opened about an hour before serving. Dark ruby and medium weight. The nose picks up cherry, slight earthiness, and oak, but the latter has mellowed substantially from a few years ago. Similar notes on the palate. Paired well with baked salmon.
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The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. The big and bold nose has cherries, black raspberries, baking spices, cedar, wild flowers, smoke, and some earthy underbrush. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and tart acidity. Tart cherries hit the palate first, followed by some spices and earthiness before the oak takes over, which it does in a big way. The finish is fairly long but just about totally oak driven. If you like oak dominated wine, you'll like this a lot more than I do.
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This is one of those "what was I thinking when I bought this?" wines. Just too dark and extracted to retain much Pinot Noir character, it was big, hot and heavy, but with a firm sense of acidity (acidulated? probably) Served to a friend who likes CA cocktail-style wines, so all is well.
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More than one year on, the second one broached. The clear deep ruby is certainly an attraction; the nose not explosive but some jammy notes and maybe some faint smokiness; dark cherries with some nice acidity, balanced if not overly complex or long. Overall decent at the price.
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Very dark fruited and medium full bodied. Despite this, not terribly alcoholic or overextracted. Definitely Californian in its idiom, but not a caricature of CA PN.
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Decanted about 2 hours. Initially VERY oaky. Bright ruby red color. Cherry, cinnamon, cedar, earthy elements, and some smoke on the nose. Medium body with some tannins and very good acidity. Spicy, oaky, tart cherries dominate the palate. The finish is still loaded with oak. The wine is loaded with oak, but it did integrate considerably with two hours in the decanter. Perhaps more air or cellar time will help the integration, but I think this will always be an oak dominated wine.
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Too much oak for me. We were drinking a Cali syrah earlier in the day and I poured a glass of this wine for my wife without her knowing what it was. About an hour later she says "is this the same wine from earlier. It tastes a lot like it."
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Clear dark ruby in the glass, delightful aroma of ripe cherry, dark earthy notes, smooth, palate-coating, good length, tartness, definitely representative of the SRH style. I think this was a good buy.
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Cherry on the nose. Smokey oak dominates on the palate with lighter red fruits (cranberry, cherry, etc.) filling in along the edges. Decent wine but not really my style given the barrel influences.
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1/17/2013 - FandL Likes this wine: 89 Points
opened about an hour before serving. Dark ruby and medium weight. The nose picks up cherry, slight earthiness, and oak, but the latter has mellowed substantially from a few years ago. Similar notes on the palate. Paired well with baked salmon.
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10/22/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 86 Points
The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. The big and bold nose has cherries, black raspberries, baking spices, cedar, wild flowers, smoke, and some earthy underbrush. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and tart acidity. Tart cherries hit the palate first, followed by some spices and earthiness before the oak takes over, which it does in a big way. The finish is fairly long but just about totally oak driven. If you like oak dominated wine, you'll like this a lot more than I do.
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8/31/2012 - MLipton wrote:
This is one of those "what was I thinking when I bought this?" wines. Just too dark and extracted to retain much Pinot Noir character, it was big, hot and heavy, but with a firm sense of acidity (acidulated? probably) Served to a friend who likes CA cocktail-style wines, so all is well.
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3/15/2012 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
More than one year on, the second one broached. The clear deep ruby is certainly an attraction; the nose not explosive but some jammy notes and maybe some faint smokiness; dark cherries with some nice acidity, balanced if not overly complex or long. Overall decent at the price.
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11/25/2011 - MLipton wrote:
Very dark fruited and medium full bodied. Despite this, not terribly alcoholic or overextracted. Definitely Californian in its idiom, but not a caricature of CA PN.
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7/10/2011 - Gonzorg wrote: 89 Points
Same notes as before. Still drinking very nice.
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5/14/2011 - Gonzorg wrote: 89 Points
One of the stronger Pinots I've had in a while. Nice oak and fruits. Wonderful ruby red color. Nice structure and nose.
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1/26/2011 - cbbrown3 wrote: 87 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. Initially VERY oaky. Bright ruby red color. Cherry, cinnamon, cedar, earthy elements, and some smoke on the nose. Medium body with some tannins and very good acidity. Spicy, oaky, tart cherries dominate the palate. The finish is still loaded with oak. The wine is loaded with oak, but it did integrate considerably with two hours in the decanter. Perhaps more air or cellar time will help the integration, but I think this will always be an oak dominated wine.
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11/25/2010 - bound4er wrote: 84 Points
Too much oak for me. We were drinking a Cali syrah earlier in the day and I poured a glass of this wine for my wife without her knowing what it was. About an hour later she says "is this the same wine from earlier. It tastes a lot like it."
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10/26/2010 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
Clear dark ruby in the glass, delightful aroma of ripe cherry, dark earthy notes, smooth, palate-coating, good length, tartness, definitely representative of the SRH style. I think this was a good buy.
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9/3/2010 - Cantina Hill's wrote: 90 Points
let it breath a bit, half hour. thne the earthy flavors open up and a bit of complexity comes in. Very pleasent for the $.
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8/20/2010 - bound4er wrote: 86 Points
Cherry on the nose. Smokey oak dominates on the palate with lighter red fruits (cranberry, cherry, etc.) filling in along the edges. Decent wine but not really my style given the barrel influences.
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7/30/2010 - brianofthevine wrote: 91 Points
Red cherry, strawberry, rhubarb. Nice spicy notes with long finish.
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