Grilled pork loin (chili marinade), sweet potatoes, garlic bread. Clear alive ruby. Nice nose, red cherry. Dry, medium body, rich, touch of strawberry, medium length. Stood up to the meat.
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Much better than I expected - also a lighter wine than I expected from this 2008. But Laurent's wines always agree with my palate. Good fruit, decent complexity. Might as well drink now, it seems like it has gone about as far as it's going to go, developmentally.
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Balancing my last high score...good. Drinking well right now, but pretty basic. Good structure and body with a decent nose, but anywhere pinot taste. Lacks that defining character appreciated in a solid OR pinot. overrated by WS after sitting on it for a couple years.
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This is rather simple but quite enjoyable. The wine taste like sweet blackcherries that have marinated in cider. The flavor intensity is rich but not overwhelming. In a blind tasting I would have mistaken this pinot for a russian river version given the oak treatment. I will buy more if I can find it. Cheers!
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We’re having my Grilled Portabella mushrooms tonight, and I heard on the Kojo Naamdi food segment that Pinot Noir goes very well with mushrooms, so I thought I’d put it to the test...
My recipe for Grilled Marinated Portabellas over Fettucine:
One large (>=3”) portabella cap per person, one large vidalia onion for every 6 caps, fresh basil, fresh oregano, salt, pepper, fresh-llime juice, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dash of red wine to pull it all together.
Cut the vidailia into 1/4” slices (concentric rings), one for each cap. Cut the stems out of each cap by angling a paring knife around the base of the stem.
Mix everything but the caps and onion into a marinade and let steep for an hour at room temp.
Put an onion slice in each cap, put the caps onion-up in a grill-able pan and ladle the marinade over the onions; periodically use a spoon to ladle the marinade back over the onions for 1/2h or so.
On a hot grill with a clean grate (grill basket works well) brushed with olive oil, cook the caps onion-down; put the cover down most of the time so they don’t burn and frequently open and check on the onions and ladle with more marinade (you’ll need a LOT!). When the onions start to brown, turn them over with the onions still inside the caps and cook - still using the lid to moderate the heat - until the tops are browned, then spill the onions out and jumble everything together and ladle a bit more marinade, shaking the basket to mix and keep from burning.
A minute or two before it’s done put the pans on the grill to heat up, put everything in the hot pans to the table and serve over fresh fettucine or linguine, making sure to get every last drop of marinade from the pans onto the noodles. Shave a perky pecorino onto each portion (or you can put it on the shrooms on the grill but that’s tricky).
Ok, now onto the wine which has been breathing in the open bottle for an hour.
Indeed Pinot Noir is paired well with mushrooms as this bottle was just as delicious as the first one, and really complemented the Marinated Grilled Portabella.
90 points; drink over the next year or two.
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Wonderful nose of dark cherry, and spice that translated to the palate. Rich texture. More Burgundian in style, this had everything except that is was a little flat on the finish.
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I’m not usually a huge Pinot fan, but this one has potential.
Medium ruby red in the glass.
Strong floral notes on the nose - rose hips and hibiscus flowers, with a hint of earthy spiciness.
A nice subtle sweetness on the palette, with a bit of a tannic backbone undergirding the floral notes sensed on the nose. Finish has a…nutty, almond character that lingers on the back of the tongue.
On the second day, everything is about the same although the spiciness on the nose and palette has resolved a bit to include pencil box, earth, and just the barest hint of...ginger. Finish perhaps lingers a bit longer than on day one and there is an added mustiness; I would say this wine is or will soon be at its prime. We’ll crack the next bottle this winter.
Eighty-Nine and one-half points with some upside potential...
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Very nice. Dark red color. Dark cherry, forest floor & smoke on nose. Full bodied (for a Pinot) but very smooth on the palate. Palate similar to nose plus nice spicy overtones. Very balanced (Medium + acids balance the fruit nicely) with medium+ finish. Excellent QPR and will buy more.
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Had at Blue Ribbon Bakery in NYC. Nice example of Willamette Pinot. Well balanced with great fruit and enough acidity to pair well with most foods. Very solid.
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This is very good pinot with great QPR. It definitely is recommended. The tasting note from the producer below nails the characteristics of this wine. If I had to find fault, I would say it is a little veiled. Regardless, it is worth a try. Will likely buy more.
