copain Tous Ensemble, I would say this is a bit looser knit, but with higher highs for me, and probably a shade less oak noticed.
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such a consistent, great performer. same as previous notes. there is an extra point for the QPR for this wine. DAY TWO .. this is the first time I had half a bottle left, and it definitely got better. The spice became more integrated (less cake spice, more earth) the fruit had a longer richer finish, but not more or less ripe. No heat at all on the finish.
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Very pleasant drinking. For me this declassified Rhys Pinot is all about gentle fruit and silky texture rather than complexity or nuance. Drinking very well at present and for the next few years, though unlikely to improve much.
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Modest nose of candy apple, cranberry, some Xmas spice and lots of dirt. More clarity on the palate with spicy strawberry fruit and a touch of apple peel. The finish is light on fruit and shows some overly earthy tannin. Too much oak and stems for the fruit. I hope this bottle was just closed down.
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Solid Cali pinot, the nose offering more style than the palate. Where the bouquet is floral, spicy and exhibiting earth/minerality, the palate is distinctly Cali, with the same sweet (too sweet) red fruit and cola. More balanced than most Cali pns and a nice quaff, but wouldn't purchase again.
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OK, so I've read note after note on CT and WB about what an amazing value this wine is and how great it was. Finally got around to opening one of them to check it out and....damn, this is good. After all the hype, I was worried that the wine wouldn't live up to it. The wine exceeded the hype IMO.
Gorgeous nose of Raspberries, Violet and some earth underlying it all. On the palate this baby was tasty! Full of Raspberry and some bright cherries making a brief but nice appearance on the mid-palate leading to a nice lingering finish that had a touch of spice. Very well balanced with great acidity to it. It was hard to not keep going back for more so the bottle was drained pretty quickly.
I've ordered two vintages from Rhys due to a lot of people I trust liking their wines. This is the first bottle I've tried, and now I wish I would have ordered more!!!
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13.8% alcohol. A striking and fun contrast to the Louis Latour Bourgogne. You really get to see the differences between Old World and New. This is light and elegant for California, but it is still richer and more voluptuous than the Latour. A serious wine, with a terrific red-fruited bouquet. Plenty of spice, earth, and minerals on the nose, too. In the mouth, delicious, with layers of flavors that cascade across the palate. Bright acidity and a long finish. A-
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This wine was opened and poured. It showed well in a lighter more refined style. The aromatics cherry, cranberry, spice and earth notes. The color is a medium ruby. The medium bodied palate shows good balance and subtle tannins. This drinks well now and is not likely to benefit from additional bottle age.
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almost medicinal on the nose, light garnet in color and a bit of fresh fruit up front but not much finish. Perhaps another year this will be in a better place.
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Pop and pour. Nice nose of cherry fruit and spice. The wine had the slightest bit of dissolved CO2 which was only noticeable for 30 minutes (I will decant or shake next time)... Once again my impression is of a very nicely balance wine with very pure fruit and herb flavors. Better than my last bottle several months back.
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nose: bits of rhubarb strike right off the bat with dark tones of cherries and raspberries along with touches of earthen spices and bits of purple florals. Lovely complexity on the nose. Not the deepest nose, but this is very well balanced and pungent
taste: excellent medium feel with good medium acidity. Well balanced tones of dark cherries, dark raspberries, earthen spices and a bit of rhubarb all gently work well together
overall: This has come together much better over the past 8 months. Very well balanced that is quintessentially californian, but with a restrained sense to it. A lovely young pinot that is perfect for near term drinking
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Maybe there is a lot of bottle variation...because although my last bottle was very average, the bottle tonight was fantastic. Very nice leafy earth and plum. A delicious herbacious-ness to it and a lovely, elegant finish and texture. Lovely bottle of wine.
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This was a split decision. One of us liked it a lot but the other thought it lost some of the brightness that made it such a refreshing quaff on release. But, it may just be in a dumb phase. It had interesting components but just seemed muddled.
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This has improved considerably since the last bottle I opened about 10 months ago. Red fruit driven, with a hint of brown sugar. Lovely acidity. Was a great pairing with BLT sandwiches.
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man, this is open then closed then open and closed....
will leave the other bottles for x-mas time (easier said than done). while it was nice not as good as the last bottle. nose was giving less and the mid pallet was not there as before. still, the best buy for the buck in the 06 vintage.
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Terrific showing again. Spicy, smoky nose. Cranberry and sandalwood too. There's a stemmy-spicy note with the cherry palate this is just delicious. Crazy good value here.
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Okay, I'll admit when I'm wrong. When I opened up my first bottle last November I found the wine to be somewhat sappy and sweet. I opened this one thinking I would just have a simple drinker to pair with some grilled pork chops. I was pleasantly surprised to find the sweetness I noted in the first bottle was completely gone. This bottle had a touch of brett which I like and gave it some complexity along with cherries and red raspberries as it trailed off. Maybe I should have ordered more when offered the chance?:)
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This has filled out on the palate since my last bottle. It's now got solid middle-weight fruit and firm, but light tannins. Certainly will improve with some more time.
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Pop and pour, bright red fruit, light but lovely, a Pinot that can be enjoyed with a meal or sipping on its own, at least at this stage of development.
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Really didn't do much for me. After about 30 minutes it vaguely started to taste like pinot. I don't know if this is closed or just a lousy wine. Two friends didn't like it either.
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13.8% alcohol. Six months has done this wine well, and it will continue to improve. Popped and poured, and it just burst forth with delicious red fruit on the nose, with a strong earth and spice component. Excellent mouth feel, delicious, juicy fruit, and serious complexity. Strong acidity. Long finish. Delightful. A-
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great from the get go. nice notes of cranberry, cake spice and red berries - right out of the gate An hour later when served with our filet's,, the wine grew in intensity, especially in the spice. Might have gotten a bit darker in its berry profile and also added some cinnamon.
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Pop and poured. Mild pinot funk on nose, light purple in glass. Some spritz. Cola, strong acidity, more in the mouth feel then the finish, bordering on cucumber not fully ripe watermelon and lemon lime. Somewhat thin, and tart, with light cherry complementing the cola and acid fusion. Overall somewhat disappointing, starts with a dominating tongue tingling spritz that did blow off, but what was left was a not obviously flawed wine (like the 04 Sonatera), but not inherently interesting.
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the least expressive bottle of the ones I've had. i told myself not to have another bottle until x-mas, but I have no self control. after this bottle I'm holding off for at least six months.
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Decanted for about 45min-1 hr. Beautiful ruby color. Earthiness, mushrooms, bright cherries, ripe strawberries,and minerals highlight the wine's aromas. The palate starts with ripe red cherries (bordering on black cherries), ripe strawberries, earth, forest florr, mushrooms, and a minerality that became more pronounced as the night went on. Finish is moderately long with an indistinguishable mixture of red berries, minerals and earth. Good tartness and mild tannins give this wine its structure. Medium bodied, elegant with a slight alcoholic heat at the finish, which mars the wine slightly. Earthier, more minerally, a bit more heat than I last remembered it. Enjoyed it a bit more than the last time 6 mo. ago.
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Dark ruby red color. Nose of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry, with tea and spice in the background. On the palate, this shows cool, almost crunchy raspberry fruit primarily with cherry and strawberry playing close seconds in the race to impression. There is additional integration over past bottles here, with the oak showing less overtly, and the spice notes showing on the ripe end of the spectrum - allspice and cinnamon. Held well on day 2, showing some vanilla notes with air time.
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Intense aromas of Spanish cedar, cloves, with some red fruit at the tail end. Initial silky feeling in the mouth leads to a juicy attack, and light mouth feel. Very light touch of tannins. Continuation of woodsy/spicy flavors. Short finish. Aerating would be recommended. ----All of the Family Farm vineyard was declassified into the Alesia San Mateo County. 06 was a high yielding year. The concentration and structure wasn't there for the type of wine K.Harvey probably wants. Oak treatment is noticeable although not disjointed. A good decision to declassify even though Rhys fans probably won't get it until they try the 07 Family Farm pinot side-by-side.
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On the nose, good red fruit with a little spice and earth. In the mouth, good fruit, acid and tannin. Now that these are $23, I can't think of another "daily drinker" pinot that I prefer, in the New World (maybe competes with some good inexpensive Bourgogne). I bought a case on the May offer, and as it stands, I am happy.
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Light colored, but full of flavors of cherries, dried cherries and rhubarb again, tannins have mellowed and the acidity balances the whole. For the style and weight, 89 pts. Nicely done.
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Pale red gentle color. The nose is shy, showing a bit of stalk. Palate of cherry, strawberry and light anise, finishing with a nice minerality and raspberry like acidity. Probably the most feminine pinot I have drank in a while, with subtle edges and flavors.
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Dusty nose at first somewhat overshadowed the fruit. The wine opens up and gets better and better as it airs. Good acidity and structure to this wine. Recommend decanting for one hour.
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I cannot tell if it is bottle variation of my palate, but some bottles seem more extracted, with darker fruit than others. this bottle was very good, but seemed thinner than last weeks bottle.
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i love this juice. this is the best bottle yet, but i feel a change coming. the sour cherry has eased off a bit and the acidity has come back in line. this is going to be a real winner in a year. to bad I won't be able to hold off!
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Rhys (Seasonal): Seems weightier than it did before, but also juicier. At this point, it needs more polish. Having the '07 Family Farm to compare it with confirms that declassifying this was the right thing to do.
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This has really opened up since my last bottle in December. Cranberry, cherries and baking spices. Very long and a bit candied, but in a good way. I'm much more impressed this go around.
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Still nice, but seems a bit more candied than I remember it being last time. Perhaps the lightness is masquerading as candy, but it's a bit distracting this time around. The nose is piercing, if a bit hot, the mouth is full and lightheaded, the length is spicy to the point of being slightly offputting, but decent in length. An okay showing.
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Limited impression, as this was taken to the neighbor's for a cookout and nearly all consumed by the ladies. Smoky red color, pretty cherry nose. Dried cherries, rhubarb tartness. Great mouthfeel - silky with some crunchy raspberry fruit. Strawberries hiding in there somewhere too. Well received.
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Reserved pinot, showing its youthful structure, that slowly turns to bright cherry and raspberry which is augmented by rose, brown spice, and mineral. Has nice concentration and power without excess weight. Really classy with superb balance. Drink now-2015. 91 pts.
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Decanted for ~1.5hr. Clear ruby color. Nice aromas of ripe red cherries, earth and a bit of funk at the back end. Palate follows aromas with more cherries, strawberries, minerals, earth with an excellent finish with more minerals. Gained more complexity and elegance with a bit of oak as the night went on. A bit ripe for my tastes but excellent with roasted rosemary chicken.
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Well, wow, that is all I can say. Tis wine initially opened up with obvious cherry and baking spice, but soon intense raspberry notes were present, and a hint of earth/mushroom in the background. The wine was all bright red fruit, but the mid-palate did not initially come together well, as something was out of balance. 24 hours later and all is right with the world, and the wine has a 30+ second finish to boot. Lovely. Looking forward to this in 2-3 years. 50+4+14+16+6
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Smoky cranberry color. Nose of cherry, cranberry, black tea, a hint of smoke, and a hint of spice. On the palate, this has a pretty, almost crunchy cherry flavor with cranberry and tea complimenting. The middle is a bit lean, appearing to be shut down. Further time should help flesh this component out. The finish is moderate with good acids showing. If I hadn't gone long on this, I'd stop drinking to allow further bottle development.
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Nose: Very floral with cherries initially then developed more additive aromas of forest floor, vanilla and sage. Palate: Very Burgundian with soft red fruits, bright acid, and cherry with strawberry hints. Very supple yet vibrant due to the acidity. This is a good example of how CA can make pinots in an old world fashion. I will hold on to my last bottle for 10-12 months to see it's evolution.
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OC Poker for Wine/CT Virtual Tasting III (Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA): Impression only as I really only had about a two ounce pour of this. The bottle was open for about 4 hours before drinking. Absolutely fantastic nose full of rich strawberries, cinnamon, and fresh pine. The nose of this wine alone is worth the price of admission. Flavors of strawberries, red licorice, clove, and dust showed more subtle and subdued than the nose. Other than feeling a little let down by the relative thinness of the flavors compared to the nose, this is a really fantastic little bottle of wine. Definitely worth seeking out to work through a full bottle. If I ventured a score I would say 88 at this point, but the potential is there for higher scores both in terms of really getting a good taste of it and with a few more years in the bottle.
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VCTE III & OC Poker (Wine Cellar Club): Very similar to my last go around. This changed and added quite a bit with air. Initially on the tight side showing some forest notes on the nose and a nice balanced cranberry palate. Later on Christmas spice and pine needles on the nose. Palate picks up some weight and sweetness adding some cola and cinnamon. This certainly doesn't seem to carry the depth and concentration of the estate bottles from 2006 but hard to better for $30 in Cali Pinot.
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NOSE: nice bouquet of cherry, cinnamon and Dr. Pepper cola
BODY: garnet color of light depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: certainly a delicate-style pinot with notes of cherry and bramble ... improved in the glass. A lot better than an '04 Sonoma County that I tasted a few weeks ago ... the '06 San Mateo county wasn't hot like the '04 Sonoma County was.
B: 50, 5, 11, 16, 7 = 89
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Excellent pinot especially at the price, a good cross between burgundy and cali...good pure berry fruits but without being candied, with the balance, tannin and acidity of burgundy...in fact, not ready to drink yet. I opened the bottle for 3 hours and then choose to decant for another hour and a half...tannins fully in place and this will drink even better with time.
