Medium/light bodied, fragrant, balanced, lifting but not ethereal. Restrained, with notes of strawberry, spice, cardamom, and a nice long silky finish.
But ultimately lacks presence - mature and ready to drink up.
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Medium garnet in color. Strawberries, raspberries, mushrooms and soil on the nose. A bit more development than two years ago. As I recall this wine, it felt a bit alcoholic last time I had it. I may have been wrong; it did come around. It seems a lot more in balance now. The fruit not as ripe and it's got more earthy nuances. Velvety smooth, medium plus acidity, fresh medium finish. The WS I like is back. Cheers!
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Similar notes as previous tasting. Blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, and licorice, Medium bodied and a medium to long finish. Drinking well now, but probably won't get any better, so drink up and enjoy...
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Popped and poured. Followed over 4 hours. This was light, fresh, beautiful cherry. Nice acid framework supports the flavors and then the soft tannins take over to the nice finish. Very pretty. Balance was excellent. This was far better than an 08 Flax drank alongside it.
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Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release at winery until consumed Good color. Light bouquet. Pleasant mouth feel. Nothing special. Not worthy of its pedigree.
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Less fruit characteristics here overall. Some ripe cherry, but also mushroom, crushed herb and pepper. Hard to describe the mouthfeel and body -- but I felt it was silky. To me, this wine had a lot going on and it felt like everything was working in harmony. I felt that as I tasted it and continued to drink I got more and more out of it. Really enjoyed.
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I don't normally prefer the RRV cuvee anyway, so I'm a bit biased against this wine. There is a little fruit left but definitely on the downward slope. Time to drink this wine up.
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Light red in color. Almost translucent. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, cloves and baking spices. Light to medium body with exquisite acidity. Lithe and delicate with the fruit starting to fade ever so slightly on the palate. Flavors of bing cherries, cranberries, earth and pine needles. Medium length on the finish. I'm not sure Williams Selyem intends for their appellation wines to be aged for 10 years but this wine has stood the test of time. Best over the next year or so.
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Although, brighter and juicier than I expected, the alcohol was quite distracting towards the end of the glass. There are flavors of under-ripe red fruits and blackberries. Very little development aside from a light note of mushrooms. Very primary still but acid and alcohol seem higher than all other elements. I don't see this coming together any better but it isn't bad by any stretch. It still is enjoyable, just not the WS I'm used to. Cheers!
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Drank our last bottle of this tonight with roast chicken. This wine is in a beautiful spot right now - needs just a bit of air to blossom. It is rich for a Pinot with a strong sense of cherry, mushroom, and forest floor. I think this has quite a bit more life left but there is no need to hold back at this point.
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We are getting underwhelmed by WS lately. This wine was good but there are many others out there such as Davis Family, MacPhail and Merry Edwards that have really great Pinots at this 8 year point. we expected more but it was not there in our opinion.
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This bottle's showing suggested that the wine is still improving and I felt this was better after 4-5 hours of air. I found it better to drink it at cellar temp..ever slightly chilled.
It was great with Paley's simple recipe of cedar planked salmon
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Popped and poured. Nose was luscious cherry, black cherry, pine menthol = the latter softening with time open. Palate was nicely acidic yet velvety textures typical of RRV fruit. Mature flavors with cherries, dark cherry pie, must. Very clean. Tannins still present here, suggesting a few more years of integration. Finished medium length. A nice wine and much better than my previous bottle.
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This bottle is consistent with previous bottles. Not terribly complex nor balanced. Hard to describe - it felt "murky" to me. That said, my wife liked it.
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14.0% alcohol. This is drinking really well. Bright cherry color. Luscious nose of cranberry and red cherry. In the mouth, a wall of sour cherry hits the palate, with very pronounced acidity, with the acidity even lingering on the finish. It gives the wine a really piquant quality and overshadows the light spice. I like it very much for the cherry purity, but others might find it somewhat off balance. A-
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Opened, decanted and drank for a period of about an hour. Huge wine. Masculine. Very good and well integrated with baking spice, dark red fruit, great acidity.
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Thoroughly enjoyable experience. A big step up from last bottle. Hope this trend continues. Burnt marshmallow meets cherry cola with a pinch of white pepper.
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I pretty much wrote off this wine due to the poor quality of prior vintages. This was a much more balanced wine. Not overripe, or too fruity. Perhaps the vintage allowed WS to make a Pinot that tastes a bit like a Pinot.
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Cherry must and a bit of varnish on the nose. Palate was middle weight cherry, hint of pine, menthol. Mouth feel was medium - not viscous and not overly acidic. Finish was moderate length with some slight volatility on the back end.
Decent wine overall. Either this is in a transition phase or its balancing precariously on its edge.
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Classic WS style. Light color, nice RRV nose with cherries, cola, flowers. The texture is soft and pure. Starting to come around, still needs a little more time.
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Probably one of the best Pinots I've ever consumed. Apparent cherries, cola and subtle spice. Long-lasting finish from the middle to the end. I poured it through a filter, since there were particles floating. But they were no nevermind;-) looking forward to the 2009, and then they'll be none
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very nice, elegant, with bright red fruit. not overbearing or in your face, there is a balance of spicebox against the sweetness of the fruit. a little bit of earthiness. long finish with a little curl on the back sides of the tongue. WS always brings out the best of rrv. this is no exception. has a lot of runway left.
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Agree with others. Would add that this is in its prime now. Not sure there's much to be gained. This will be seen on my table frequently over the next 1-2 years.
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This is a well-balanced Pinot with plenty of succulent fruit, but not over-extracted or bombastic. Darker cherry and loganberry, cardamon and other baking spice, some root beer quality. Medium weight, sweet powdery tannins. This is well crafted and tasty, a good match with chicken pasta salad. It is not particularly complex or distinctive, but is just beginning to have some nice undertones of tertiary development. This makes me think it will peak for my taste in about another year, so maybe I'll have my other one around next Thanksgiving. 90+
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Pleasant RRV pinot from WS. Not overbearing, in your face, but a bit restrained overall. Dont get me wrong, plenty of red fruit, just not jammy or over the top. Very nice with some sockeye salmon.