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The entry level Pinot from Soléna, and can be found more readily in major markets. Once again, I found lots of forest floor and mushroom, but this blend had more ripe cherry, red berry, and rhubarb flavors followed by cranberry and strawberry. This has the softest body, and a plush finish. The Cuvee is a blend made from a selection of grapes from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and the blending process allows the winemaker to select the best of each vineyard to create a masterpiece. It’s a bit like a full symphony versus a single stanza, and while it was indicative of Oregon, I found it very much like a Russian River pinot in the cherry berry cola flavor profile. This wine retails for $25, and is a MUST BUY for the high QPR.
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5/4/2019 - callmeacab22 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Previously had a 2004 Solena Pinot which I found simple and lean. The 2008 is a much fuller body and more vibrant to my liking. Still drinking well.
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3/16/2018 - Gr8penut Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good nose, still vibrant fruit. Medium bodied.
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8/30/2014 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 88 Points
Grilled pork loin (chili marinade), sweet potatoes, garlic bread.
Clear alive ruby.
Nice nose, red cherry.
Dry, medium body, rich, touch of strawberry, medium length. Stood up to the meat.
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2/11/2014 - bear wrote: 88 Points
Much better than I expected - also a lighter wine than I expected from this 2008. But Laurent's wines always agree with my palate. Good fruit, decent complexity. Might as well drink now, it seems like it has gone about as far as it's going to go, developmentally.
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12/3/2013 - nlb1074 Likes this wine: 85 Points
agree 100% with basicallyjones tasting note.
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9/2/2013 - Basicallyjones wrote: 86 Points
Balancing my last high score...good. Drinking well right now, but pretty basic. Good structure and body with a decent nose, but anywhere pinot taste. Lacks that defining character appreciated in a solid OR pinot. overrated by WS after sitting on it for a couple years.
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11/29/2012 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 89 Points
Give it plenty of time to breath
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9/30/2012 - Ewhite30 wrote:
Brought to the last bbq of the summer, managed to get the last half glass.... simple, straight-forward OR pinot, and really nothing not to enjoy.
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9/2/2012 - Rooster7 wrote: 89 Points
light on flavor no finish
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2/3/2012 - Gargamel wrote: 89 Points
a fairly simple pinot with mainly cherry and a touch strawberry. still has some tannins that need more time to reslove. drink 2013-2016
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10/25/2011 - pupaes wrote: 91 Points
dark berries and crisp acidity. good balance. medium finish. refreshing.
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10/22/2011 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 89 Points
This is rather simple but quite enjoyable. The wine taste like sweet blackcherries that have marinated in cider. The flavor intensity is rich but not overwhelming. In a blind tasting I would have mistaken this pinot for a russian river version given the oak treatment. I will buy more if I can find it. Cheers!
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10/8/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 88 Points
Nice, but not up to the quality of my previous bottles.
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9/30/2011 - Frabjous wrote: 89 Points
We’re having my Grilled Portabella mushrooms tonight, and I heard on the Kojo Naamdi food segment that Pinot Noir goes very well with mushrooms, so I thought I’d put it to the test...
My recipe for Grilled Marinated Portabellas over Fettucine:
One large (>=3”) portabella cap per person, one large vidalia onion for every 6 caps, fresh basil, fresh oregano, salt, pepper, fresh-llime juice, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dash of red wine to pull it all together.
Cut the vidailia into 1/4” slices (concentric rings), one for each cap. Cut the stems out of each cap by angling a paring knife around the base of the stem.
Mix everything but the caps and onion into a marinade and let steep for an hour at room temp.
Put an onion slice in each cap, put the caps onion-up in a grill-able pan and ladle the marinade over the onions; periodically use a spoon to ladle the marinade back over the onions for 1/2h or so.
On a hot grill with a clean grate (grill basket works well) brushed with olive oil, cook the caps onion-down; put the cover down most of the time so they don’t burn and frequently open and check on the onions and ladle with more marinade (you’ll need a LOT!). When the onions start to brown, turn them over with the onions still inside the caps and cook - still using the lid to moderate the heat - until the tops are browned, then spill the onions out and jumble everything together and ladle a bit more marinade, shaking the basket to mix and keep from burning.