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nose: really nice nose that has a good elegance to it while still being rooted in california with dark red cherries, spices, bits of earth, strawberries, and purple florals. Much more restrained then millions of other california pinots while still having that california-ness to it
taste: this wasn't showing as well as the one I had a few weeks ago as it was a bit hollow on the mid palate and the acidity on this one interfered with it a bit. Good tones of dark cherries, strawberries, and spices, but lacking the depth that the bottle I had a few weeks ago had
overall: I'll wait until later this year to have one of my other two bottles. I felt that this could use a bit more time as the acidity was in the way of the flavors(though it wasn't screeching acidity, just muting the flavors a bit) and the mid palate was a bit hollow. I definitely liked what was there, it just wasn't showing like I was expecting
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I meant to hold these for a while but ended up grabbing my last bottle at home. Drank nicely. Again reminded me a bit of Oregon on the aromatics. Fairly heavy and rich with lots of fruit and oak.
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This was delicious. Clear, bright color with moderate depth. Beautiful pure fruit without being over done. I might have mistaken this for Burgundy. I am happy to have several more bottles of this.
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Ugh. Nothing positive to report on this wine. Smells like cotton candy and candy corn with some smokey black fruit behind it. Not nearly as sweet on the palate as on the nose, but too viscous and alcohol rich. Despite that, fruit on the mid-palate is hollow and finish short. Definitely not heat damaged, corked, or otherwise spoiled. Just not my cup of tea.
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Pinot Smackdown 2009 (Barrington IL, Wally's house): nose: plush and elegant nose of peppery flavors, brown spices, dark berries, black cherries, Purple florals and brown spices. Well rounded nose with great depth and purity of tones
taste: lovely feel with floral tones, dark berries, black cherries, bits of cranberries, and brown spices. Very burgundian in style while still retaining a california edge to it with the plushness on the palate and also providing medium+ acidity
overall: a high qualityand elegant pinot. I was very glad when this was revealed as its a great value and can definitely grow a bit as a wine, but is obviously very drinkable now.
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Decanted two hours. Nose of cranberries and cherries and a nice floral component. Some spice is noticeable on the palate, and the oak is a peeking out a little bit at this point. Saved half a bottle for the next day and it was terrific. I believe this needs 1-3 more years in the cellar to fully integrate, but is drinking well now with a decant. What a great value in California Pinot.
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13.8% alcohol. Very young, but I've got several bottles and wanted to see how this was doing -- as well as satisfy my recent craving for a Rhys/Alesia wine. This is tight. But it's got class, elegance, and stuffing. Light red color. Attractive nose of strawberry, cranberry, and red cherry, along with tightly packed minerals. In the mouth, really linear, with plenty of the fruit from the nose packed into the palate. Lots of floral and spice character. Plenty of acidity. Tightly wound finish that had a bit of a tannic kick. This is young, but it has plenty of fruit and complexity to it. I'm not going back into these bottles for another year. A-
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Some pinot funk upon opening but after the bottle was open for about 2 hours, it developed lots of red fruit (raspberry, strawberry and cranberry) on the nose with just the right amount of earthiness. Palate was a little lite on the first pour but developed into a medium-bodied pinot with great texture and acidity over the course of the night. Pure red fruits with some spice. My first Rhys/Alesia and I like the style. Good now but should be much better in another year.
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Extremely light in color, good acidity, oak too prominent at present, but I bet this wine will easily shine in 2-3 more years. It's good drinking now, just too much oak for my palate. Seems, however, to be a high quality pinot noir.
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Transluscent ruby/cranberry color. Nose of smoke, tea, cranberry, cherry, flowers and spice. On the palate, this seems to be more shut down than the last bottle consumed, with tart cherry, cranberry, and spice dominating. A smoky tea essence dominates the medium finish. Satisfying, but I expect it to go to sleep for awhile before putting on some weight and re-opening in the bottle. Recheck in a year?
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Paired with rack of pork, cream of cauliflower, sauted brussell sprouts. Great dinner! Pleasantly surprised how well this wine isput together. Great midpalate. firm/almost acidic-like tannins, Bing cherries, mid-length finish. Would recommend.
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I was amazed at how light bodied this wine was. Soft and ready to drink, a real treat for a Christmas Eve wine. Drank with a 22oz. bone in Ribeye, it maybe wasn't the best choice, but a nice bottle of wine and a very good qpr.
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This is an outstanding Pinot, and really excellent for the price. I was really impressed, and can't wait to try my Rhys-designated wines. This was light red in color and translucent. Light bodied. Hints of earthiness on the nose. Very elegant and graceful, silky smooth in texture. Flavors of red berries, cinnamon, and hints of cedar. I would buy this by the case at this price.
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Loving the sweet fruit, toast and earth. Mainly fruit showing at the moment. Seems like some whole cluster as well, at least on the first day. It was 2 days later when I finished the wine and I didn’t notice the WC. The fruit is big on the palate. A big wine that has nice balance. Parts of this wine really reminded me of Oregon pinot. The finish is going to need time to sort out from being a bit clipped and slightly bitter. I have seen others refer to this as a light wine but I found this on the heavy side and showing a touch of heat. Overall, we really enjoyed this wine. It was spicy and festive. I’ll pop one more before too long but the rest of my bottles will sleep until the summer of 2010.
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First day was popped and poured, very lean tight and acidic. Then we proceeded to destroy it with spicey foods. Saved about a third of the bottle for the next day when it was much more open and had picked up some weight. Nice nose of all spice and black cherry with some gravely wet sand type notes. Juicy with some sweetness and a touch of greenness on the back end that is in no way distracting. A nice Pinot that seems to need some more bottle time to flesh out a bit.
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Initially not quite up to the level of my previous bottle, but with air it blossomed with subtle red berries, moderate spice, and charming earth. Not a blockbuster, but an excellent, well made wine.
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bright, with pomegranate and cherry. lots of acid. day 2 it blossomed and was great with some cinnamon showing up and more cherry flavors although still showing a nice tight acid profile. excellent and a nice change from the "big cali pinots".
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Fascinating nose of fresh strawberry, grilled meat, face powder, apple peel and a touch of vanilla. Nice balance on the palate, fresh but silky. Does lack a little fruit though. Finish is very steely and tight with high acids. Needs a couple of years to soften. A nice QPR with significant upside.
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Just lovely Balanced, fresh, lingering finish. Hint of grilled nuts, carpaccio, crust. This bottle did not seem the same as the others. Maybe it just needed a few days to settle down even though it traveled all of ten miles? It lacks the weight of the Alpine but it has grace, finesse, and a sense of place. Declassifying was the right thing to do but it seems a finer wine that the other Alesias I've had.
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Light in color. Vibrant cherry and strawberry on palate with excellent balance and just a touch of attractive green around the edges. Light body and good acidity make it very food friendly. Very good.
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Drank a good share of this last night, a bit more now for a second impression. Bit of spice and earth on the nose, then a gentler palate of red fruit--strawberry, hint of candided apple, licorice and some acidity. Finish shows through with same spicy character, with a hint of peppery zip. A wine with this kind of gentler feel and expression would IMO get clobbered by oak, which doesn't show much here. Clearly a lighter style of pinot but for the price and balance against the other bigger CA pinots I drink, it works.
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Translucent ruby-red color. Nose of spicy cherry cola. On the palate, this is light, with cranberry, cherry, and strawberry playing against a backdrop of cola, black tea, toast, and floral allspice (sweet spice). Maybe showing a bit too much wood right now if you are oak averse, but, for my palate, this is delicious.
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An outstanding pinot from Rhys here. The nose is so full of strawberry and cherry, but mixed in are wonderful scents of potpourri, warm earth in spring, and hauntingly alluring aromas that speak of unique terroir. On the palate the taste is multilayered, but fruit focused and slippery. It seemed that this wine is so mouthfilling it could be tasted by the lips where I am sure there are no taste buds! Wonderful red berry, cherry and pepsin that leaves your mouth clean and coated with ultrafine sweet fruited tannins.
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Not much to add over other notes as far as the adjectives go, but I will second the very attractive herbalness on the nose of this wine. The palate also has wonderfully firm acidity and tannic structure, framing the fruit, which packs a ton of flavor without being in the least overdone. I think this will reward a few years in the cellar very very well.
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A beautiful translucent rosy color prepares you for featherweight elegance, but the fruit starts with a candied licorice flavor that feels a little incongruous to its light touch. Eventually it moderates itself, but I think they made the right call declassifying this - it doesn't scream with the unique terroir you usually get from the Rhys label.
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Bit of a cloudy red. Pleasant nose of berries and earth. Red berries, primarily sour cherry, lots of earthiness and sous-bois, with a little oak spiciness. Medium-bodied, firm acidity to lend structure and brighten the fruit, well-balanced. Definitely Californian, but also definitely pinot. Easy to drink, and although $30 isn't exactly a QPR, this was a very good value for California pinot.
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Having read the other notes, decanted for an hour, and then followed over the next several. On the nose, great pinot typicity, red fruits and berries, with a little smoke and spice. In the mouth, red berries, sour cherries, good acidity and fruit. Very good. I would have loved to have tasted this blind. I am not sure I would have placed it properly -- while there is great [New World] fruit, there is complexity and spice.
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Beautiful wine. Popped and poured, then let sit for about an hour. Tasting as part of a line up of California pinots and it more than held its own. Cherries and blackberries balanced with some pepper and earthy elements. Very nice mouthfeel and good consistent balance. A very strong wine with a lot of flavor, but far from over the top.
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Dark ruby color and a medium body; dusty nose with not much emerging until about an hour, then it opened up to reveal cherry, spice, and even floral scents; savory flavors (from the whole clusters?), cherry, spices, with a more structured body than most -- tastes more in the OR or Burgundy style than a rich CA style; no wonder James Laube doesn't care for this -- it is the opposite of Roar or Kosta Browne stylistically
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Very nice, floating nose of earth and cherries. The mouth is quite good, with a nice, slightly structured and hence well rounded feel to it, with more feel than taste, but not that it matters. The length is somewhat attenuated, but nice enough such as it is. A nice bottle of $30 pinot.
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Opened to see if I should order more. A nice pinot for the price point. Popped and poured. Sappy (not syrupy), sweetish cherry and rasberry flavors with some spice. Easy drinking wine. Saved a glass for day 2.
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Lovely red cherry and berry aromas and flavors with mineral and oak notes with tasty acidity on the finish. Great QPR and holds promise with short term cellaring.
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Wanted to try one sooner than later based on the great notes I have been reading, and its's easy to see why. Nice ripe red berries with a bright presence - I would guess that spine of this wine comes from the whole cluster approach. Has a bit of pinot twang, but not the usual cola many cali pinot show. Decanted for an hour, then followed for another. Paired very well with black Italian truffles over risotto... and with time and the food the fruits became fuller and riper. Beautifully crafted mouth feel, with some silky feel, and a mid palate presence that says to me this wine will be great in 3 years. Nice finish with the acid structure (and mineral taste) cutting thru to make this very food friendly. Bravo!
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For my palate, kris.h's note is right on. Bright red fruits. Light. Cool cimate, good acidity. Easy drinking. A delicious, well made, simple pinot. It will be interesting to see if after a year or so it picks up some weight and dimension as other Alesia's have.
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Decanted a little over an hour. Medium ruby color. Nose of fresh wild strawberries and raspberries, nicely focused fruit, complex herb and spice blend and a touch of earth. Good acid spine and presence, medium bodied, some autumn leaves. Pretty Pinot Noir.
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Light red. Nice nose of bright red fruits. The palate is light bodied but with a couple hours of air it puts on some weight. Very well balanced. Smooth and lush. easy drinking. Decent finish. A nice bottle of CA Pinot.
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13.8%...Nice. This revs straight out of the bottle...very subtle nose, dusty, earthy scents, underlying ripe pinot-ness, not a "ripe" fruit nose, rather a tart sort of fruit nose - hard to explain...the palate is what captures the imagination quickly, silky, fresh, good acidity, but all about VELVET - smooth...soft but just enough tension - a long finish that doesn't contain tannin to speak of or any sign of alcohol - is that the slightest hint of smoke or game, or the Alesia factor that I've found in the Syrah and Pinots of the past?...this is fun to drink this second, don't think about it, but don't pass it off as less than intellectual. Dynamite and quite the value.
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Reviews on a BB prompted me to open this sooner than expected (e.g. day of receipt). I wasn't disappointed. The depth on the nose is a bit deceiving, as the palate is incredibly balanced. Not a blockbuster, but at the same time none of the funk / green that can accompany younger burgs / OR pinots. Surprisingly long and satisfying finish given both its youth and recent cross country trip! This will definitely improve over the next several years, but is very appealing today. UPDATE: after 3 hours in the decanter, this is even better....smoother, more integrated and a bit richer (e.g more California) than earlier.
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Couldn't resist opening one with roast chicken. Wonderful style of wine. Medium-bodied, subtle, with great acidity. A medium ruby color with decent structure, but drinks great now--and even much better with air. This had deep red fruits and complexity, but it impressed most with its purity and honesty. I wouldn't confuse this with Burgundy, but that's a good thing. I wish more CA wines were made like this.
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Deep, rich fruit balanced by sweet earth notes. Despite the quantity of fruit it manages to to come off as a light, pretty Pinot. I like this style, and I greatly enjoyed this wine.
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9/28/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Ripe and mature black and red cherry, overtly spiced, but good weight and still fresh enough, especially for its age. Good depth. Better than another bottle from earlier this year.
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1/5/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 86 Points
Still fresh enough with good richness, maybe a touch clunky with its spice profile, but fun. Slightly more tired than a few bottles from a year ago.
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1/30/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Still very bright and vibrant, with plenty of ripe black and red cherry throughout, accompanied by lots of spice, seemingly a bit too much whole cluster driven, but very fun and tasty.