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Typical WS flavor profiles in a lighter body, less "deep" version of the single vineyard stuff. Sweet pinot fruit, little or no earth, funk. Not "cola" driven like some from California. In a good place right now. I don't see this has having the structure / backbone to require additional aging, or to improve with it. While there's no rush to drink these, there's no need to wait either. I'll be seeking my remaining bottles out for consumption over the next 12 months or so.
Served with grilled green chili burgers....and it stood up remarkably well. I would normally think of a zin pairing, but was too lazy to go downstairs to find one, with this bottle handy in the kitchen. The note of sweetness in this bottling was a perfect foil to the spiciness of the green chili preparation.
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I really enjoyed this wine. Consumed with a seafood dinner of cod and fennel, it was very food friendly and very much an RRV Pinot with a bouquet of spice and dried fruit. I think the wine is pretty much at its peak right now. The bouquet is complemented by fairly long, complex finish. The wine is a bit thin of body and it cost it a point or two in my rating. Finally, it's not a great bargain, but it's pretty much worth the $37 price tag.
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- Garnet color - Strawberry, plum, and spice on the nose. Similar notes on the palate, with a medium-length finish. A decent wine, but probably not worth the $40+ price tag. Will hold a couple of years, but probably won't improve. Drink up.
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Tight, tannic, and curiously Burgundian immediately after opening, then after 2 hours began to take a typical RRV form. Structurally a little thin, but nonetheless a complete wine. Darker fruit flavors dominate over cherry. Medium acidity (i.e., good choice for those who don't like acidic pinots). Probably could be held through 2015. I need to try this again in 6 months to get a better feel for it (or maybe there's nothing more profound to this wine at all).
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Although it didn't have that corked taint, reading the other reviews it must have been the case. Muddled fruit, no character to the finish, would have thought this was a <$20 Pinot. Will wait to try another bottle before giving it a rating.
4/7/13 Raspberry and black cherry fruit. A little thin on the palate, but not objectionably so. A little cola and toasted oak, but still fairly short on the finish. Definitely better than the previous bottle, and not a bad Pinot to have with dinner, but doesn't show much RRV.
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Decanted about an hour. Beautiful, bright red/purple. Lots of cherries and red fruit on the nose. Cherries explode on the palate, with some vanilla, nutmeg, fruit and spices, long finish. Just great. Paired with veal, we loved it. Very California Pinot.
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Very nice floral nose. The palate had great fruit with bright cherry and nice vanilla undertones on the mid palate. Nice balance and acidity with a medium finish. This should only get better with more time in the cellar.
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Beautiful blueberry bouquet, mid-density with a slight cloudy color. The more swirl the better, this opens up significantly with decanting and patience.
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Agree with notes below. Very nice, but not outstanding. Minimal decanting required and drinks great for hours. Paired with a ribeye I would rate exactly the same (except the steak did not last as long). Drink up.
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APPEARANCE: Medium Red, semi-clear, bright - 4 BOUQUET: Raspberry Fruit, light briar, wood, flowers, slight vanilla - 11 TASTE: Initially tight and crisp, fruit opens up with time and vinturi, decent finish and length but remains a little tighter even after a couple days with a vacuvin in the fridge - 13 PREFERENCE: Was ambivalent initially but as it opens up it grew on me, showed better after a couple hours, more fruit, more structure - 2
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Wonderful Pinot that needs about 30 minutes to decant. Cocoa and chocolate on the nose. Dark red color with flavors of cherry, and caramel. There's a lot going on so consider it complex with a long finish. Great with crab, red meat or pizza.
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Grabbed randomly from the cellar, much better then the last bottle I opened. Medium body, solid fruit, the only problem for me was the finish was still a little tart. But this was a very good wine, didn't change much over the two days I drank it.
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Acid was all over the map in this bottle- made some nice flavors seem sharp and angular at times. Drove the fruit to the sour side on the finish. Not sure if my bottle was slightly off - cause there was good structure underneath the acid. Still good but always expect more from WS.
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- Ruby color with slow forming legs and aromas of raspberry, strawberry, rose and almond. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry, vanilla and oak with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish.
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A combination of stewed and fresh, bright fruit: cherry, strawberry, and cranberry. Brown sugar and spice (cardamom?) make it easy to like. Deeper notes of minerally, gravelly earth with a dash of tar. A good dose of acidity gives it lift. Comes together nicely, quite enjoyable.
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Popped and poured. The nose and the texture are the standouts. Nose of cherry cola, spice and dark red fruit. Rich, luxurious mouthfeel with brooding dark red fruit, more spice, earth and alcohol. Definitetly a Cali style pinot but done in a sophisticated way. Long finish that's slightly bitter, with hints of oak and tannin.
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This wine begins with spicy red fruits that turn darker and more brooding with airing. Except for the initial impression, this seems somewhat disjointed on both the bouquet and palate. This gave a similar impression to previously tasted bottles. .
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Amazing and as good as the previous bottle. Black currant and plum notes with smooth finish.....opened up nicely after about 30 mins. Psyched for the mice case I picked up in Dec.
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After drinking a rather poor pinot, this was heavenly. Nose of some fruit that became more pronounced with time. Lovely taste of cherries and some spice. Ready to drink immediately after opening. Too bad this is my last bottle of this vintage.
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Ruby with medium viscosity in the glass. Nose of juicy cherry, strawberry pie, cinnamon and oak. Medium body with ripe cherry, juicy red fruit and oak on the palate. Secondary raspberry compote, cinnamon and earth. Mouthwatering. Medium finish. Servicable, but on the simple side.
