The Guarachi Pinot Noir is one of the few wines that drinks unfailingly great from release through a decade old and beyond. Upfront lush, delicious, fruity, and concentrated, with ample acidity, tannin, and texture, all seamlessly integrated. Served as the opening wine to 7 good friends at a Christmas Eve feast, it disappeared in a flash. Wish it did not cost so much, but it sure delivers the goods.
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A brilliant case study in how to make Pinot Noir into a big red wine without heaviness, sugar sweetness, or flabbiness. Dark, dense, and lush, while remaining well structured by acidity and tannin. Delicious black cherry fruit and superbly textured, with an endless and mouth coating aftertaste. Overall, a tribute to how great Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast can be. Well worth the $45 I paid.
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Dark red in color with a nice pinot noir nose. Deep blackberry fruit with some tannin. Medium/full body. Wine opened up after 15 minutes. It is good now and has a lot of promise. The wine needs several more years to reach its potential.
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The 2008 Guarachi is the perfect wine for anyone who loves silk scarves, cashmere sweaters, or 1,000 count sheets. Front, center, and back, the wine supremely captures the most lavish mouthfeel that Pinot Noir achieves. Also, the fruit flavors are a voluptuously delicious black cherry and black plum. To maximize those twin peaks of feel and fruit, however, both the acidity and the tannins are softly rounded instead of ever being firm or grippy. The result is atypical for Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, as well as a tradeoff in how well this Pinot Noir matches with many foods, including the salty or ham flavors with which Pinot Noir normally excels. However, most wine drinkers, myself included, will be utterly seduced by just how great this Pinot Noir tastes by itself.
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I was a bit disappointed with this bottle; perhaps I should have decanted it. The fruit was OK but did not match my expectations due to previous tastings of the wine.
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Not quite two years after the first note, still drinking well. Now showing rich sweet cherries in the mid palate. Plenty of life left, maturing nicely. A bit darker than the first note suggests it was in 2011, but still hazy. More fruit, less spice, on the nose. Very good.
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Almost a little over the top the first day, but more enjoyable the second. Was a bit early to drink this. Not typical Sonoma coast in the sense that it was a big pinot. Good fruit though.
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Medium hazy cranberry red. Without decanting, intensely perfumed spice, tea, clove, cherry and cinnamon. Strikingly smooth in the mouth, full, but still complex and beguiling. Made for long contemplative sipping. Layers of spice, cherry, plum, and raspberry. Very good.
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Upon opening, great fruit on the nose and palate with a cinnamon characteristic to it on the palate. Was not open long as the bottle was split among five people. With the little air that it did have, the fruit subsided slightly and this became more balanced. Very tasty Pinot if you like this style.
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this wine was very approachable upon opening. it doesn't need a decant. a little pencil lead on the nose. tons of fruit. i am not sure how much better this wine is going to get with age, but if you want to drink something immediately, i think this wine is a good option.
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Just lovely. Did not even decant, alcohol burned of fast (we were outdoors) and the wine was seemless. Beautiful floral nose and tremendous balance of acid and tannins. Red fruit that was not dominated by any one varietal. Finish was long and silky. Just love this stuff.
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Hot to trot out of the bottle, with fruit peeking through after a while. Sweet, juicy and ripe plum with pretty cherry and licorice notes. Sturdy and firm frame with the heat keeping the dense fruit in balance. A beam of delicious raspberry, dark chocolate and nutmeg developed later during drinking. I liked all the elements of this wine, I just couldn't get past all the alcohol heat which lasted into the second day. I had high hopes for this recommended wine, but it came up short. It may smooth out and come together with age.
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12/26/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 95 Points
The Guarachi Pinot Noir is one of the few wines that drinks unfailingly great from release through a decade old and beyond. Upfront lush, delicious, fruity, and concentrated, with ample acidity, tannin, and texture, all seamlessly integrated. Served as the opening wine to 7 good friends at a Christmas Eve feast, it disappeared in a flash. Wish it did not cost so much, but it sure delivers the goods.
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12/22/2017 - Mossrose wrote: 96 Points
A brilliant case study in how to make Pinot Noir into a big red wine without heaviness, sugar sweetness, or flabbiness. Dark, dense, and lush, while remaining well structured by acidity and tannin. Delicious black cherry fruit and superbly textured, with an endless and mouth coating aftertaste. Overall, a tribute to how great Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast can be. Well worth the $45 I paid.