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10/6/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Red and black cherry on nose and palate, all still nicely fresh. Just a trace too much whole cluster coming through that hasn't fully integrated. but good overall, especially for its price/ level and age.
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4/13/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Mature red berry and cherry start-to-finish with good weight for an "entry level" wine with a bit of pronounced whole cluster style spice notes. Medium+ weight. Very good for its price on release. Still drinking well, probably good for a few more years.
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4/13/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Red berry throughout with hints of baking spice, somewhat whole cluster charactered. Needs a few years to soften. 88+ point potential.
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12/11/2020 - Badfish Likes this wine:
Translucent garnet ruby core fading at the rim. The aromas are pure, elegant, and sweet with specific notes of black cherries, crushed stones, sweet tarts, forest floor, and wet concrete. The palate is supple yet fresh with crisp red and purple fruit, smooth tannins, complicating earthy tones, and admirable persistence. This wine is definitely showcasing the beautiful character expected from Rhys' wines with proper age.
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4/1/2020 - jjct Likes this wine:
Crumbling cord required the Durand. This bottle is mature and delicious, showing long tertiary flavors. A pleasant surprise; I like this much more than I did a few years ago.
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8/5/2019 - jjct wrote:
Drinking well. Nice aromatics, soft and pleasant palate. Finishes a bit heavy on a dark, herbal note.
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11/23/2017 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty red fruit and spice with a little herbal tang, it is fine match for Thanksgiving dinner.
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8/4/2017 - Badfish Likes this wine: 91 Points
At first I thought the stems were a bit strong in this wine but the finish fills out nicely with air. Still structured and lean with complex aromas of crushed stones, rose petals, cherries, and savory spices. The palate is red fruited with vibrant acidity, softening tannins, and crunchy yet attractive stems. I bet this wine will surprise with several more years of age.
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3/15/2016 - phandel Likes this wine:
Had this with the Bells and Ballouns - very enjoyable, nice fruit, a bit lighter.
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1/18/2016 - rama Likes this wine:
Translucent with light browning on the fringe. Spice and some leathery characteristics on the nose. Vapid mid palate. Tart red fruit, salinity on the finish. I don't recall what this was like in its youth, I'm guessing the stems have transformed into spice and aromatics today, the highlights of the wine.
I enjoyed this more than I did the bottle in 2014 that seemed over the hill. The last bottle I have will rest for another few years as an experiment.
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11/27/2015 - psoals Likes this wine: 90 Points
The cork was saturated and leaking slightly, despite be in the wine cellar since release. Showed signs of some oxidation. Red fruits slighly muted. Still nice spice on the finish. Would love to caught this one earlier.
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11/19/2015 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Rhys @ QCH (Quality Chop House, London): Declassified Family Farm. Slightly cloudy pale ruby. Soft red fruit and a touch of caramel. There's a gentleness here. Soft and rounded, a bit of liquorice . Relatively short and a bit soft on the finish but very pretty and drinkable. Reminds me of a minor Chambolle, Potel Bellenum 01 VV to be specific. ***1/2
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7/31/2015 - BillB656 Likes this wine:
lovely
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1/15/2015 - rjoyer wrote:
I am convinced that this is the best Rhys pinot I've ever had, ironic that it would be declassified juice. Good core of red with a great balance of soil, structure and a dustiness to the fruit. Tasty stuff. No rush on these either.
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11/27/2014 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright juicy red fruit with a little tomato skin and spice, it picks up intensity through the middle with fine tannin and a hint of tart acidity primes the mouth for another sip. This is a really pretty wine in its prime time, almost irresistible.
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11/16/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, cola, earth... some spice in mid. Very CA but balanced and quite refreshing. Good fruit up front. Ready to go. Very nice wine
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8/24/2014 - rama wrote:
At the time of this writing, CT says 23% of these are still in cellars. Too bad, I think its past prime.
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7/13/2014 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
World Cup Final (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Still a big fan of this wine. Love the elegance and complexity it had with layers of red fruit and soft floral accents. The mid palate had this awesome spicy note with a kick of acidity that created a really enjoyable package. I hadn't had this wine in about a year and it seems to consistently great.
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7/13/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 88 Points
Getting Wine Geeky for the World Cup Final (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: Very pretty and balanced nose with Red fruits, red cherries, spice tones, plums, and some roses. There is a warmness to the tones with a more feminine style to them and medium depth.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity. The feel is more to the delicate and feminine side with red fruits, red cherries, spice notes, and some roses. The wine thins out slightly on the mid-palate, bu regains it on the finish.
Overall: This was my last bottle. This was also on straight pop and pour, and I wasn't able to really get back to it later in the day as it was drained fairly fast.
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6/1/2014 - mlawren1 wrote: 90 Points
Nice cherries and berries with a bit of earth underneath
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2/17/2014 - rralls wrote: 92 Points
I was disappointed with this wine upon first opening -- just seemed to be an ok but fairly flat and uninteresting wine. However, after about an hour of air, this evolved into a completely different wine with lovely aromatics and a solid pinot, especially given the price. I think this wine still has time left although this was sadly my last.
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12/16/2013 - meatman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Best one yet. A great restrained pinot that just keeps going. Too bad it was my last one.
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12/6/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Light, translucent violet-red. Found this 'lost' wine during cellar re-organization. What a treat. Gushes red berries, dark cherries and spice on nose. Palate features bright red fruit framed in acidity. Is both tart and silky. Nicely balanced. Spice notes add a little flavor complexity and as Nancy noted, it finishes with dirt (tannins and earthy notes, combined - she's not so fond, but I love). Fresh tasting and in a great place now.
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12/1/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Pale crimson color, moderate transparency. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, and earth. Palate has strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and some earthy elements with nice acidity that carries into a medium finish. Really pretty right now and hard to argue with drinking it up. Drink or hold.
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8/18/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium-dark red color with medium transparency. Black fruited nose with black cherry, blackberry, and some toasty notes. Palate is tart with black cherry and black raspberry and initially on the shy side. With a day open in the cellar, this opens to show more red fruit and mineral notes with cherry, strawberry, and some raspberry notes that carry into a medium finish. Seems to still be improving and opening up. Needs air now but fine to drink.
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7/26/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
A Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: Nice and warm with balanced tones of red fruits, cherries, spice tones, roses, and some dark red berries. There is solid depth with everything melding well together.
Taste: Very pretty medium body with nice medium+ acidity. Very well balanced with silky tones of red fruits, cherries, spice tones, and some tart dark red berries.
Overall: This is very pretty and drinking perfectly. There is good balance to this with a nice tart quality to the fruit.
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7/26/2013 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Another Friday Afternoon @ Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): I was a big fan of this. The fruit was spicy and rich but had great precision on the palate. Really nice depth too. I've had a bunch of Alesia's over the years and this was certainly one of the most impressive bottles.
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6/16/2013 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 88 Points
Medium ruby color. Intense, complex nose of wild red berries, spice, and earth notes. Medium bodied on the palate, good on the attack but the middle drops out.
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4/17/2013 - rralls wrote: 92 Points
Very solid wine drinking great right now. Outstanding value.
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3/13/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium cran-raspberry red color. Aromas of raspberry, cranberry, cherry, vanilla, and cinnamon. Palate follows the nose with raspberry, tart cherry, cranberry, lemon, and some vanilla elements that lead into a medium finish. There's enough acid here to keep this focused and provide a nice sipping experience. Seems to be gaining some more middle palate fruit after a period of being sort of closed down over the past few bottles/years. Prefer to the Sonoma Coast, Falstaff Road, and Green Valley offerings from 2006 at this point. Drink or hold.
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12/18/2012 - jasonh wrote: 93 Points
Another really nice 06 Cali. These wines are seem to be starting to show really well. I have been unsure about the vintage although I have always enjoyed this wine but even the San Mateo is showing nice improvement. The wine is dropping some of the heavy richness that was there before. Showing cleaner berry flavors mixed with spice. Maybe because of the price, I kept pulling the trigger on this. Should have held them all. Drinking really well now but seems fine to hold for a while.
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11/13/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I waited a year between this bottle and the last, to see how the wine might age. The additional year has softened the wine. The acidity and pine notes that helped frame the edges last year are less prominent and now the wine is a bit more sweeter in tone, with the same lovely strawberry from the last bottle, although this time a distinct plum flesh note is in the fruit, too. There's also a bit of a red apple texture, much like what I might find from the Anderson Valley's Deep End. The sum experience of all this is a mainly sexy red fruited wine, that has some creamy edges and acid, a piney/clovey, 5-spice note, and that is in my idea close to peak and should hold another year for optimum drinking. In fact, the flavors showing in this wine would be a great Thanksgiving pair--think stuffing, cranberry and brown spices. These would sing with this wine's flavors.
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10/30/2012 - meatman wrote: 88 Points
Had it one day after the 06 Alesia SC pinot and it just couldn't compete. Was still a nice pinot...definitely lighter in scale than the SC, but had some bitterness on the finish. Will drink my last bottle of this soon.
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10/22/2012 - DavidDay wrote: 90 Points
Velvety texture, complex nose, nice bottle of wine.
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10/21/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 88 Points
The nose the beautiful, showing ripe strawberry, hints of undergrowth, spice, stone and herbs. On the palate it was soft and juicy with red berry fruits and finished clean, dry and short.
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10/11/2012 - joe d wrote: 85 Points
This showed similarly to the last bottle from a few months ago. Spicy fruit, medium body, and acidity that really completes the package. Nice wine. My discrete CT scale: 95-extraordinary; 90-very good; 85-good; 80-fair; 75-poor
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9/18/2012 - DavidDay wrote: 90 Points
With time, this wine opens up and is pretty tasty, nice velvety texture
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9/10/2012 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
13.8% alcohol. Just trucking along. A light, elegant Pinot with real substance behind it. Delightful fruit profile. It's fully ready to drink now, but it might be interesting to see what secondary characteristics come about in the next few years. A-
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8/25/2012 - Armando B wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine. Medium wieght with very Burgundian acid level. Bright red fruitwith some mineral and spice notes. Would gladly drink any time. Well done.
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8/25/2012 - CMN wrote: 86 Points
Gorgeous cherry red color. Predominantly cherry flavored with some baking spices. Unfortunately, The flavors were obscured by the persistent acidity and the wine seems slightly out of balance. Perhaps this needed some decanting, but even after 2 hours, the acid was overwhelming the fruit.
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7/22/2012 - LoireFan wrote: 92 Points
This bottle, after a day or so, was amazing.
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7/19/2012 - joe d wrote: 85 Points
I liked this. The fruit and structure seem to be coming together into a nice package of spicy fruit and medium body. This was popped and poured at cellar temperature and enjoyed over a couple of hours. My discrete CT scale: 95-extraordinary; 90-very good; 85-good; 80-fair; 75-poor
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7/15/2012 - galewskj wrote: 88 Points
Not as great of a showing as last time. This has been a peculiar bottle for me. I'd be happy to drink this any day, but it doesn't knock my socks off. The nose was amazing, the mouthfeel had some nice minerality, but the finish was tart, short, and kind of ruined the whole experience.
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7/14/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 87 Points
Chards and Pinots (Shari's house, Mpls, MN): Medium red color. Pop and pour, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Nose is a bit funky, cherry, reticent. The palate seems tannic, bitter, on the green side, thin mid palate, lacking substance or elegance.
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6/22/2012 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. Red cherry color. Pretty nose of light stems, red cherry, and earthy spice. In the mouth, elegant and well-balanced. The cherry fruit steps up front but is cut off by a lightly green stemmy note and good acidity. Smooth finish. This has really smoothed out quite a bit. A-
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6/18/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
A light ruby color. Earthy, raspberries, cherries, minerals, baking spices, vanilla, underbrush and very slight herbal note on the very nice nose. Medium body at most with ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Nice spicy, earthy, red fruit on the palate with a nice herbal note in the background. Long finish with tart fruit and spice. Tasting wonderful now but will hold for a few more years. A top notch CA Pinot Noir for under $30.
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5/12/2012 - VHJV wrote: 90 Points
Ripe and sweet red fruited but also with some nice earthiness. A bit too new worldy in the beginning. A lot better after 3 days in the fridge. Less ripe fruitiness and wonderful earthy nuances. A bit too alcoholic for my taste (13.8%). Anyway, not bad at all for a Cali Pinot. A very positive experience, in fact.
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3/20/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Pop/poured. On opening, this was a "wow" wine. The epitome of smooth and balanced. On the nose, red fruit, resin, earth and an interesting spice. Much of this carries over to the palate, with a sense of stems. With 20 minutes in the glass, this shuts down a bit, with the initial smoothness giving way to a bit of harshness, largely a function of some relatively noticeable tannins. The finish is nevertheless quite long. Initially, I was prepared to rate this 93 points. After 20 minutes...something closer to 90 points. If whether through bottle age or decanting, this could approach the initial impression, it is a killer wine. Even at the 20 minute mark, it's quite pleasant, if perhaps a bit youthful. My only concern on this one is if the tannins will ultimately wash away before the fruit, which is concentrated but not heavy. For the time being, I'll rate this conservatively at 90 points.
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3/15/2012 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blind Tasting '04-'07 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noirs (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Really nice sweet cherry nose. Light to medium bodied with low to medium acidity. Sweet red cherry, hint of spice. Balanced, elegant and delicious. (my 1st, group's 4th)
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2/12/2012 - gbauer wrote:
On the nose, bright red berry fruit and some spice. In the mouth, great balance of fruit and acidity with spice and mineral notes. The case I bought at $23/bottle delivered is one of the all-time great QPRs.
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2/12/2012 - BonnieM wrote:
Drinking really well, pop and pour. Fruit and balance. Lovely.