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WOTN. Out of five bottles everyone was most impressed with this one. Its certainly a nice fruity pinot noir, but its not simply a fruit bomb. It still has some secondary character to make it interesting as well as nice and fruity. Unfortunately we drank this in the midst of telling jokes and general dinner conversation, so my attention to the specific notes and flavors was not exactly exercised very well. Let's just say that I'm very happy to have another bottle in the cellar, as this is drinking very well right now, even at such a young age! I'm sure this might be able to get better, I'm just not exactly sure how... :)
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In accord with tyvoodoo's note - this wine showed very primary, sweet red fruit and vanilla aromas and flavors, with more overt sweetness on the palate than I'm used to seeing from W-S. Cola, spice and ripe maraschino cherry also prevalent on a very RRV-type profile.
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Really nice elegant Pinot in undoubtedly in the house style of Williams Selyem. Moderate rich red rose petals, pink smokey peppercorns, strawberries and cream and cotton candy - typical RRV Pinot when done right. The mouth feel is great - silky and sporting an elegant attractive weight. More light berry and stone fruit, lightly toasted nuts and caramel toffee. The finish cuts out a little short and has more acid than I'd like. A bit leaner than the '07 vintage as expected. Nonetheless, a really well made wine. I'll seek out other well priced bottlings of theirs in this vintage.
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Very drinkable now and I am excited to see how the other two bottles of the 2009 I have will age - I will let them sit for a year+. This one opened nicely and presented a nice balance of plum and cherry notes with a deep and silky, full bodied finish. Drank with an outdoor steak lunch over Labor Day with family and friends (Sayward).
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Its been just over a year since our last bottle. As Bob Cabral has recommended, these seem to show better after a year or two in bottle. This one went well paired with salmon and veggies from the grill. Popped and poured, the nose was holding back for a while but began to show nice fruit and some spice. I thought this was pretty rich and ripe showing darker fruits like blackberries and black cherries, with notes of cola, rootbeer, spice, sous bois and some black pepper just before we finished the bottle. Definitely CA in style. While my tastes have been leaning more towards european styled wine, I really enjoyed this. Ann couldn't say enough how much she liked it and thats always a good thing.
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Pop 'n pour, drunk over 2 hours. Remainder saved in the refrigerator for tomorrow. Pretty, translucent red with a touch of purple. Plum, raspberry and red cherry aroma. Marked red berries with a bit of sweetness on the medium finish. A very pleasant glass of pinot.
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after being open for a few hours (not decanted), the initial so4 is gone and replaced with cherry cola, black pepper, mushrooms. interested to see where this is in a year or two.
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Good on day 1, great on day 2, paired this with the portabella mushroom recipe that was included in the shipment last year. Wish we would have bought more, a great bang for the buck here.
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Very sweet red fruits and vanilla oak right upon opening. Palate seemed really concentrated with more inherent sweetness. Palate continued to flesh out but the nose was still really primary. After three hours in the recanted the wine did mellow out a bit but it also did seem to close up a bit. Overall a solid wine that had me worried at first but with air I can see the potential for some cellar time. I will revisit in a few years.
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Old reliable... What a nice full bodied , flavorful wine! Beautiful balance and easy to drink right out of the bottle. I'm so glad I have four of these and another four of the 2009's
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Better than the last bottle of this wine. Cola and vanilla spice on the nose. Cola repeats on the palate with some cherry pie, cranberry, and spice. Very fine integrated tannins. Saved the last glass for day 3 and it was extremely smooth. Have a few more and will try to wait a couple of years.
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This was a wonderful wine. I can't wait to have their east and west side wines if this one was as good as it was. Rub color, cherries, floral, tannins are perfect. Nice spice!
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Light ruby colour. Decanted about 3 hours until this really opened up. Pop and pour showed a tasty but not complex wine, dominated by sour cherry. After decanting, the nose showed baking spice, forest floor, cherry and a hint of cola. The flavour complexity had really amped up and showed some blackberry, cherry, cranberry, cola and some clove near the finish. A dollop of oak showed that I expect will eventually smooth out into the med+ finish. Velvety mouthfeel and good acidity. This wine will be something special in a few more years. Worth cellaring for a few more years.
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Pop and pour. Tasted and sipped over 2 hours. Bob Cabral says: "The nose is redolent of blackberries, plums, toffee, and crème brûlée. The rich and full tannins accentuate blackberry and dark plummy fruit flavors, and complement the creamy, silky finish." I say: I get the blackberries and perhaps the plums and toffee but I don't see the creme brulee. This has a nice zesty cranberry and bright raspberry flavor profile, with a bit of red clay earth. Nice brown spices. A long smooth finish of earth, red fruits and cloves.
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Spicy nose of dark fruits, earthy notes, and cranberry. A nice blend of older world spice and earth and new world fruit. Would like to revisit in a couple years...see if some of the baby fat goes away.
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Decanted about 3 hours. This had a big spice and forest floor nose. Black cherry and cranberry added a nice backdrop to the earth aromas, and roasted herbs and cola filled in the rest. Taut and juicy on on the palate, it had good acidity that really brightened the sour cherry and cranberry fruit. Earth and spice showed up in the mid-palate, and the long finish was all cola.
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Picked up a case of this at the winery this weekend and decided to open one up. We let it breathe for about an hour. Bright ruby color followed by a delicious baked cherry pie nose. Sweet berry and toasted vanilla notes as well. This is a very juicy wine that would pair well with food or drink well on it's own. Velvety mouthfeel has virtually no tannic finish at all. This is a clean, fresh wine that should be a pleasure for all to drink.
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My first experience with this so the following comment is very impartial due to my lack of knowledge of the producer. Initially I thought this an Australian Pinot from Mornington Peninsula as it was served blind as it had an almost sappy/eucalypt character. Very primary and edgy and found it harder to drink the further I went with it. Not for me.
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Very nice nose showing red cherries, mint, grass, as well as a flowery tone. The palate shows a lot of red cherries and some red berries with mild tannins and a medium finish. A very delicious wine.