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11/29/2015 - jmottern Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good wine. Deep dark medium-full body wine. Nice nose. Mixed plum and dark berry fruit. Pleasant finish.
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3/28/2015 - jmottern Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium full body wine with good nose. Deep dark in color. Fruit forward with blackberry and a hint of cassis.
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12/18/2014 - jmottern Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red in color with a nice pinot noir nose. Deep blackberry fruit with some tannin. Medium/full body. Wine opened up after 15 minutes. It is good now and has a lot of promise. The wine needs several more years to reach its potential.
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11/23/2014 - Mossrose wrote: 94 Points
The 2008 Guarachi is the perfect wine for anyone who loves silk scarves, cashmere sweaters, or 1,000 count sheets. Front, center, and back, the wine supremely captures the most lavish mouthfeel that Pinot Noir achieves. Also, the fruit flavors are a voluptuously delicious black cherry and black plum. To maximize those twin peaks of feel and fruit, however, both the acidity and the tannins are softly rounded instead of ever being firm or grippy. The result is atypical for Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, as well as a tradeoff in how well this Pinot Noir matches with many foods, including the salty or ham flavors with which Pinot Noir normally excels. However, most wine drinkers, myself included, will be utterly seduced by just how great this Pinot Noir tastes by itself.
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10/2/2014 - jmottern Likes this wine: 87 Points
I was a bit disappointed with this bottle; perhaps I should have decanted it. The fruit was OK but did not match my expectations due to previous tastings of the wine.
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5/6/2013 - smphelps wrote: 92 Points
Not quite two years after the first note, still drinking well. Now showing rich sweet cherries in the mid palate. Plenty of life left, maturing nicely. A bit darker than the first note suggests it was in 2011, but still hazy. More fruit, less spice, on the nose. Very good.
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9/23/2012 - dlstrauss wrote: 90 Points
Nice, but nothing special
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8/27/2011 - Ckwinter wrote: 90 Points
Good, but not $50 good.
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7/25/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 91 Points
Almost a little over the top the first day, but more enjoyable the second. Was a bit early to drink this. Not typical Sonoma coast in the sense that it was a big pinot. Good fruit though.
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7/17/2011 - smphelps wrote: 93 Points
Medium hazy cranberry red. Without decanting, intensely perfumed spice, tea, clove, cherry and cinnamon. Strikingly smooth in the mouth, full, but still complex and beguiling. Made for long contemplative sipping. Layers of spice, cherry, plum, and raspberry. Very good.
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5/24/2011 - thswann wrote: 87 Points
Light color lots of pepper and berries on the nose. Palate gave me casis blueberries and oak. Not what I was expecting from a high priced pinot.
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11/29/2010 - flwinos wrote: 91 Points
Upon opening, great fruit on the nose and palate with a cinnamon characteristic to it on the palate. Was not open long as the bottle was split among five people. With the little air that it did have, the fruit subsided slightly and this became more balanced. Very tasty Pinot if you like this style.
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11/3/2010 - sayward wrote: 91 Points
this wine was very approachable upon opening. it doesn't need a decant. a little pencil lead on the nose. tons of fruit. i am not sure how much better this wine is going to get with age, but if you want to drink something immediately, i think this wine is a good option.
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10/9/2010 - Mlawrence wrote: 92 Points
Just lovely. Did not even decant, alcohol burned of fast (we were outdoors) and the wine was seemless. Beautiful floral nose and tremendous balance of acid and tannins. Red fruit that was not dominated by any one varietal. Finish was long and silky. Just love this stuff.
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9/18/2010 - ptelgenh wrote: 92 Points
Rich and decadent, this pinot exhibits spice, cloves and plum on the nose. Rich textured mouthfeel leading ripe cherries and a smooth silky finish
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8/26/2010 - cbkamp wrote: 90 Points
Nice minerality with candied black cherry and plum on the nose. Similar flavors on the palate. Fairly concentrated with a lot of fruit.
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8/4/2010 - wine maestro wrote: 86 Points
Hot to trot out of the bottle, with fruit peeking through after a while. Sweet, juicy and ripe plum
with pretty cherry and licorice notes. Sturdy and firm frame with the heat keeping the dense fruit
in balance. A beam of delicious raspberry, dark chocolate and nutmeg developed later during
drinking. I liked all the elements of this wine, I just couldn't get past all the alcohol heat which
lasted into the second day. I had high hopes for this recommended wine, but it came up
short. It may smooth out and come together with age.
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