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2/2/2012 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Earth,evergreen and cinnamon on the nose. Medium-bodied with finesse and elegance. Great balance and fine QPR.
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1/28/2012 - benjordan wrote:
Good.
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1/15/2012 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark red color with medium transparency. Aromas of cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg, and blood orange. Flavors on the palate seem more filled in than a bottle from a few weeks back (or perhaps the mind fills in the blanks better given the recent experience on day two). Flavors are of cherry, cinnamon, and a slight plum with a medium finish that shows some cranberry and raspberry elements. Fills out a bit on day two, but leftovers were sparse on this bottle. Drink if you have a bunch; drink or hold otherwise.
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1/8/2012 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pretty perfume of red cherry juice and warm baking spices. Medium bodied with medium acidity. Ripe, sweet red cherries along with tart cranberry fruit. Some nice cinnamon and clove notes. Tasty.
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1/2/2012 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. In a great place right now. Red cherry color. Pretty nose of black cherry, light stems, and earthy notes. In the mouth, excellent mouth feel. It's got terrific velvety texture and pure, linear cherry fruit, which is complemented nicely by the earth and spice notes. Refined acidity and a solid finish that shows a bit more of the stem influence. A-
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12/27/2011 - fredb wrote:
Medium red color with some transparency. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, a hint of licorice, and tea. Palate is initially subdued with a light cherry and raspberry flavor that seems relatively thin in the middle. This carries into a medium-short finish. With a day of air in the bottle, this fills in nicely and drinks more to expectations. This is probably in a transitional phase and seems more appropriate for near-term consumption than long-term storage. Drink with some airtime to help the blanks fill in.
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12/25/2011 - theRealPepe Likes this wine:
Can't recall too much about this bottle except it was pleasant if not as nice as previous ones - perhaps needed slightly more aging due to the magnum format.
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12/15/2011 - B Paul wrote: 90 Points
I have really enjoyed this bottling, and I think it's drinking perfectly right now. I'd drink over the next year or two.
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12/12/2011 - DavidDay wrote: 83 Points
Fruit fading, drink now
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11/22/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Fortunately, sourced 2 more of these so now can enjoy tracking this wine through time. Tonight's bottle open about 2 hours. Shows similarly to the bottle six months ago with the same strawberry and now some cherry, which even shows well at room temp. This time, the forest floor notes, along with some graphite/metal shaving notes, are quite present in the aromatics and the palate. Terrific acidity and vibrant, ths wine is hanging right in there, tasting great still and with lots of life left to go. I think another 2-3 years....delicious.
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11/21/2011 - DavidDay wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable wine to drink, almost burgundian nose, very integrated on the palate, with a long finish.
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10/28/2011 - jlm wrote:
As others have noted, this has filled out and become more interesting with a few years in the bottle. It's now a lovely light to medium bodied Pinot which showcases the delicacy of the Rhys style well, although it doesn't have the depth and fullness of the vintages of this bottling that have earned the flagship label.
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10/26/2011 - chateaumiller wrote:
OUTSTANDING
Yet another Rhys production that delivers. The bouquet is intoxicating on its own and I could easily mistake this for a young Burgundy with a full red fruit palate. Medium + acidity and enough mineral to shine throughout the length of the beginning, mid-palate, and finish. Plenty of life left if you'd like to lay down but this bottle is drinking beautifully.
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9/11/2011 - DavidDay wrote: 90 Points
No signs of oxidation in the nose or color, rich red, strawberry fruit, good acidity, clean finish. I would say this wine has another 3-5 years at least ahead of it.
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6/18/2011 - WetRock wrote:
Aromas of cranberry and pomegranate with a light leafy quality. Lean feeling acidic driven palate. This shows a lot more length than I remember. The finish is expressive showing some signs of wood and charcoal. Fresh and alive. Held up very well over night and I think I may have liked it a bit more the second day. I don't see the depth or concentration that this would need to gain more from aging but it is certainly not in any danger of falling off in the next few years. One of the better values in California Pinot of recent memory.
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6/18/2011 - glaze3 wrote:
From Mag... Opened 1 hour before serving. Great aromatic nose of funky red fruit, earthy mushrooms, and asian spice. Soft palate of red fruits, mainly strawberry and cranberry with baking spice and damp earth. There's a lot more of an earthy edge to this than I remember from past bottles. Drinking very well right now and surely in its prime. There is a little bit of spiky bitterness on the finish that probably is here to stay, but thats just nitpicking as this has turned into a very nice wine.
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6/2/2011 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rhys Alesia '04-'07 Blind Tasting (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Sweet cherry nose. Red cherry fruit on the palate, soft, silky texture with low to medium acidity. Not much depth but pretty and delicious. (my 5th, group's 8th)
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5/21/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This drank beautifully, with a gentle frame and great aromatics. Light in color, with forest floor, baking spices and flavors of strawberry and cinnamon. It's improved tremendously in the last year or so, and a wine that after tasting now look back and wish I would have bought six more. Really delicious, in a great drinking place now.
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5/16/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 91 Points
Wow, this has really improved since release. I don't know if it can get any better from here, but this is a very compelling pinot in a very comfortable state of drinkability at the moment. I especially love the old-style Burgundian barnyard aromatics; what a contrast to the sweet tooty-frooty scents this had when it first came out. Some lingering carbon dioxide prevents it from being quite so expressive on the palate but a few heavy shakes of the bottle take care of it, although it does retain some slightly spiky acidity that prevents it from being completely harmonious. Nevertheless the result is a far weightier, darker-complexioned wine than this gave any indication of being as recently as two years ago and while it might have a touch of sweetness to betray its New World origins it isn't far off from a Burgundian profile.
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5/6/2011 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
nose: perfumed and aromatic nose of ripe red cherries, creamed tones of red fruits, bits of red florals and some spice tones
taste: pretty medium body with medium acidity and balanced tones of creamed red fruits, spice tones, red cherries and bits of fresh picked berries
overall: this was bottle aired for about an hour or so. Has a nice see through ruby color and the tones flow out of the glass. This seems to be at its best right now with nice length and class on the palate and finish
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4/18/2011 - tederf wrote: 90 Points
Very light color. Strawberry, cherry. Good acid. Very enjoyable.
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3/11/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. This has settled down and smoothed out over the past year. Dark cherry color. Nice nose of stems, black cherry, raspberry, and minerals. In the mouth, quite assertive black cherry is quickly met with the complex notes of stems, minerals, and earth. The acidity has smoothed over noticeably, and the finish is caressing. A slight smokey note on the finish. B+
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2/20/2011 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
another solid showing. Opened to slow O for 4 hours.
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2/12/2011 - psirah wrote: 89 Points
This wine seems to be just entering its optimal drinking window, and interestingly has put on quite a bit of weight, since my last tasting.
Initially, I found cranberry and baking spice on the nose, but a little more time with this revealed a rather strong orange peel component that correlated through the palate. in fact, the wine finishes with an orange liqueur flavor profile.
50+5+12+16+6
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2/1/2011 - DFC wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured and then consumed over 4 hours. Medium-bodied wine that is medium ruby in color. On the nose, cherry liqueur, sandalwood, and light VA. On the palate, cherries, strawberries, a touch of citrus, and clove. This wine is loaded with succulent, pure fruit, and the balance is nice with just a touch of heat on the very long 30-40 second finish.
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1/22/2011 - JavaMonkey wrote: 91 Points
Same as last bottle: Light garnet color. Nice, complex nose with cranberry, cola, sandalwood, and Asian spices. The palate is medium-full weight. Pronounced flavors, but not heavy. Interesting with some depth. Moderate finish.
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1/21/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 90 Points
13.8% ABV. Very translucent tawny ruby garnet in the glass. Earthy black cherry nose. Medium bodied with complex earthy black cherry flavors on the palate. Has an old world feel to it with lots of personality even if it doesn't complete wow me.
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1/21/2011 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
First day boring and average. Second day lively, exciting, brambly. Finished it on the 2nd day because it was in a great place. This wine has hit its stride.
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1/11/2011 - etherscreen wrote:
consumed with pan roasted salmon drizzeled with good balsamic. color is just beginning to show a wine in transition to age. nose still largely dominated by stems, but they are better intergrated than in past bottles. red fruits, menthol, flowers, and forest floor apparent as well. medium body and soft mouthfeel. enough acid holds these components in check. finishes with clean red fruits, acid, and a whiff of minerals. well done and stellar qpr.
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1/7/2011 - rmh66 wrote: 91 Points
So delicious. Initial nose of cocoa powder, raspberries, cedar, and menthol. Very perfumey. Flavors of raspberry, black cherry, anise, herbs, and cranberry. Good acidity. Nice finish. Needs some air to fill it out. Day two has more black cherry, but still really elegant and nice. One bottle left...so sad.
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1/1/2011 - rjoyer wrote:
Popped open last night, and have been following it most of today.
This wine is in a really good spot right now, showing a lot of nerve and energy on the palate. The nose is full of bright, red berry fruit and pine resin notes. I get much of the same in the mouth as well. While still quite young, the baby fat has been shed and it seems to be entering the early side of its peak drinking window. Delicious stuff.
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12/31/2010 - rjoyer wrote:
Popped open last night, and have been following it most of today.
This wine is in a really good spot right now, showing a lot of nerve and energy on the palate. The nose is full of bright, red berry fruit and pine resin notes. I get much of the same in the mouth as well. While still quite young, the baby fat has been shed and it seems to be entering the early side of its peak drinking window. Delicious stuff.
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12/11/2010 - theRealPepe Likes this wine:
Good solid pinot. Good spiciness, interesting fruit and nice color and aromas. All hinting at getting "there" but never quite "there". Quite enjoyable in any event, and I'm sad there is no more in the cellar. Very Good to Excellent.
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11/27/2010 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
Consistently great.
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11/24/2010 - curtispomeroy wrote: 91 Points
Another great showing for this wine. Served perfectly with marinated grilled salmon.
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11/13/2010 - JFish wrote:
No detailed note - taken to dinner. Best showing yet for this wine. Wowed everyone at the table. I wish I had but one more bottle.
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11/13/2010 - gbauer wrote:
Drinking really well now. Excellent with grilled salmon.
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11/7/2010 - meatman wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was more youthful than the last one I drank earlier in the year. Took about 2 hours for it to open up and the palate to fill in. When it did, it was the bright, intense red fruit profile that I remembered. Perfectly balanced for food. Glad I have lots more.
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11/6/2010 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Murky , thin ruby red color. Awesome nose of sour cherry, spice and mineral. Medium weight and elegant on the palate. Perfect balance. Literally bursting with flavors of red fruit, earth, spice and brown sugar. Excellent flavor intensity from the attack through the long, long, satisfying finish. Maybe a touch of heat on the finish, but endearing nonetheless. This is really an impressive bottle of domestic pinot. I'm so glad to have finally made the Rhys list.
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11/3/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Lots of sweet spice with ripe red cherry and berry. Needs time to soften, this has plenty of stuffing. Better 2014 forward.
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10/16/2010 - HenryW wrote: 85 Points
The fruit seems to have fallen off compared to prior bottles. Possibly heat damaged.
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9/23/2010 - rralls wrote: 90 Points
Great value and great wine.
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9/18/2010 - Mattshank wrote: flawed
Last bottle of this and it's either corked or has some other affliction. Tastes like stewed fruit. Major bummer.
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9/15/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Caveat re: my score...I completely dig this wine, and the style in which it's made. On the nose, a minerality disguises a rich pinot aroma. Rock and cherry, with some background acidic notes. On the palate, well balanced, but I think another few years will open this up even more. A light resin without being heavy, some balancing acidity, and a bit of that same minerality that is right now a touch (minor) astringent. This latter comment holds my score down, along with the fact that the finish gives an appearance of being short. I say "appears" because I think the astringent/tight note gives that impression.....the finish is actually relatively long, if light. But what holds my attention is the precision that this wine seems to have. I have every hope that this will be better in the coming years.
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9/12/2010 - tbone wrote:
Nice first night, faded a little on second night.
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9/11/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 90 Points
13.8% ABV. Tasted over a couple days. Translucent light ruby with a clearing rim. Earthy black cherry nose with some nuances of metal, and something like wilting basil/anise. Medium bodied with black cherry and earth flavors mirroring the nose. Nice complexity.
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9/10/2010 - Biskuit wrote: 91 Points
I'm a bit torn on this bottle - I went in with fairly high expectations, some were met. Lovely color that managed to be clear and deep at the same time. Earth and spice were the dominant themes on the nose and palate, with baked red fruit notes throughout, like a sour cherry cobbler with cinnamon. But there was an undercurrent of alcohol heat that didn't dissipate over an hour plus, as I hoped it would. Maybe because it was a warm night, that didn't sit well with me. Will see how it is on night two...
OK, night two, and yes, as expected, the heat is gone. The spice and depth is still here, w strawberry notes more prominent on the palate and finish. Much better, to me at least.
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9/3/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 89 Points
Delightful juicy strawberry fruit, cassis note, light earth, rose petal and lavender. Airy, delicate and bright on the palate. Strong acid finish. Best showing yet. More open with integrated stem tannin.
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8/28/2010 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
after a quick half hour decant, this was really open and ready to be enjoyed. Probably just the meal, but this bottle (tho in great balance) seemed a little more delicate than my memory of the past 15 or so I have drank. If I had to judge from this showing, I would say this is in its prime drinking window, as there are no rough edges and it really seems integrated into a well mannered, delicately dancing pinot, with the best QPR EVER!!