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In blind tasting, I thought this was a very light syrah. The flavor abounds. Most others licked it out as a Pinot. This is a very good wine with tons of fruit. Will be interesting to see what happens with age.
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Classic W-S Russian River Pinot. Cherry and spice and everything nice. I like to drink these in the 3 or 4 year and SVD in 5-6. but decided to open one early.
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14.0% alcohol. Not as open as the Sonoma County, but very good indeed. In fact, much better than I assumed the vintage would present. Somewhat tight, but showing excellent black cherry and baking spice. Plenty of acidity. Very well done. A-
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7/2/2022 - Sviollier wrote:
Drank on July 1st 2022. @Patricia’s Birthday. Very nice dinner w Claude and friends.
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2/25/2021 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 89 Points
Medium/light bodied, fragrant, balanced, lifting but not ethereal. Restrained, with notes of strawberry, spice, cardamom, and a nice long silky finish.
But ultimately lacks presence - mature and ready to drink up.
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4/25/2020 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium garnet in color. Strawberries, raspberries, mushrooms and soil on the nose. A bit more development than two years ago. As I recall this wine, it felt a bit alcoholic last time I had it. I may have been wrong; it did come around. It seems a lot more in balance now. The fruit not as ripe and it's got more earthy nuances. Velvety smooth, medium plus acidity, fresh medium finish. The WS I like is back. Cheers!
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1/28/2020 - mavericks wrote:
Retallack
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5/18/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes as previous tasting. Blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, and licorice, Medium bodied and a medium to long finish. Drinking well now, but probably won't get any better, so drink up and enjoy...
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2/11/2019 - arthrovine wrote:
Popped and poured. Followed over 4 hours. This was light, fresh, beautiful cherry. Nice acid framework supports the flavors and then the soft tannins take over to the nice finish. Very pretty. Balance was excellent. This was far better than an 08 Flax drank alongside it.
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11/28/2018 - Wine_Bear wrote: 88 Points
Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release at winery until consumed
Good color. Light bouquet. Pleasant mouth feel. Nothing special. Not worthy of its pedigree.
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9/3/2018 - JackCMac Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good solid Pinot Noir from Russian River
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6/30/2018 - Black Kat Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still plenty of life.
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6/4/2018 - OaktownRush Likes this wine: 93 Points
Less fruit characteristics here overall. Some ripe cherry, but also mushroom, crushed herb and pepper. Hard to describe the mouthfeel and body -- but I felt it was silky. To me, this wine had a lot going on and it felt like everything was working in harmony. I felt that as I tasted it and continued to drink I got more and more out of it. Really enjoyed.
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5/25/2018 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine:
very good
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4/28/2018 - Cantinadelpino wrote: 93 Points
Bevuto con Duccio . Buona freschezza , non pesante. Varietale con note terziarie piacevoli ed equilibrate. Fatto bene e per durare.
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4/11/2018 - The Count of Notre Dame Likes this wine: 89 Points
I don't normally prefer the RRV cuvee anyway, so I'm a bit biased against this wine. There is a little fruit left but definitely on the downward slope. Time to drink this wine up.
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4/6/2018 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Light red in color. Almost translucent. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, cloves and baking spices. Light to medium body with exquisite acidity. Lithe and delicate with the fruit starting to fade ever so slightly on the palate. Flavors of bing cherries, cranberries, earth and pine needles. Medium length on the finish. I'm not sure Williams Selyem intends for their appellation wines to be aged for 10 years but this wine has stood the test of time. Best over the next year or so.
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3/19/2018 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 89 Points
Although, brighter and juicier than I expected, the alcohol was quite distracting towards the end of the glass. There are flavors of under-ripe red fruits and blackberries. Very little development aside from a light note of mushrooms. Very primary still but acid and alcohol seem higher than all other elements. I don't see this coming together any better but it isn't bad by any stretch. It still is enjoyable, just not the WS I'm used to. Cheers!
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12/24/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black cherries, blackberries, cherries, licorice, spice, and cola. Medium to full bodied and a medium length finish.
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12/3/2017 - petermpls Likes this wine:
Drank our last bottle of this tonight with roast chicken. This wine is in a beautiful spot right now - needs just a bit of air to blossom. It is rich for a Pinot with a strong sense of cherry, mushroom, and forest floor. I think this has quite a bit more life left but there is no need to hold back at this point.
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11/20/2016 - Big S wrote: 88 Points
We are getting underwhelmed by WS lately. This wine was good but there are many others out there such as Davis Family, MacPhail and Merry Edwards that have really great Pinots at this 8 year point. we expected more but it was not there in our opinion.
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8/6/2016 - arthrovine wrote:
This bottle's showing suggested that the wine is still improving and I felt this was better after 4-5 hours of air. I found it better to drink it at cellar temp..ever slightly chilled.
It was great with Paley's simple recipe of cedar planked salmon
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2/13/2016 - bhouk wrote:
Nice complexity here; forest floor, mushroom, red berries, tangy with a whack of acidity for some lift. This is a good spot for this wine.
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11/29/2015 - arthrovine wrote:
Popped and poured. Nose was luscious cherry, black cherry, pine menthol = the latter softening with time open. Palate was nicely acidic yet velvety textures typical of RRV fruit. Mature flavors with cherries, dark cherry pie, must. Very clean. Tannins still present here, suggesting a few more years of integration. Finished medium length. A nice wine and much better than my previous bottle.
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10/31/2015 - Deadhead wrote: 88 Points
This bottle is consistent with previous bottles. Not terribly complex nor balanced. Hard to describe - it felt "murky" to me. That said, my wife liked it.
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7/26/2015 - AccaDacca Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drinking very nicely - balanced and expressive
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7/17/2015 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
14.0% alcohol. This is drinking really well. Bright cherry color. Luscious nose of cranberry and red cherry. In the mouth, a wall of sour cherry hits the palate, with very pronounced acidity, with the acidity even lingering on the finish. It gives the wine a really piquant quality and overshadows the light spice. I like it very much for the cherry purity, but others might find it somewhat off balance. A-
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6/11/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as my last tasting note: this is drinking beautifully!