A minute or two before it’s done put the pans on the grill to heat up, put everything in the hot pans to the table and serve over fresh fettucine or linguine, making sure to get every last drop of marinade from the pans onto the noodles. Shave a perky pecorino onto each portion (or you can put it on the shrooms on the grill but that’s tricky).
Ok, now onto the wine which has been breathing in the open bottle for an hour.
Indeed Pinot Noir is paired well with mushrooms as this bottle was just as delicious as the first one, and really complemented the Marinated Grilled Portabella.
90 points; drink over the next year or two.
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9/25/2011 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wonderful nose of dark cherry, and spice that translated to the palate. Rich texture. More Burgundian in style, this had everything except that is was a little flat on the finish.
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6/27/2011 - Frabjous wrote: 89 Points
I’m not usually a huge Pinot fan, but this one has potential.
Medium ruby red in the glass.
Strong floral notes on the nose - rose hips and hibiscus flowers, with a hint of earthy spiciness.
A nice subtle sweetness on the palette, with a bit of a tannic backbone undergirding the floral notes sensed on the nose. Finish has a…nutty, almond character that lingers on the back of the tongue.
On the second day, everything is about the same although the spiciness on the nose and palette has resolved a bit to include pencil box, earth, and just the barest hint of...ginger. Finish perhaps lingers a bit longer than on day one and there is an added mustiness; I would say this wine is or will soon be at its prime. We’ll crack the next bottle this winter.
Eighty-Nine and one-half points with some upside potential...
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5/7/2011 - flaco22 wrote: 89 Points
Very nice, full bodied Pinot.
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3/16/2011 - davergny wrote: 89 Points
Nice Pinot! Soft, sweet cherry fruit, some earthy tones. Great QPR!
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1/10/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Brighter, less chunky than I remember it being. A touch more deft.
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1/7/2011 - kwkurdziel Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice pinot with good acidity, probably better with food than on its own. Lots of raspberry flavors with some mineral notes. Good QPR.
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12/24/2010 - CWilliam wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Dark red color. Dark cherry, forest floor & smoke on nose. Full bodied (for a Pinot) but very smooth on the palate. Palate similar to nose plus nice spicy overtones. Very balanced (Medium + acids balance the fruit nicely) with medium+ finish. Excellent QPR and will buy more.
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12/9/2010 - Lob1Putt wrote: 88 Points
$56 at Olives in Vegas.. Pretty decent for the bar price
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12/5/2010 - THaas wrote: 89 Points
Prototypical Oregon Pinot -- cherry and blackberry, good acidity, nice complexity without being overpoweringly heavy. Definitely drinks above it's price point.
Should be good through 2014.
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11/25/2010 - winopops3 wrote: 90 Points
Really nice fruit. A real crowd pleaser. Great qpr.
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11/19/2010 - ChinonRouge wrote: 89 Points
Good and cheap. A little simple. Good QPR. Recommended.
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11/15/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Yamhill and Eola blend. Oaked up in a rather heavy handed way on the nose. For $22 it works.
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11/7/2010 - winopops3 wrote: 90 Points
Had at Blue Ribbon Bakery in NYC. Nice example of Willamette Pinot. Well balanced with great fruit and enough acidity to pair well with most foods. Very solid.
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10/30/2010 - ChinonRouge wrote: 89 Points
Good stuff. Recommended.
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10/9/2010 - ChinonRouge wrote: 89 Points
This is very good pinot with great QPR. It definitely is recommended. The tasting note from the producer below nails the characteristics of this wine. If I had to find fault, I would say it is a little veiled. Regardless, it is worth a try. Will likely buy more.
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4/20/2010 - winebratsf wrote:
The entry level Pinot from Soléna, and can be found more readily in major markets. Once again, I found lots of forest floor and mushroom, but this blend had more ripe cherry, red berry, and rhubarb flavors followed by cranberry and strawberry. This has the softest body, and a plush finish. The Cuvee is a blend made from a selection of grapes from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and the blending process allows the winemaker to select the best of each vineyard to create a masterpiece. It’s a bit like a full symphony versus a single stanza, and while it was indicative of Oregon, I found it very much like a Russian River pinot in the cherry berry cola flavor profile. This wine retails for $25, and is a MUST BUY for the high QPR.
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