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8/21/2010 - WetRock wrote:
EWG Riesling and Pinot at Yujean Kang's (Yujean Kang's, Pasadena, CA): Funk and some heat on the nose. Candy cherry flavors on a clean light feeling palate with some bitterness. Not the best showing of this wine.
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8/18/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
Consumed recently, notes consistent with prior tasting - this has transparency, finesse, tasty fruit. A winner. Sad to be out of bottles of this.
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8/17/2010 - curtispomeroy wrote: 91 Points
Very elegant with a good deal of enjoyable complexity. Noticeable fade on night two so I plan on drinking my last bottle within the next year.
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8/15/2010 - etherscreen wrote:
showing very well now. mine probably won't last another year, although it's by no means fading. awesome qpr!
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8/9/2010 - gbauer wrote:
Showed very well (but it was a beautiful night at Tanglewood and the ambience may have helped) -- elegant, with good fruit balanced with nice minerality and acidity.
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8/7/2010 - WST wrote: 92 Points
Best bottle yet, in a good place. Translucent light ruby red colored. Perfumed cherries and raspberries, with nice earthy, loamy mushroom notes. If this is their second wine, I can't wait to taste the Estate pinots. One of my best P/Q's ever; wish I had bought much more...
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8/4/2010 - dfeiner wrote: 90 Points
I was way more attentive to the attributes of this wine the last time I wrote a tasting note. This time, I thin we liked it more, less critically. Still very enjoyable and woiuld still probably benefit from more time in bottle.
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7/28/2010 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
opened 3 hours prior to serving, and it showed so well. Everyone enjoyed and commented on the complexity underneath the gentle fruit.
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7/11/2010 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
This time around it was better, but it took about 30-60 minutes in the glass. It surprised me that this declassified wine took so long to come around. This was the first of 3 bottles that I enjoyed. A good value and looking forward to the few I have left.
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7/7/2010 - Acohen wrote: 91 Points
Delightful pinot with great color and delicious cherry and asian spice that evolved nicely
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7/3/2010 - psoals wrote: 91 Points
Bringing respect to the San Mateo appelation...awesome pinot value.
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5/28/2010 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
First a llittle backstory. This wine is de-classified Rhys Family Farm. Declassified - so Rhys is not particularly proud of this.
13.8% alcohol. Medium ruby red. very expressive red and black fruit aromas. Concentrated cherry, strawberry, rasberry and asian spice flavors. Very well balanced. Lingering aftertaste.
This wine has improved very markedly since release. It is a delightful wine. And Rhys didn't feel that it was quite up to snuff. Just one reason why I value Rhys!
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5/22/2010 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted for an hour. great as usual, a tad hot of cake spice at first, then the red fruits rounded it out for better balance. I just love this wine.
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5/16/2010 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
13.8% alcohol. Medium ruby red. Expressive and complex red and black fruit aromas.Focused and concentrated black cherry, strawberry, spice, a little forrest floor ... lively, nuanced, complex and very tasty. Lingering aftertaste. I tasted this about six months back and it was not nearly as enjoyable. This should continue to imporve for several years.
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5/11/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
nose: pretty and elegant nose of red cherries, red fruits, some bits of creamed berries, spice tones, floral bits and a touch of rhubarb. Well balanced aromatics with a perfumed quality to it, but on the softer side of things
taste: tasty medium feel with excellent tones of red cherries, raspberries, red fruits, spices and a bit of floral tones. Good medium acidity backs this up well
overall: starting to really open up. The tones seem more rounded then before and the acidity has pulled back a bit. This can certainly go longer, but is really tasty right now
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5/2/2010 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
as good a showing as any, and one of the best appellation level pinot's I have had. Popped and poured half into a 375ml, and let the remaining half breath for 2 hours in bottle, outside in the cool spring air.
Served with a grilled sirloin, and it really delivered the goods!
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5/1/2010 - meatman wrote: 90 Points
Continues to be a great QPR.
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4/24/2010 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Medium-full, beautiful complex nose of strawberry, dark cherry and earth tones of mushroom and leather. Palate has medium body with great balance of soft fruit and acidity. The wine's character is a split of new world and old with fruit and funk working in harmony.
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4/10/2010 - Brsed wrote: 92 Points
This wine seems to be getting better with time. Bright and clear strawberry and rasberry fruit with wonderful balance.
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4/8/2010 - leadpencil wrote: 90 Points
Light ruby. Medium bodied. Cherry, hint of anise.
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4/5/2010 - tbone wrote:
Popped a bottle 4 nights ago and devoured first half of bottle with zeal. Left bottle on counter for 4 days and finally got around to finishing it off. Wow! What a beaut. This wine will definetely get better in the cellar if you have the patience.
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4/4/2010 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was really great. I decanted (small decanter) and left outside in the cool spring air for almost 2 hours prior to serving. This was the first bottle I decanted and it really helped it open and integrate. Same beautiful profile with red fruits, some little earth element (maybe stems too) and enough tannins to say this wine is still very young.
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4/3/2010 - Jay Hack wrote:
Did not taste - brought to my sister's house and forgot to taste it when I opened it. Others thought it was good. Color was light.
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3/31/2010 - etherscreen wrote:
drinking much better
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3/28/2010 - Todd French Likes this wine: 91 Points
Perfumed nose of strawberry, cola, and spring water. Palate feels rich, somewhat heavy for a Pinot, but not at all syrupy. Dark cherry, sour cherry, and strawberry dominate along with more cola and a bit of steminess. The greenness, which is well balanced and not intrusive, continues into the finish, where cherry and cola continue on as well. This is a richer Pinot than the Ayres we also enjoyed tonight with the salmon - both high quality and highly enjoyable.
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3/20/2010 - xwine wrote:
Whoever said this wine is nearing the end of its useful life must have had an off bottle (though this was a magnum). Started off almost completely shut down, then blossomed into a truly lovely pinot. It's all about elegance, red fruit, balance and finesse. Wish I had more.
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3/19/2010 - hkfoebee wrote:
Like the Paulliac, this was drank way too warm. However, no one could have guessed that this was a SM terrior bottling.
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3/19/2010 - keithgg wrote: 91 Points
An elegant and well balanced PN.
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3/18/2010 - rmh66 wrote: 91 Points
Nice perfume of fresh raspberry jam, black cherry, cherry cough drops, forest, anise, and spice. (Despite the jam/candy descriptors, this isn't sweet in the least.) More lovely raspberry and cherry flavors, followed by licorice and spice. Good acidity. Elegant and balanced. Good finish. Seems more expensive than it is. Definitely makes you want to keep drinking it, though I kept some for the next few days. After a few days, the raspberries disappeared and darker fruit came in. Still delicious, but not as elegant or beautiful. 90-91.
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3/15/2010 - onewineheaven wrote: 87 Points
It seems to have lost its voice it was so mute. It could be a dumb phase but more likely I think it is nearing the end of its useful life. Nice while it lasted.
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3/14/2010 - plinytheelder wrote: 91 Points
Nice full body. Smokiness. Good example of New World Pinot. Good funkiness. My first taste of 4.
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3/12/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. Just rocking on this day. Pretty red and black cherry on the nose, with a touch of steminess and plenty of spice. In the mouth, linear and lively, with bright fruit and structure that awakens your palate. The complexity is deep, and the acidity is racy. Strong finish. Drinking very well with another few years of upside, too. A-
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3/9/2010 - shaneajohnson wrote:
The best yet, but unfortunately my last bottle. If I had more, I would probably wait a bit on the others.
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3/8/2010 - winelover1 wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful cherry flavors right away. Smooth and elegant describe this one. Terrific with a variety of foods such as pork or chicken. Or just drink it. Need more.
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2/27/2010 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
sooo easy to drink. best QPR pinot
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2/23/2010 - Brsed wrote: 90 Points
What the heck? When first opened, this bottle was way funky and had some effervescence (like the kind I've only experienced shortly after release). Much bottle variation among this case. In any event, this pup settled down after an hour of air. Nose of cool fruits with a bit of forest and a little brine. Nice subtle multiple layers of soft red fruits with a bit of earthiness. Nice smooth texture. An intellectual wine.
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2/20/2010 - madeiradog wrote: 92 Points
Red, delicious fruit lifted by excellent acidity make this a favorite pinot in our house. Some baking spice and herbalness are also present to add to the complexity.
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2/17/2010 - riccodog13 wrote: 91 Points
Nose of cherry, chalk dust and baking spice is framed by pretty floral aromas. Very pure and crystalline flavors of cherry, wet stones and baking spice. Laser-like acidity carries the structure and provides excellent cut for this elegant yet beautifully ripe pinot. Excellent now, but has the ability to age on its balance alone. Drink now-2015. 91 pts.
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2/13/2010 - andolini wrote: 90 Points
Very pleasant drinker -- a bit fruit forward, but not jammy or sweet in any way. Cherry, red fruit, and a bit simple on the mid-palate. Great value.
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2/4/2010 - CSteefel wrote:
Spicy red Pinot fruit, without quite the stemmy undertone that I picked up on earlier bottles, this is a pleasant drink if it doesn't have the length and complexity of some of the other in the Rhys-Alesia lineup.
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2/4/2010 - Acohen wrote: 91 Points
Very nice with cherry fruit and spice on the finish. Almost a cola on the midpalate and evolved nicely over 90 minutes.
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2/2/2010 - gutt22 wrote: flawed
13.8% alcohol. Corked! Nuts!
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2/1/2010 - Brady D wrote: 90 Points
Opened two hours before drinking. Light red, with crystalline clarity. Bright strawberry nose. Not super complex, but a little earthiness added to the light fruit. Good acidity. Seriously pleasurable if not profound. Very quaffable.
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1/30/2010 - WST wrote:
Very good. Translucent red. Gains weight in the glass. Fairly simple, with perfumed cherries. We really enjoyed this, and I suspect it will gain complexity without losing its freshness with a little bottle age.
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1/30/2010 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
I have experienced minor bottle variation ranging from very good to excellent. This bottle seemed more accessible from the pop, and really showed balance and grace with nice spice notes. I am sure some bottle variation is masked as palate variation, but on this night, with this bottle it showed better than others.
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1/29/2010 - B Paul wrote: 90 Points
Notes same - a good, light Pinot with lots of red fruit (cherries and strawberries) and an herbal, stem-like note. Drinking well now.
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1/29/2010 - decaturwinedude wrote: 91 Points
Still absolutely kicking ass. What a great wine for its modest cost. Pale red in the glass. Full of stemmy-spice notes and a long herbal warmth on the finish. So persistent with cranberry fruit and stemmy-spice on the palate. So light on its feet, yet so packed with intensity. Bravo Kevin and co.
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1/28/2010 - Acohen wrote: 90 Points
Delightfully light with cherry cola and light spice on the finish.
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1/24/2010 - rralls wrote: 88 Points
In line with other tastings.
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1/22/2010 - rc@ughey wrote: 88 Points
Not quite as fresh as the bottles I drank last year. This is still delicious, but it's also a bit muddled. Cola, red berries, bramble, and spice. Not as precise and angular as previous bottles, this seems a bit soft and unsure of itself. Maybe in an awkward stage. Still, I'm picking nits, as we finished off the bottle quickly--this remains a tasty, restrained, and relatively deep CA pinot.
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1/18/2010 - Anonymous wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant, medium bodied, straight forward cherry, herbs and good acidity but it's showing a bit too much oak right now.
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1/12/2010 - B Paul wrote: 90 Points
This is a good Pinot and on the lighter side for Cali. Pretty garnet color and good mouthfeel. At this point this is more approachable than the '06 Sonoma Coast.
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1/11/2010 - tbone wrote:
Wow, what a fantastic pinot. Popped and decanted after pouring a taste and this wine was very aromatic and spicy right away. Not sure it changed being in decanter for about 2 hours. Started off with the cherry cola thing and then changed to a deeper fruit profile. Great pairing with roasted salmon and spanish tortilla.
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1/10/2010 - cbbrown3 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted about an hour, note from an hour later. Light ruby red color. Cherry, cola, earthy elements, cinnamon, and a touch of smoke on the nose. Medium body with very good acidity and light, subtle tannins. Nice length on the spicy finish with a slight herbal note creaping in.
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1/10/2010 - sdatl wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly spicy and aromatic with crisp acidity, bright fruit, and a silky smooth finish... and this is Kevin's second wine!
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1/9/2010 - JavaMonkey wrote: 91 Points
Light garnet color. Nice, complex nose with cranberry, cola, sandalwood, and Asian spices. The palate is medium-full weight. Pronounced flavors, but not heavy. Interesting with some depth. Moderate finish.
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1/8/2010 - Brsed wrote: 89 Points
Nice fruit with a bit of minerality. Good balance. A subtle CA pinot.
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1/5/2010 - dfeiner wrote: 89 Points
This started off very good, diminished a bit during the course of a dinner and then finished good again. Nose had plum, spice and a bit of graphite. The mouth feel really defined the wine, almost syrupy but not at all cloying. That density is what made it less enjoyable as it went on. A bit of woodsy, tea like flavor emerged at the end and added some complexity. Interesting and enjoyable. We had it with peppered tuna which might not have been the perfect food match. Will try with different food match another time.
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1/4/2010 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
Been away for vacation... first pinot of the new year... Man I missed it. this was just what I was looking for. Super QPR
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1/2/2010 - JAKurek wrote: 91 Points
From magnum, very solid wine.
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12/28/2009 - HenryW wrote: 91 Points
Similar to prior bottles. Attractive delicate nose. Lots of minerality on the palate.
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12/28/2009 - gbauer wrote:
Good pinot typicity, straddling the new world/old world divide. This seemed a little simpler and more fruit forward than some bottles -- is it bottle variation, timing, something else? I don't know. At this price, a superb accompaniment to seared salmon.