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5/31/2015 - davidsm wrote: 86 Points
No formal notes but not great and price too high for that
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5/12/2015 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened, decanted and drank for a period of about an hour. Huge wine. Masculine. Very good and well integrated with baking spice, dark red fruit, great acidity.
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5/10/2015 - Deadhead wrote: 85 Points
OK. Not great, not terrible. A lot of sediment.
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2/19/2015 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous note. Still has plenty of time left.
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2/9/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 92 Points
Thoroughly enjoyable experience. A big step up from last bottle. Hope this trend continues. Burnt marshmallow meets cherry cola with a pinch of white pepper.
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1/28/2015 - dlduchon wrote: 85 Points
I pretty much wrote off this wine due to the poor quality of prior vintages. This was a much more balanced wine. Not overripe, or too fruity. Perhaps the vintage allowed WS to make a Pinot that tastes a bit like a Pinot.
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12/24/2014 - Deadhead wrote: 89 Points
My thoughts are consistent with my August 2014 tasting notes.
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11/13/2014 - arthrovine wrote: 88 Points
Cherry must and a bit of varnish on the nose. Palate was middle weight cherry, hint of pine, menthol. Mouth feel was medium - not viscous and not overly acidic. Finish was moderate length with some slight volatility on the back end.
Decent wine overall. Either this is in a transition phase or its balancing precariously on its edge.
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9/29/2014 - prof b wrote:
well made, but modern take on california.
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8/24/2014 - Deadhead wrote: 89 Points
Good, but not great. Offers little in the way of depth or complexity.
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8/7/2014 - Cellarseller wrote: 87 Points
Balanced smooth wine; not remarkable for the $$
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7/31/2014 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous note. Texture and purity shines through.
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5/31/2014 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Classic WS style. Light color, nice RRV nose with cherries, cola, flowers. The texture is soft and pure. Starting to come around, still needs a little more time.
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1/18/2014 - monk1019 wrote: 92 Points
Probably one of the best Pinots I've ever consumed. Apparent cherries, cola and subtle spice. Long-lasting finish from the middle to the end. I poured it through a filter, since there were particles floating. But they were no nevermind;-) looking forward to the 2009, and then they'll be none
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12/13/2013 - mwellington wrote: 90 Points
very nice, elegant, with bright red fruit. not overbearing or in your face, there is a balance of spicebox against the sweetness of the fruit. a little bit of earthiness. long finish with a little curl on the back sides of the tongue. WS always brings out the best of rrv. this is no exception. has a lot of runway left.
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12/1/2013 - rxlaw95 wrote:
Same as before. Nothing but compliments from the guests. ?
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11/30/2013 - arthrovine wrote:
Agree with others. Would add that this is in its prime now. Not sure there's much to be gained. This will be seen on my table frequently over the next 1-2 years.
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11/29/2013 - RWCA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent balance that continued to evolve over 2-3 hours. Perfect wine for Thanksgiving. What you would expect from a RRV from WS.
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11/26/2013 - MindMuse wrote: 90 Points
This is a well-balanced Pinot with plenty of succulent fruit, but not over-extracted or bombastic. Darker cherry and loganberry, cardamon and other baking spice, some root beer quality. Medium weight, sweet powdery tannins. This is well crafted and tasty, a good match with chicken pasta salad. It is not particularly complex or distinctive, but is just beginning to have some nice undertones of tertiary development. This makes me think it will peak for my taste in about another year, so maybe I'll have my other one around next Thanksgiving. 90+
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11/1/2013 - Naso wrote: 90 Points
Very easy drinki'n PN - drinking nicely now
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9/2/2013 - plitton wrote: 90 Points
Straight-up RRV PN. Enjoyable.
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8/8/2013 - AccaDacca Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pleasant RRV pinot from WS. Not overbearing, in your face, but a bit restrained overall. Dont get me wrong, plenty of red fruit, just not jammy or over the top. Very nice with some sockeye salmon.
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6/2/2013 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Typical WS flavor profiles in a lighter body, less "deep" version of the single vineyard stuff. Sweet pinot fruit, little or no earth, funk. Not "cola" driven like some from California. In a good place right now. I don't see this has having the structure / backbone to require additional aging, or to improve with it. While there's no rush to drink these, there's no need to wait either. I'll be seeking my remaining bottles out for consumption over the next 12 months or so.
Served with grilled green chili burgers....and it stood up remarkably well. I would normally think of a zin pairing, but was too lazy to go downstairs to find one, with this bottle handy in the kitchen. The note of sweetness in this bottling was a perfect foil to the spiciness of the green chili preparation.
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6/2/2013 - brujazz wrote: 90 Points
I really enjoyed this wine. Consumed with a seafood dinner of cod and fennel, it was very food friendly and very much an RRV Pinot with a bouquet of spice and dried fruit. I think the wine is pretty much at its peak right now. The bouquet is complemented by fairly long, complex finish. The wine is a bit thin of body and it cost it a point or two in my rating. Finally, it's not a great bargain, but it's pretty much worth the $37 price tag.
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5/20/2013 - kkleg wrote: 90 Points
- Garnet color - Strawberry, plum, and spice on the nose. Similar notes on the palate, with a medium-length finish. A decent wine, but probably not worth the $40+ price tag. Will hold a couple of years, but probably won't improve. Drink up.
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5/14/2013 - sandwich wrote: 88 Points
Eh. All William Seylem taste the same. Eh.
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3/30/2013 - psoals wrote: 91 Points
Great wine, in a good place right now. No signs of peaking.