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12/21/2009 - twelch wrote: 87 Points
NIce open nose of forest floor, smoke, cherry, strawberry. This had a lot going for it, nice acidity and well integrated alcohol. On the palate a nice minerality, earth, mushroom and very tart cherry. This was a lot of fun until about hour #3 of it being open then it went down a swift spiral downward. If you drink make sure it's not something that is open for too long at this point. Might have just been going in and out of dumb phases as I really liked it upon first opening.
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12/20/2009 - sdatl wrote: 91 Points
Bright garnet color, light body, incredibly aromatic nose; one of the lightest and most aromatic Pinot Noirs I have tasted. It has a very feminine and understated style that lets all of the secondary flavors of the varietal gently emerge. One of the night's favorites, but some thought it was almost too light to be of interest... I loved it.
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12/17/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
13.8% ABV. Light in the glass with a transparent garnet color and a clearing rim. Rich smelling with aromas of dark earth and some cinnamon spice. Typical funky Pinot fruit of sour black cherry. Medium bodied but concentrated with a rusty earthy finish. Interesting. Pretty good. My wife wouldn't drink it though. Does have an interesting old world/new world composition.
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12/15/2009 - JFish wrote:
These bottles continue to improve with time. Earth, forest and tart cherry are predominant. Good length. Great QPR.
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12/13/2009 - HenryW wrote: 91 Points
Similar to prior bottles. Same awesome minerality on the nose and palate. Wonderful strawberry aromas. If there is a change from the last bottle, it is that the fruit appears to have receded somewhat on the palate.
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12/5/2009 - gbauer wrote:
Seems to be showing a little more new world fruity than earlier bottles. Still some backbone, spice and minerality, just not quite as much as I remembered.
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11/26/2009 - theRealPepe wrote:
Lovely dark brick red color. Very enticing aromas of exotic spices, cherry juice and earth. On the palate it is not as extraordinary though mostly very pleasing - cherry, spice, earth and a noticable herbiness. However, every now and then there is an unpleasant taste of pith or grapeseed on the finish. Nonetheless this is a very elegant wine and paired well with goose. Very good/Excellent
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11/26/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Thanksgiving Wines: Unfortunately, this was another average bottle of this wine. I've had average and I've had very good. Disappointing showing. Flabby, sweet, simple, and forgettable. The only wine that did not get finished last night, and even the non-geeks in the crowd (which was practically everyone) didn't care too much for this.
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11/20/2009 - charbo wrote:
oh so good
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11/19/2009 - sehill wrote: 90 Points
Similar to previous bottles.
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11/19/2009 - JFish wrote:
Brief impression: very shy on the nose; on the palate it seemed much tighter nit and cohesive than prior bottles. No sappiness or sweetness. Very nice.
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11/8/2009 - 2loyal wrote: 87 Points
Very night, somewhat "light" pinot. Smooth mouthfell, but fairly short finish. Enjoyed it, but didn't love it.
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11/4/2009 - WST wrote: 88 Points
Perfumed or candied cherry, simple.
addendum: I just read the review below after I had written this note, and it also mentions "Perfume", "Candy" and "Cherries"
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11/4/2009 - Jody Smith wrote: 89 Points
Restrained and graceful. Subtle earth, sour cherry and perfume notes make for an uncomplicated, but classy drink. Well complements the meal, then puts on a bit of weight to end the evening. Clean lines, with unobtrusive acid and structure to cleanse and persist the finish.
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11/3/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
This bottle absolutely lives up to its reputation as an excellent CA pinot QPR. Red fruits and a bit of cola form most of the flavor profile here, with some dark notes. On the palate, sweet fruit and tannins provide ample pleasure. The only knock against this wine is a bitterness on the finish that probably explains why Rhys decided to declassify this rather than sell it as a Family Farm bottling. Over the course of the evening, some of the bitterness melted away, resulting in a balanced (with alcohol in check, just barely) pinot that is just way more enjoyable to me than some of the recent bottles I've had from producers with good reputations but were just too stewed and roasted in their flavors.
If this is an indication of what my other Alesia and Rhys purchases will be like, this will be the first mailing list producer that I'm in for, every time. Shows its CA origin, so it won't be confused with Burgundy, but it is truly a CA pinot that Burg fans can really get into. 91+, and truly outstanding on the basis of being a rare pinot of this quality at under $30. By comparison to 07 Copain Tous Ensemble, I would say this is a bit looser knit, but with higher highs for me, and probably a shade less oak noticed.
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11/2/2009 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
This bottle seemed a little spicier, in a good way.. just great!
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10/24/2009 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
such a consistent, great performer. same as previous notes. there is an extra point for the QPR for this wine.
DAY TWO .. this is the first time I had half a bottle left, and it definitely got better. The spice became more integrated (less cake spice, more earth) the fruit had a longer richer finish, but not more or less ripe. No heat at all on the finish.
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10/24/2009 - scotts2 wrote: 89 Points
Very pleasant drinking. For me this declassified Rhys Pinot is all about gentle fruit and silky texture rather than complexity or nuance. Drinking very well at present and for the next few years, though unlikely to improve much.
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10/21/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 85 Points
Modest nose of candy apple, cranberry, some Xmas spice and lots of dirt. More clarity on the palate with spicy strawberry fruit and a touch of apple peel. The finish is light on fruit and shows some overly earthy tannin. Too much oak and stems for the fruit. I hope this bottle was just closed down.
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10/15/2009 - spacewrangler wrote: 85 Points
Solid Cali pinot, the nose offering more style than the palate. Where the bouquet is floral, spicy and exhibiting earth/minerality, the palate is distinctly Cali, with the same sweet (too sweet) red fruit and cola. More balanced than most Cali pns and a nice quaff, but wouldn't purchase again.
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10/14/2009 - yonster24 wrote:
OK, so I've read note after note on CT and WB about what an amazing value this wine is and how great it was. Finally got around to opening one of them to check it out and....damn, this is good. After all the hype, I was worried that the wine wouldn't live up to it. The wine exceeded the hype IMO.
Gorgeous nose of Raspberries, Violet and some earth underlying it all. On the palate this baby was tasty! Full of Raspberry and some bright cherries making a brief but nice appearance on the mid-palate leading to a nice lingering finish that had a touch of spice. Very well balanced with great acidity to it. It was hard to not keep going back for more so the bottle was drained pretty quickly.
I've ordered two vintages from Rhys due to a lot of people I trust liking their wines. This is the first bottle I've tried, and now I wish I would have ordered more!!!
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10/11/2009 - wineack wrote: flawed
Bad cork.
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10/9/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. A striking and fun contrast to the Louis Latour Bourgogne. You really get to see the differences between Old World and New. This is light and elegant for California, but it is still richer and more voluptuous than the Latour. A serious wine, with a terrific red-fruited bouquet. Plenty of spice, earth, and minerals on the nose, too. In the mouth, delicious, with layers of flavors that cascade across the palate. Bright acidity and a long finish. A-
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10/8/2009 - sehill wrote: 90 Points
This wine was opened and poured. It showed well in a lighter more refined style. The aromatics cherry, cranberry, spice and earth notes. The color is a medium ruby. The medium bodied palate shows good balance and subtle tannins. This drinks well now and is not likely to benefit from additional bottle age.
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10/6/2009 - JonnyB wrote: 87 Points
almost medicinal on the nose, light garnet in color and a bit of fresh fruit up front but not much finish. Perhaps another year this will be in a better place.
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10/6/2009 - John wrote: 79 Points
worst bottle yet. this wine has me scratching my head. open closed open closed. really need to keep the rest closed for a year or two.
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10/5/2009 - reese wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Nice nose of cherry fruit and spice. The wine had the slightest bit of dissolved CO2 which was only noticeable for 30 minutes (I will decant or shake next time)... Once again my impression is of a very nicely balance wine with very pure fruit and herb flavors. Better than my last bottle several months back.
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10/4/2009 - onewineheaven wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Enjoyable. Drinks well now but will probably last a two or three years.
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10/4/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
nose: bits of rhubarb strike right off the bat with dark tones of cherries and raspberries along with touches of earthen spices and bits of purple florals. Lovely complexity on the nose. Not the deepest nose, but this is very well balanced and pungent
taste: excellent medium feel with good medium acidity. Well balanced tones of dark cherries, dark raspberries, earthen spices and a bit of rhubarb all gently work well together
overall: This has come together much better over the past 8 months. Very well balanced that is quintessentially californian, but with a restrained sense to it. A lovely young pinot that is perfect for near term drinking
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10/2/2009 - Brsed wrote: 91 Points
Quite nice. Nose of cherries with a bit of spice. Tastes of cranberries and sweet cherries with good acidty. Very bright and light.
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10/2/2009 - yui wrote: 89 Points
still good, but felt like something was missing.
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9/27/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Maybe there is a lot of bottle variation...because although my last bottle was very average, the bottle tonight was fantastic. Very nice leafy earth and plum. A delicious herbacious-ness to it and a lovely, elegant finish and texture. Lovely bottle of wine.
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9/19/2009 - onewineheaven wrote: 87 Points
This was a split decision. One of us liked it a lot but the other thought it lost some of the brightness that made it such a refreshing quaff on release. But, it may just be in a dumb phase. It had interesting components but just seemed muddled.
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9/17/2009 - elamasters wrote: 90 Points
This has improved considerably since the last bottle I opened about 10 months ago. Red fruit driven, with a hint of brown sugar. Lovely acidity. Was a great pairing with BLT sandwiches.
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9/14/2009 - John wrote: 81 Points
man, this is open then closed then open and closed....
will leave the other bottles for x-mas time (easier said than done). while it was nice not as good as the last bottle. nose was giving less and the mid pallet was not there as before. still, the best buy for the buck in the 06 vintage.
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9/10/2009 - decaturwinedude wrote: 90 Points
Terrific showing again. Spicy, smoky nose. Cranberry and sandalwood too. There's a stemmy-spicy note with the cherry palate this is just delicious. Crazy good value here.
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9/2/2009 - charbo wrote:
not only a killer pn but the price. WOW
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8/30/2009 - gbauer wrote:
Consistent with previous notes.
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8/29/2009 - hkfoebee wrote:
Likethe rest, a very well balanced SM that always seems to show well. Very pretty all around. Wish I had more!
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8/28/2009 - JFish wrote:
Okay, I'll admit when I'm wrong. When I opened up my first bottle last November I found the wine to be somewhat sappy and sweet. I opened this one thinking I would just have a simple drinker to pair with some grilled pork chops. I was pleasantly surprised to find the sweetness I noted in the first bottle was completely gone. This bottle had a touch of brett which I like and gave it some complexity along with cherries and red raspberries as it trailed off. Maybe I should have ordered more when offered the chance?:)
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7/30/2009 - jlm wrote:
This has filled out on the palate since my last bottle. It's now got solid middle-weight fruit and firm, but light tannins. Certainly will improve with some more time.
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7/27/2009 - BonnieM wrote:
Pop and pour, bright red fruit, light but lovely, a Pinot that can be enjoyed with a meal or sipping on its own, at least at this stage of development.
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7/24/2009 - galewskj wrote: 83 Points
Really didn't do much for me. After about 30 minutes it vaguely started to taste like pinot. I don't know if this is closed or just a lousy wine. Two friends didn't like it either.
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7/22/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. Six months has done this wine well, and it will continue to improve. Popped and poured, and it just burst forth with delicious red fruit on the nose, with a strong earth and spice component. Excellent mouth feel, delicious, juicy fruit, and serious complexity. Strong acidity. Long finish. Delightful. A-
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7/20/2009 - John wrote: 84 Points
drank with claire. much more open than the last bottle. A very good showing
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7/10/2009 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
great from the get go. nice notes of cranberry, cake spice and red berries - right out of the gate
An hour later when served with our filet's,, the wine grew in intensity, especially in the spice. Might have gotten a bit darker in its berry profile and also added some cinnamon.
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7/5/2009 - HenryW wrote: 93 Points
Third time I've had this wine and it keeps improving. First two bottles were very good. But this one was deeper, richer, more complex.
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7/2/2009 - JeffcB wrote:
Pop and poured. Mild pinot funk on nose, light purple in glass. Some spritz. Cola, strong acidity, more in the mouth feel then the finish, bordering on cucumber not fully ripe watermelon and lemon lime. Somewhat thin, and tart, with light cherry complementing the cola and acid fusion. Overall somewhat disappointing, starts with a dominating tongue tingling spritz that did blow off, but what was left was a not obviously flawed wine (like the 04 Sonatera), but not inherently interesting.
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6/25/2009 - John wrote: 81 Points
the least expressive bottle of the ones I've had. i told myself not to have another bottle until x-mas, but I have no self control. after this bottle I'm holding off for at least six months.
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6/20/2009 - James Kim wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for about 45min-1 hr. Beautiful ruby color. Earthiness, mushrooms, bright cherries, ripe strawberries,and minerals highlight the wine's aromas. The palate starts with ripe red cherries (bordering on black cherries), ripe strawberries, earth, forest florr, mushrooms, and a minerality that became more pronounced as the night went on. Finish is moderately long with an indistinguishable mixture of red berries, minerals and earth. Good tartness and mild tannins give this wine its structure. Medium bodied, elegant with a slight alcoholic heat at the finish, which mars the wine slightly. Earthier, more minerally, a bit more heat than I last remembered it. Enjoyed it a bit more than the last time 6 mo. ago.
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6/13/2009 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
great right from the get go. really a go to bottle for QPR
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6/9/2009 - fredb wrote:
Dark ruby red color. Nose of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry, with tea and spice in the background. On the palate, this shows cool, almost crunchy raspberry fruit primarily with cherry and strawberry playing close seconds in the race to impression. There is additional integration over past bottles here, with the oak showing less overtly, and the spice notes showing on the ripe end of the spectrum - allspice and cinnamon. Held well on day 2, showing some vanilla notes with air time.