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3/29/2013 - jazzop Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tight, tannic, and curiously Burgundian immediately after opening, then after 2 hours began to take a typical RRV form. Structurally a little thin, but nonetheless a complete wine. Darker fruit flavors dominate over cherry. Medium acidity (i.e., good choice for those who don't like acidic pinots). Probably could be held through 2015. I need to try this again in 6 months to get a better feel for it (or maybe there's nothing more profound to this wine at all).
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3/24/2013 - Colia wrote: flawed
not awful, the taint was faint, but it did give a dusty and musty overlay to the fruit.
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3/23/2013 - underwds wrote: 88 Points
Although it didn't have that corked taint, reading the other reviews it must have been the case. Muddled fruit, no character to the finish, would have thought this was a <$20 Pinot. Will wait to try another bottle before giving it a rating.
4/7/13 Raspberry and black cherry fruit. A little thin on the palate, but not objectionably so. A little cola and toasted oak, but still fairly short on the finish. Definitely better than the previous bottle, and not a bad Pinot to have with dinner, but doesn't show much RRV.
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2/19/2013 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour. Beautiful, bright red/purple. Lots of cherries and red fruit on the nose. Cherries explode on the palate, with some vanilla, nutmeg, fruit and spices, long finish. Just great. Paired with veal, we loved it. Very California Pinot.
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1/26/2013 - artist777 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice floral nose. The palate had great fruit with bright cherry and nice vanilla undertones on the mid palate. Nice balance and acidity with a medium finish. This should only get better with more time in the cellar.
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12/24/2012 - sandwich Likes this wine: 88 Points
Some people say that the plethora of wines produced from the many Williams Selyem vineyards all taste the same. They are correct.
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12/16/2012 - Colia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, ripe fruit. Dark berries and cola nut with sweet vanillins. Long finish.
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12/14/2012 - dtirsell Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful blueberry bouquet, mid-density with a slight cloudy color. The more swirl the better, this opens up significantly with decanting and patience.
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11/25/2012 - mwellington wrote: 89 Points
Agree with notes below. Very nice, but not outstanding. Minimal decanting required and drinks great for hours. Paired with a ribeye I would rate exactly the same (except the steak did not last as long). Drink up.
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11/24/2012 - arthrovine wrote: 90 Points
Crowd pleasing RRV Pinot. Not terribly complex, but delish.
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11/8/2012 - Jmartin wrote:
Better the second night.
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10/6/2012 - SMZ wrote: 93 Points
Georgeous wine....silky smooth, extremely flavorful and at its peak
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9/28/2012 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 89 Points
Quintessential RRV nose and palate of cherry, cola and allspice. A little one dimensional, but hits all the right notes.
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9/20/2012 - WilliamF17 wrote: 89 Points
APPEARANCE: Medium Red, semi-clear, bright - 4
BOUQUET: Raspberry Fruit, light briar, wood, flowers, slight vanilla - 11
TASTE: Initially tight and crisp, fruit opens up with time and vinturi, decent finish and length but remains a little tighter even after a couple days with a vacuvin in the fridge - 13
PREFERENCE: Was ambivalent initially but as it opens up it grew on me, showed better after a couple hours, more fruit, more structure - 2
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9/11/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
California Wine Country with Jill for our 30th's; 9/9/2012-9/15/2012 (California): Textbook dark cherry cola. Medium palate. Ripe and light toffee flavors.
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9/7/2012 - ajm2573 wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful Pinot that needs about 30 minutes to decant. Cocoa and chocolate on the nose. Dark red color with flavors of cherry, and caramel. There's a lot going on so consider it complex with a long finish. Great with crab, red meat or pizza.
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8/13/2012 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
Opened and waited, basically way too young. Needs two years to mellow and mature.
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7/15/2012 - haldolugr wrote: 88 Points
Grabbed randomly from the cellar, much better then the last bottle I opened. Medium body, solid fruit, the only problem for me was the finish was still a little tart. But this was a very good wine, didn't change much over the two days I drank it.
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7/4/2012 - prof b Likes this wine: 90 Points
opened several hours. lovely dark fruits with cherry cola, nice structure, long finish. just a touch hot.
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7/2/2012 - Sonoma Style wrote: 91 Points
Sorry I only had one of these but it was well worth finishing it with great friends.
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6/30/2012 - noumena wrote:
Excellent wine! Earthy and balanced.
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5/26/2012 - haldolugr wrote: 84 Points
Acid was all over the map in this bottle- made some nice flavors seem sharp and angular at times. Drove the fruit to the sour side on the finish. Not sure if my bottle was slightly off - cause there was good structure underneath the acid. Still good but always expect more from WS.
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5/13/2012 - jerseycj wrote: 92 Points
Bright cherry, very well-balanced. Popped & Poured - excellent.
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5/2/2012 - Lee Fining wrote: 90 Points
Dry, more mineralistic wine. This is a food pairing wine.
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4/5/2012 - ey1294 wrote: 93 Points
- Ruby color with slow forming legs and aromas of raspberry, strawberry, rose and almond. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry, vanilla and oak with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish.
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4/1/2012 - Beerzebub wrote:
A combination of stewed and fresh, bright fruit: cherry, strawberry, and cranberry. Brown sugar and spice (cardamom?) make it easy to like. Deeper notes of minerally, gravelly earth with a dash of tar. A good dose of acidity gives it lift. Comes together nicely, quite enjoyable.
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3/20/2012 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
reticent earthy nose; smooth still somewhat primary cherry, mineral and cola; nice balance
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3/20/2012 - arthrovine wrote: 91 Points
This bottle tasted great right out the gate. Classic RRV Pinot but with nice balanced acidity.
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3/5/2012 - jimmythesaint wrote:
Decanted and consumed. Nice red fruit with a little citrus and spice. Balanced and food friendly. A big Pinot but not too too big.
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3/5/2012 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. The nose and the texture are the standouts. Nose of cherry cola, spice and dark red fruit. Rich, luxurious mouthfeel with brooding dark red fruit, more spice, earth and alcohol. Definitetly a Cali style pinot but done in a sophisticated way. Long finish that's slightly bitter, with hints of oak and tannin.