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6/8/2009 - jakuda wrote:
Intense aromas of Spanish cedar, cloves, with some red fruit at the tail end. Initial silky feeling in the mouth leads to a juicy attack, and light mouth feel. Very light touch of tannins. Continuation of woodsy/spicy flavors. Short finish. Aerating would be recommended. ----All of the Family Farm vineyard was declassified into the Alesia San Mateo County. 06 was a high yielding year. The concentration and structure wasn't there for the type of wine K.Harvey probably wants. Oak treatment is noticeable although not disjointed. A good decision to declassify even though Rhys fans probably won't get it until they try the 07 Family Farm pinot side-by-side.
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6/6/2009 - Baeyens Cellars wrote: 90 Points
Similar to my last notes - decant for at least one hour and the fruit starts to come through and balance out the wine's great structure and acidity.
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6/5/2009 - gbauer wrote:
On the nose, good red fruit with a little spice and earth. In the mouth, good fruit, acid and tannin. Now that these are $23, I can't think of another "daily drinker" pinot that I prefer, in the New World (maybe competes with some good inexpensive Bourgogne). I bought a case on the May offer, and as it stands, I am happy.
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6/4/2009 - LoireFan wrote: 90 Points
These need a lot more time! I can't believe people think it's ready to drink now.
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5/28/2009 - John wrote: 83 Points
much different bottle from 2, 5 and 9 months ago. heading into puberty? I feel a change coming. will hold off for a few months
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5/21/2009 - yhn wrote: 91 Points
Nose - very very shy, strawberry, bay.
Marsannay-like fruit, pert, mildly grippy tannin, sultry, earthy, raspberry, orange zest. Relatively thin. 91 pts
My #6, group #8 1/0/1/4 (99)
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5/19/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 89 Points
Light colored, but full of flavors of cherries, dried cherries and rhubarb again, tannins have mellowed and the acidity balances the whole. For the style and weight, 89 pts. Nicely done.
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5/19/2009 - jbaron wrote: 89 Points
Tonight, not candied. Earthy, mellow, a nice drink.
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5/18/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pale red gentle color. The nose is shy, showing a bit of stalk. Palate of cherry, strawberry and light anise, finishing with a nice minerality and raspberry like acidity. Probably the most feminine pinot I have drank in a while, with subtle edges and flavors.
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5/16/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Very defined notes of strawberries and other red fruits on the nose. Nice medium-bodied wine. Elegant and a fine QPR.
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5/16/2009 - decaturwinedude wrote: 90 Points
Really nice showing for this. Drinking beautifully right. Floral, feminine nose. Silky on the palate. Lush and ready. Terrific value here. Well done.
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5/15/2009 - Baeyens Cellars wrote: 91 Points
Dusty nose at first somewhat overshadowed the fruit. The wine opens up and gets better and better as it airs. Good acidity and structure to this wine. Recommend decanting for one hour.
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5/15/2009 - gzim wrote: 89 Points
I cannot tell if it is bottle variation of my palate, but some bottles seem more extracted, with darker fruit than others. this bottle was very good, but seemed thinner than last weeks bottle.
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5/14/2009 - etherscreen wrote:
great bottle, but just a notch below the '06 sonoma coast.
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5/9/2009 - nicu2001 wrote: 88 Points
This was good but a little thin at this point.
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5/9/2009 - John wrote: 86 Points
i love this juice. this is the best bottle yet, but i feel a change coming. the sour cherry has eased off a bit and the acidity has come back in line. this is going to be a real winner in a year. to bad I won't be able to hold off!
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5/6/2009 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was more open from the pop.... Love this stuff
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5/4/2009 - yui wrote: 93 Points
very acidic i nth ebeginning, but then it got a wholelot better after 2 hours. Had a salad with soy/corriander dressing and it went extremely well.
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4/27/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 89 Points
Not a QPR, but a solid performance IMHO. Cherries, dried cherries, and rhubarb in a medium to medium light weight package with good length.
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4/26/2009 - CO CHRIS wrote:
Decent. Quaff. $30 barely is a QPR.
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4/24/2009 - Brsed wrote: 90 Points
Same as Feb 10 note.
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4/24/2009 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 83 Points
Rhys (Seasonal): Seems weightier than it did before, but also juicier. At this point, it needs more polish. Having the '07 Family Farm to compare it with confirms that declassifying this was the right thing to do.
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4/16/2009 - glaze3 wrote:
This has really opened up since my last bottle in December. Cranberry, cherries and baking spices. Very long and a bit candied, but in a good way. I'm much more impressed this go around.
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4/15/2009 - jbaron wrote: 88 Points
Still nice, but seems a bit more candied than I remember it being last time. Perhaps the lightness is masquerading as candy, but it's a bit distracting this time around. The nose is piercing, if a bit hot, the mouth is full and lightheaded, the length is spicy to the point of being slightly offputting, but decent in length. An okay showing.
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4/12/2009 - fredb wrote:
Limited impression, as this was taken to the neighbor's for a cookout and nearly all consumed by the ladies. Smoky red color, pretty cherry nose. Dried cherries, rhubarb tartness. Great mouthfeel - silky with some crunchy raspberry fruit. Strawberries hiding in there somewhere too. Well received.
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4/2/2009 - riccodog13 wrote: 91 Points
Reserved pinot, showing its youthful structure, that slowly turns to bright cherry and raspberry which is augmented by rose, brown spice, and mineral. Has nice concentration and power without excess weight. Really classy with superb balance. Drink now-2015. 91 pts.
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4/1/2009 - John wrote: 85 Points
best showing yet
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3/27/2009 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
Seemed a little more open right out of the gate. This is so good... might have to buy another case.
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3/13/2009 - James Kim wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for ~1.5hr. Clear ruby color. Nice aromas of ripe red cherries, earth and a bit of funk at the back end. Palate follows aromas with more cherries, strawberries, minerals, earth with an excellent finish with more minerals. Gained more complexity and elegance with a bit of oak as the night went on. A bit ripe for my tastes but excellent with roasted rosemary chicken.
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3/13/2009 - psirah wrote: 90 Points
Well, wow, that is all I can say. Tis wine initially opened up with obvious cherry and baking spice, but soon intense raspberry notes were present, and a hint of earth/mushroom in the background. The wine was all bright red fruit, but the mid-palate did not initially come together well, as something was out of balance. 24 hours later and all is right with the world, and the wine has a 30+ second finish to boot. Lovely. Looking forward to this in 2-3 years.
50+4+14+16+6
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3/8/2009 - HenryW wrote: 92 Points
Nose has gotten bigger and more impressive since the last bottle. Has the trademark Santa Cruz earthy minerality.
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3/2/2009 - benjordan wrote:
A little shy at this point. I guess I would wait to see if this offers more with some evolution in the bottle.
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2/28/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Craft NYC/LA Live (New York, NY): Short finish and green
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2/27/2009 - fredb wrote:
Smoky cranberry color. Nose of cherry, cranberry, black tea, a hint of smoke, and a hint of spice. On the palate, this has a pretty, almost crunchy cherry flavor with cranberry and tea complimenting. The middle is a bit lean, appearing to be shut down. Further time should help flesh this component out. The finish is moderate with good acids showing. If I hadn't gone long on this, I'd stop drinking to allow further bottle development.
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2/25/2009 - Mattshank wrote: 90 Points
Nose: Very floral with cherries initially then developed more additive aromas of forest floor, vanilla and sage. Palate: Very Burgundian with soft red fruits, bright acid, and cherry with strawberry hints. Very supple yet vibrant due to the acidity. This is a good example of how CA can make pinots in an old world fashion. I will hold on to my last bottle for 10-12 months to see it's evolution.
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2/23/2009 - hkfoebee wrote:
Another beautiful showing. Sweet strawberry bouquet, solid backbone of acidity, & medium finish which got better throughout the evening. Bravo!!
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2/21/2009 - jhannah27 wrote:
OC Poker for Wine/CT Virtual Tasting III (Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA): Impression only as I really only had about a two ounce pour of this. The bottle was open for about 4 hours before drinking. Absolutely fantastic nose full of rich strawberries, cinnamon, and fresh pine. The nose of this wine alone is worth the price of admission. Flavors of strawberries, red licorice, clove, and dust showed more subtle and subdued than the nose. Other than feeling a little let down by the relative thinness of the flavors compared to the nose, this is a really fantastic little bottle of wine. Definitely worth seeking out to work through a full bottle. If I ventured a score I would say 88 at this point, but the potential is there for higher scores both in terms of really getting a good taste of it and with a few more years in the bottle.
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2/21/2009 - WetRock wrote:
VCTE III & OC Poker (Wine Cellar Club): Very similar to my last go around. This changed and added quite a bit with air. Initially on the tight side showing some forest notes on the nose and a nice balanced cranberry palate. Later on Christmas spice and pine needles on the nose. Palate picks up some weight and sweetness adding some cola and cinnamon. This certainly doesn't seem to carry the depth and concentration of the estate bottles from 2006 but hard to better for $30 in Cali Pinot.
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2/21/2009 - grafstrb wrote: 89 Points
VCTE III & OCP4W I; 2/21/2009-2/22/2009: -- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --
NOSE: nice bouquet of cherry, cinnamon and Dr. Pepper cola
BODY: garnet color of light depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: certainly a delicate-style pinot with notes of cherry and bramble ... improved in the glass. A lot better than an '04 Sonoma County that I tasted a few weeks ago ... the '06 San Mateo county wasn't hot like the '04 Sonoma County was.
B: 50, 5, 11, 16, 7 = 89
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2/14/2009 - gzim wrote:
another very nice bottle
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2/10/2009 - Brsed wrote: 91 Points
Very nice for the price. Light pinot with good balance between fruit and acid.
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2/7/2009 - mmasterson wrote: 91 Points
Excellent pinot especially at the price, a good cross between burgundy and cali...good pure berry fruits but without being candied, with the balance, tannin and acidity of burgundy...in fact, not ready to drink yet. I opened the bottle for 3 hours and then choose to decant for another hour and a half...tannins fully in place and this will drink even better with time.
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2/6/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 88 Points
nose: really nice nose that has a good elegance to it while still being rooted in california with dark red cherries, spices, bits of earth, strawberries, and purple florals. Much more restrained then millions of other california pinots while still having that california-ness to it
taste: this wasn't showing as well as the one I had a few weeks ago as it was a bit hollow on the mid palate and the acidity on this one interfered with it a bit. Good tones of dark cherries, strawberries, and spices, but lacking the depth that the bottle I had a few weeks ago had
overall: I'll wait until later this year to have one of my other two bottles. I felt that this could use a bit more time as the acidity was in the way of the flavors(though it wasn't screeching acidity, just muting the flavors a bit) and the mid palate was a bit hollow. I definitely liked what was there, it just wasn't showing like I was expecting
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2/6/2009 - jasonh wrote:
I meant to hold these for a while but ended up grabbing my last bottle at home. Drank nicely. Again reminded me a bit of Oregon on the aromatics. Fairly heavy and rich with lots of fruit and oak.
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1/28/2009 - wineack wrote: 92 Points
This was delicious. Clear, bright color with moderate depth. Beautiful pure fruit without being over done. I might have mistaken this for Burgundy. I am happy to have several more bottles of this.
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1/28/2009 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was more fruit forward from the get go, built a bit more in structure half hour later, beautifully made wine.
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1/22/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Ugh. Nothing positive to report on this wine. Smells like cotton candy and candy corn with some smokey black fruit behind it. Not nearly as sweet on the palate as on the nose, but too viscous and alcohol rich. Despite that, fruit on the mid-palate is hollow and finish short. Definitely not heat damaged, corked, or otherwise spoiled. Just not my cup of tea.
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1/18/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Pinot Smackdown 2009 (Barrington IL, Wally's house): nose: plush and elegant nose of peppery flavors, brown spices, dark berries, black cherries, Purple florals and brown spices. Well rounded nose with great depth and purity of tones
taste: lovely feel with floral tones, dark berries, black cherries, bits of cranberries, and brown spices. Very burgundian in style while still retaining a california edge to it with the plushness on the palate and also providing medium+ acidity
overall: a high qualityand elegant pinot. I was very glad when this was revealed as its a great value and can definitely grow a bit as a wine, but is obviously very drinkable now.
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1/16/2009 - popquizkid wrote: 91 Points
Decanted two hours. Nose of cranberries and cherries and a nice floral component. Some spice is noticeable on the palate, and the oak is a peeking out a little bit at this point. Saved half a bottle for the next day and it was terrific. I believe this needs 1-3 more years in the cellar to fully integrate, but is drinking well now with a decant. What a great value in California Pinot.
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1/13/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. Very young, but I've got several bottles and wanted to see how this was doing -- as well as satisfy my recent craving for a Rhys/Alesia wine. This is tight. But it's got class, elegance, and stuffing. Light red color. Attractive nose of strawberry, cranberry, and red cherry, along with tightly packed minerals. In the mouth, really linear, with plenty of the fruit from the nose packed into the palate. Lots of floral and spice character. Plenty of acidity. Tightly wound finish that had a bit of a tannic kick. This is young, but it has plenty of fruit and complexity to it. I'm not going back into these bottles for another year. A-
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1/12/2009 - John wrote: 83 Points
still a great wine for the price, but seem to be getting the feeling like it is going to take a nap. maybe revisit in 18-24 months
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1/11/2009 - Brsed wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Lovely nose of ripe cherries and earth. Great balance and minerality.