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3/1/2012 - sehill wrote: 87 Points
This wine begins with spicy red fruits that turn darker and more brooding with airing. Except for the initial impression, this seems somewhat disjointed on both the bouquet and palate. This gave a similar impression to previously tasted bottles. .
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2/10/2012 - wildedge wrote: 92 Points
Amazing and as good as the previous bottle. Black currant and plum notes with smooth finish.....opened up nicely after about 30 mins. Psyched for the mice case I picked up in Dec.
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2/8/2012 - kbosch74 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fantastic Pinot. Beautiful nose, flavorful, smooth, great finish. I want more! (And the fact that I got this for $33/bottle makes it even sweeter!)
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1/16/2012 - Annie1 wrote: 90 Points
After drinking a rather poor pinot, this was heavenly. Nose of some fruit that became more pronounced with time. Lovely taste of cherries and some spice. Ready to drink immediately after opening. Too bad this is my last bottle of this vintage.
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1/7/2012 - christophee Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ruby with medium viscosity in the glass. Nose of juicy cherry, strawberry pie, cinnamon and oak. Medium body with ripe cherry, juicy red fruit and oak on the palate. Secondary raspberry compote, cinnamon and earth. Mouthwatering. Medium finish. Servicable, but on the simple side.
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12/27/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
Opened on Christmas day but never tasted due to fighting a fever. Comments were that it was a big Pinot and that it was really good..
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12/22/2011 - CamraMaan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid, for sure, but not as good as I remembered my first bottle. Still a quite pleasing Pinot Noir!
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12/21/2011 - punchdown wrote:
toasty oak very present....
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12/5/2011 - Hcason wrote: 92 Points
- Aromas of blackberry and raspberry and has flavours of blackberry and raspberry - Nice fruit!
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11/27/2011 - CamraMaan Likes this wine: 93 Points
WOTN. Out of five bottles everyone was most impressed with this one. Its certainly a nice fruity pinot noir, but its not simply a fruit bomb. It still has some secondary character to make it interesting as well as nice and fruity. Unfortunately we drank this in the midst of telling jokes and general dinner conversation, so my attention to the specific notes and flavors was not exactly exercised very well. Let's just say that I'm very happy to have another bottle in the cellar, as this is drinking very well right now, even at such a young age! I'm sure this might be able to get better, I'm just not exactly sure how... :)
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11/8/2011 - Gene_Mo wrote: 89 Points
Popped an poured. Very sweet at first, almost brandy/port like and really unexpected. Just tons of fruit. Overall, not that impressed with this wine.
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10/31/2011 - wineretriever wrote:
No formal notes
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9/6/2011 - pgb67 wrote: 90 Points
In accord with tyvoodoo's note - this wine showed very primary, sweet red fruit and vanilla aromas and flavors, with more overt sweetness on the palate than I'm used to seeing from W-S. Cola, spice and ripe maraschino cherry also prevalent on a very RRV-type profile.
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9/5/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Really nice elegant Pinot in undoubtedly in the house style of Williams Selyem.
Moderate rich red rose petals, pink smokey peppercorns, strawberries and cream and cotton candy - typical RRV Pinot when done right.
The mouth feel is great - silky and sporting an elegant attractive weight. More light berry and stone fruit, lightly toasted nuts and caramel toffee. The finish cuts out a little short and has more acid than I'd like. A bit leaner than the '07 vintage as expected. Nonetheless, a really well made wine. I'll seek out other well priced bottlings of theirs in this vintage.
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9/3/2011 - wildedge wrote: 92 Points
Very drinkable now and I am excited to see how the other two bottles of the 2009 I have will age - I will let them sit for a year+. This one opened nicely and presented a nice balance of plum and cherry notes with a deep and silky, full bodied finish. Drank with an outdoor steak lunch over Labor Day with family and friends (Sayward).
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8/30/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
Its been just over a year since our last bottle. As Bob Cabral has recommended, these seem to show better after a year or two in bottle. This one went well paired with salmon and veggies from the grill. Popped and poured, the nose was holding back for a while but began to show nice fruit and some spice. I thought this was pretty rich and ripe showing darker fruits like blackberries and black cherries, with notes of cola, rootbeer, spice, sous bois and some black pepper just before we finished the bottle. Definitely CA in style. While my tastes have been leaning more towards european styled wine, I really enjoyed this. Ann couldn't say enough how much she liked it and thats always a good thing.
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8/24/2011 - Hex triplet #43302E wrote: 88 Points
Pop 'n pour, drunk over 2 hours. Remainder saved in the refrigerator for tomorrow. Pretty, translucent red with a touch of purple. Plum, raspberry and red cherry aroma. Marked red berries with a bit of sweetness on the medium finish. A very pleasant glass of pinot.
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8/16/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 91 Points
A bit early, obviously, but nice notes of cherry. Less rounded than the '08.
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8/15/2011 - prof b wrote: 89 Points
after being open for a few hours (not decanted), the initial so4 is gone and replaced with cherry cola, black pepper, mushrooms. interested to see where this is in a year or two.
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7/24/2011 - wallstreet wrote:
A nice wine, but aclittle over the top. Hold off for a year or teo before consuming.
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7/24/2011 - Silveradoup wrote: 91 Points
Nice elegant Pinot. Not a bad price point for this winery either.
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6/17/2011 - Buffalo27 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really enjoyable. Not as fruit forward as 2009. Nice complexity. Drinking well.
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6/11/2011 - ListenToMeWine wrote: 91 Points
Sweet red fruit and vanilla. Classic RRV cola on the nose. Needed an hour or so. A lovely example of an appellation Pinot Noir from RRV.
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6/11/2011 - punchdown wrote:
Drank with Duck Dinner at the Moe's. Nice but needs time.
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6/10/2011 - smokeandmirrors wrote: 92 Points
Good on day 1, great on day 2, paired this with the portabella mushroom recipe that was included in the shipment last year. Wish we would have bought more, a great bang for the buck here.
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5/30/2011 - tyvoodoo wrote:
Very sweet red fruits and vanilla oak right upon opening. Palate seemed really concentrated with more inherent sweetness. Palate continued to flesh out but the nose was still really primary. After three hours in the recanted the wine did mellow out a bit but it also did seem to close up a bit. Overall a solid wine that had me worried at first but with air I can see the potential for some cellar time. I will revisit in a few years.
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5/30/2011 - KeithSurg wrote: 91 Points
Bright red color with fresh cherry and raspberry flavors. Hints of oak. Well-integrated with smooth mouthfeel. Soft finish.
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4/24/2011 - FPNova wrote: 92 Points
Deep red. Nose of dark berries and licorice. Ripe cherry and spices on the palate with a little vanilla on a long finish. A keeper!
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4/21/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 91 Points
At this young age, this really needs 2-4 hours of decant and then it starts to show itself and is nice. Initially, its not pleasant.
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4/15/2011 - Neuman wrote: 91 Points
Friday..need something to start the weekend...WS RRV...perfect
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4/11/2011 - SMZ wrote: 92 Points
Old reliable... What a nice full bodied , flavorful wine! Beautiful balance and easy to drink right out of the bottle. I'm so glad I have four of these and another four of the 2009's
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3/5/2011 - meatbomb013 wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last bottle of this wine. Cola and vanilla spice on the nose. Cola repeats on the palate with some cherry pie, cranberry, and spice. Very fine integrated tannins. Saved the last glass for day 3 and it was extremely smooth. Have a few more and will try to wait a couple of years.
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2/9/2011 - drcoop wrote: 91 Points
Not opening for at least another 2 years. Well made.
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2/2/2011 - NH WINO wrote: 93 Points
This was a wonderful wine. I can't wait to have their east and west side wines if this one was as good as it was. Rub color, cherries, floral, tannins are perfect. Nice spice!
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12/17/2010 - kultcha wrote: 92 Points
Light ruby colour. Decanted about 3 hours until this really opened up. Pop and pour showed a tasty but not complex wine, dominated by sour cherry. After decanting, the nose showed baking spice, forest floor, cherry and a hint of cola. The flavour complexity had really amped up and showed some blackberry, cherry, cranberry, cola and some clove near the finish. A dollop of oak showed that I expect will eventually smooth out into the med+ finish. Velvety mouthfeel and good acidity. This wine will be something special in a few more years. Worth cellaring for a few more years.
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12/7/2010 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Tasted and sipped over 2 hours.
Bob Cabral says: "The nose is redolent of blackberries, plums, toffee, and crème brûlée. The rich and full tannins
accentuate blackberry and dark plummy fruit flavors, and complement the creamy, silky finish."
I say: I get the blackberries and perhaps the plums and toffee but I don't see the creme brulee.
This has a nice zesty cranberry and bright raspberry flavor profile, with a bit of red clay earth. Nice brown spices. A long smooth finish of earth, red fruits and cloves.
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11/16/2010 - Mister45 wrote: 92 Points
It's hard to go wrong with this winery. Great easy drinking wine. Smooth, vanilla, spice,cherry. Long finish.
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11/11/2010 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
Spicy nose of dark fruits, earthy notes, and cranberry. A nice blend of older world spice and earth and new world fruit. Would like to revisit in a couple years...see if some of the baby fat goes away.
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11/11/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted about 3 hours. This had a big spice and forest floor nose. Black cherry and cranberry added a nice backdrop to the earth aromas, and roasted herbs and cola filled in the rest. Taut and juicy on on the palate, it had good acidity that really brightened the sour cherry and cranberry fruit. Earth and spice showed up in the mid-palate, and the long finish was all cola.
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11/7/2010 - winepups wrote: 91 Points
Fruit forward pinot with balance and solid finish.
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11/1/2010 - hanratty21 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Picked up a case of this at the winery this weekend and decided to open one up. We let it breathe for about an hour. Bright ruby color followed by a delicious baked cherry pie nose. Sweet berry and toasted vanilla notes as well. This is a very juicy wine that would pair well with food or drink well on it's own. Velvety mouthfeel has virtually no tannic finish at all. This is a clean, fresh wine that should be a pleasure for all to drink.
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10/18/2010 - AJ72 wrote: 80 Points
My first experience with this so the following comment is very impartial due to my lack of knowledge of the producer. Initially I thought this an Australian Pinot from Mornington Peninsula as it was served blind as it had an almost sappy/eucalypt character. Very primary and edgy and found it harder to drink the further I went with it. Not for me.
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8/21/2010 - Minkey wrote: 93 Points
Very nice nose showing red cherries, mint, grass, as well as a flowery tone. The palate shows a lot of red cherries and some red berries with mild tannins and a medium finish. A very delicious wine.
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8/14/2010 - rwilmeth wrote: 94 Points
Great fruit and acid, beautifully balanced, flavors of red fruit -- plums, currants, and a slight minerality. Great Burgundian style in a Cali Pinot.
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7/11/2010 - rxlaw95 wrote: 93 Points
In blind tasting, I thought this was a very light syrah. The flavor abounds. Most others licked it out as a Pinot. This is a very good wine with tons of fruit. Will be interesting to see what happens with age.
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7/4/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Cherry and red fruit, with some cola and maybe root beer. Nice but young. I will wait a year or two on the others.
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6/15/2010 - Bracamonte Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic W-S Russian River Pinot. Cherry and spice and everything nice. I like to drink these in the 3 or 4 year and SVD in 5-6. but decided to open one early.
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4/16/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
14.0% alcohol. Not as open as the Sonoma County, but very good indeed. In fact, much better than I assumed the vintage would present. Somewhat tight, but showing excellent black cherry and baking spice. Plenty of acidity. Very well done. A-
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