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1/9/2009 - meatman wrote: 90 Points
Some pinot funk upon opening but after the bottle was open for about 2 hours, it developed lots of red fruit (raspberry, strawberry and cranberry) on the nose with just the right amount of earthiness. Palate was a little lite on the first pour but developed into a medium-bodied pinot with great texture and acidity over the course of the night. Pure red fruits with some spice. My first Rhys/Alesia and I like the style. Good now but should be much better in another year.
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1/8/2009 - Todd French wrote: 90 Points
Extremely light in color, good acidity, oak too prominent at present, but I bet this wine will easily shine in 2-3 more years. It's good drinking now, just too much oak for my palate. Seems, however, to be a high quality pinot noir.
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1/5/2009 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
another very good showing. Love the red berries
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1/4/2009 - fredb wrote:
Transluscent ruby/cranberry color. Nose of smoke, tea, cranberry, cherry, flowers and spice. On the palate, this seems to be more shut down than the last bottle consumed, with tart cherry, cranberry, and spice dominating. A smoky tea essence dominates the medium finish. Satisfying, but I expect it to go to sleep for awhile before putting on some weight and re-opening in the bottle. Recheck in a year?
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1/1/2009 - jsmarlow wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes. This is just a delicious wine that is drinking well right now, and has an excellent QPR.
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12/26/2008 - hkfoebee wrote:
Paired with rack of pork, cream of cauliflower, sauted brussell sprouts. Great dinner! Pleasantly surprised how well this wine isput together. Great midpalate. firm/almost acidic-like tannins, Bing cherries, mid-length finish. Would recommend.
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12/26/2008 - Tpety wrote: 90 Points
Very light and refreshing. a great qpr.
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12/26/2008 - Tpety wrote: 91 Points
I was amazed at how light bodied this wine was. Soft and ready to drink, a real treat for a Christmas Eve wine. Drank with a 22oz. bone in Ribeye, it maybe wasn't the best choice, but a nice bottle of wine and a very good qpr.
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12/21/2008 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine. Excellant balance. Starwberries and other red fruits on the palate.
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12/19/2008 - jsmarlow wrote: 92 Points
This is an outstanding Pinot, and really excellent for the price. I was really impressed, and can't wait to try my Rhys-designated wines. This was light red in color and translucent. Light bodied. Hints of earthiness on the nose. Very elegant and graceful, silky smooth in texture. Flavors of red berries, cinnamon, and hints of cedar. I would buy this by the case at this price.
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12/18/2008 - jasonh wrote: 91 Points
Loving the sweet fruit, toast and earth. Mainly fruit showing at the moment. Seems like some whole cluster as well, at least on the first day. It was 2 days later when I finished the wine and I didn’t notice the WC. The fruit is big on the palate. A big wine that has nice balance. Parts of this wine really reminded me of Oregon pinot. The finish is going to need time to sort out from being a bit clipped and slightly bitter. I have seen others refer to this as a light wine but I found this on the heavy side and showing a touch of heat. Overall, we really enjoyed this wine. It was spicy and festive. I’ll pop one more before too long but the rest of my bottles will sleep until the summer of 2010.
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12/15/2008 - silton wrote:
Comparable to the Copain Tous Ensemble at the same price point only this is perhaps a little more subtle and complex.
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12/14/2008 - WetRock wrote:
First day was popped and poured, very lean tight and acidic. Then we proceeded to destroy it with spicey foods. Saved about a third of the bottle for the next day when it was much more open and had picked up some weight. Nice nose of all spice and black cherry with some gravely wet sand type notes. Juicy with some sweetness and a touch of greenness on the back end that is in no way distracting. A nice Pinot that seems to need some more bottle time to flesh out a bit.
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12/12/2008 - rc@ughey wrote: 89 Points
Initially not quite up to the level of my previous bottle, but with air it blossomed with subtle red berries, moderate spice, and charming earth. Not a blockbuster, but an excellent, well made wine.
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12/11/2008 - AlexRed wrote: 90 Points
bright, with pomegranate and cherry. lots of acid. day 2 it blossomed and was great with some cinnamon showing up and more cherry flavors although still showing a nice tight acid profile. excellent and a nice change from the "big cali pinots".
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12/11/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 87 Points
Fascinating nose of fresh strawberry, grilled meat, face powder, apple peel and a touch of vanilla. Nice balance on the palate, fresh but silky. Does lack a little fruit though. Finish is very steely and tight with high acids. Needs a couple of years to soften. A nice QPR with significant upside.
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12/10/2008 - onewineheaven wrote: 90 Points
Just lovely Balanced, fresh, lingering finish. Hint of grilled nuts, carpaccio, crust. This bottle did not seem the same as the others. Maybe it just needed a few days to settle down even though it traveled all of ten miles? It lacks the weight of the Alpine but it has grace, finesse, and a sense of place. Declassifying was the right thing to do but it seems a finer wine that the other Alesias I've had.
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12/9/2008 - scamhi wrote:
yum this is very nice QPR.
Lightweight but rich in red berry and some baking spice.
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12/8/2008 - Fructis Garner wrote:
Light in color. Vibrant cherry and strawberry on palate with excellent balance and just a touch of attractive green around the edges. Light body and good acidity make it very food friendly. Very good.
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12/6/2008 - HenryW wrote: 91 Points
Delicate, light-bodied style. Nose of iron and cherries. Minerally palate. Interesting secondary characteristics for such a young wine.
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12/6/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Drank a good share of this last night, a bit more now for a second impression. Bit of spice and earth on the nose, then a gentler palate of red fruit--strawberry, hint of candided apple, licorice and some acidity. Finish shows through with same spicy character, with a hint of peppery zip. A wine with this kind of gentler feel and expression would IMO get clobbered by oak, which doesn't show much here. Clearly a lighter style of pinot but for the price and balance against the other bigger CA pinots I drink, it works.
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12/6/2008 - gzim wrote: 90 Points
Didn't give this quiet enough time, but after following for an hour it was great. Same notes as last bottle
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12/5/2008 - fredb wrote:
Translucent ruby-red color. Nose of spicy cherry cola. On the palate, this is light, with cranberry, cherry, and strawberry playing against a backdrop of cola, black tea, toast, and floral allspice (sweet spice). Maybe showing a bit too much wood right now if you are oak averse, but, for my palate, this is delicious.
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12/5/2008 - N2Vin wrote: 94 Points
An outstanding pinot from Rhys here. The nose is so full of strawberry and cherry, but mixed in are wonderful scents of potpourri, warm earth in spring, and hauntingly alluring aromas that speak of unique terroir. On the palate the taste is multilayered, but fruit focused and slippery. It seemed that this wine is so mouthfilling it could be tasted by the lips where I am sure there are no taste buds! Wonderful red berry, cherry and pepsin that leaves your mouth clean and coated with ultrafine sweet fruited tannins.
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12/4/2008 - jlm wrote:
Not much to add over other notes as far as the adjectives go, but I will second the very attractive herbalness on the nose of this wine. The palate also has wonderfully firm acidity and tannic structure, framing the fruit, which packs a ton of flavor without being in the least overdone. I think this will reward a few years in the cellar very very well.
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11/30/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 87 Points
A beautiful translucent rosy color prepares you for featherweight elegance, but the fruit starts with a candied licorice flavor that feels a little incongruous to its light touch. Eventually it moderates itself, but I think they made the right call declassifying this - it doesn't scream with the unique terroir you usually get from the Rhys label.
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11/30/2008 - ChrisR wrote: 91 Points
Bit of a cloudy red. Pleasant nose of berries and earth. Red berries, primarily sour cherry, lots of earthiness and sous-bois, with a little oak spiciness. Medium-bodied, firm acidity to lend structure and brighten the fruit, well-balanced. Definitely Californian, but also definitely pinot. Easy to drink, and although $30 isn't exactly a QPR, this was a very good value for California pinot.
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11/30/2008 - Tubbs wrote:
This is simply a great value. Decant for an hour or wait a couple of years.
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11/29/2008 - gbauer wrote:
Having read the other notes, decanted for an hour, and then followed over the next several. On the nose, great pinot typicity, red fruits and berries, with a little smoke and spice. In the mouth, red berries, sour cherries, good acidity and fruit. Very good. I would have loved to have tasted this blind. I am not sure I would have placed it properly -- while there is great [New World] fruit, there is complexity and spice.
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11/26/2008 - koflaher wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. Popped and poured, then let sit for about an hour. Tasting as part of a line up of California pinots and it more than held its own. Cherries and blackberries balanced with some pepper and earthy elements. Very nice mouthfeel and good consistent balance. A very strong wine with a lot of flavor, but far from over the top.
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11/26/2008 - sdatl wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color and a medium body; dusty nose with not much emerging until about an hour, then it opened up to reveal cherry, spice, and even floral scents; savory flavors (from the whole clusters?), cherry, spices, with a more structured body than most -- tastes more in the OR or Burgundy style than a rich CA style; no wonder James Laube doesn't care for this -- it is the opposite of Roar or Kosta Browne stylistically
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11/25/2008 - conform wrote:
Very nice pinot. Good depth on the nose, lovely silky mouthfeel. Structured with prominent acidity, but drinking nicely now.
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11/24/2008 - jbaron wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, floating nose of earth and cherries. The mouth is quite good, with a nice, slightly structured and hence well rounded feel to it, with more feel than taste, but not that it matters. The length is somewhat attenuated, but nice enough such as it is. A nice bottle of $30 pinot.
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11/23/2008 - JFish wrote:
Opened to see if I should order more. A nice pinot for the price point. Popped and poured. Sappy (not syrupy), sweetish cherry and rasberry flavors with some spice. Easy drinking wine. Saved a glass for day 2.
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11/23/2008 - pjhr wrote: 91 Points
Lovely red cherry and berry aromas and flavors with mineral and oak notes with tasty acidity on the finish. Great QPR and holds promise with short term cellaring.
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11/23/2008 - gzim wrote: 91 Points
Wanted to try one sooner than later based on the great notes I have been reading, and its's easy to see why.
Nice ripe red berries with a bright presence - I would guess that spine of this wine comes from the whole cluster approach. Has a bit of pinot twang, but not the usual cola many cali pinot show.
Decanted for an hour, then followed for another. Paired very well with black Italian truffles over risotto... and with time and the food the fruits became fuller and riper.
Beautifully crafted mouth feel, with some silky feel, and a mid palate presence that says to me this wine will be great in 3 years.
Nice finish with the acid structure (and mineral taste) cutting thru to make this very food friendly.
Bravo!
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11/23/2008 - yui wrote: 90 Points
very nice. no formal notes taken.
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11/23/2008 - John wrote: 84 Points
nice wine. give it a year or so and it could go up a few points. will buy more with my new allocation
a solid B grade for now
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11/22/2008 - Brsed wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Cool weathered style pinot. Nice crisp bright fruits that are restrained and not overpowering. Good minerality and acidity.
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11/22/2008 - sawira wrote: 89 Points
For my palate, kris.h's note is right on. Bright red fruits. Light. Cool cimate, good acidity. Easy drinking. A delicious, well made, simple pinot. It will be interesting to see if after a year or so it picks up some weight and dimension as other Alesia's have.
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11/21/2008 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Decanted a little over an hour. Medium ruby color. Nose of fresh wild strawberries and raspberries, nicely focused fruit, complex herb and spice blend and a touch of earth. Good acid spine and presence, medium bodied, some autumn leaves. Pretty Pinot Noir.
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11/21/2008 - elamasters wrote: 88 Points
Nice, but not great.
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11/20/2008 - kris.h wrote: 89 Points
Light red. Nice nose of bright red fruits. The palate is light bodied but with a couple hours of air it puts on some weight. Very well balanced. Smooth and lush. easy drinking. Decent finish. A nice bottle of CA Pinot.
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11/19/2008 - onewineheaven wrote: 91 Points
Ah well, drank during a poker game so didn't take notes but we all enjoyed it.
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11/17/2008 - CO CHRIS wrote: 92 Points
13.8%...Nice. This revs straight out of the bottle...very subtle nose, dusty, earthy scents, underlying ripe pinot-ness, not a "ripe" fruit nose, rather a tart sort of fruit nose - hard to explain...the palate is what captures the imagination quickly, silky, fresh, good acidity, but all about VELVET - smooth...soft but just enough tension - a long finish that doesn't contain tannin to speak of or any sign of alcohol - is that the slightest hint of smoke or game, or the Alesia factor that I've found in the Syrah and Pinots of the past?...this is fun to drink this second, don't think about it, but don't pass it off as less than intellectual. Dynamite and quite the value.
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11/17/2008 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Reviews on a BB prompted me to open this sooner than expected (e.g. day of receipt). I wasn't disappointed. The depth on the nose is a bit deceiving, as the palate is incredibly balanced. Not a blockbuster, but at the same time none of the funk / green that can accompany younger burgs / OR pinots. Surprisingly long and satisfying finish given both its youth and recent cross country trip! This will definitely improve over the next several years, but is very appealing today. UPDATE: after 3 hours in the decanter, this is even better....smoother, more integrated and a bit richer (e.g more California) than earlier.
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11/16/2008 - rc@ughey wrote: 90 Points
Couldn't resist opening one with roast chicken. Wonderful style of wine. Medium-bodied, subtle, with great acidity. A medium ruby color with decent structure, but drinks great now--and even much better with air. This had deep red fruits and complexity, but it impressed most with its purity and honesty. I wouldn't confuse this with Burgundy, but that's a good thing. I wish more CA wines were made like this.
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11/16/2008 - jwwinec wrote: 88 Points
Deep, rich fruit balanced by sweet earth notes. Despite the quantity of fruit it manages to to come off as a light, pretty Pinot. I like this style, and I greatly enjoyed this wine.
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