Retail $65. Big Ass Bottle. When I last tasted this wine, I was more upset at the asshat who gave it a 64 (really? 64? a few months after a 90?) than describing the wine. And I should have paid more attention to the latter since this wine is completely off the charts. Rich dark and Bing cherry, some Christmas spice, earth, a touch of black pepper. Holy crap. The palate, astonishingly, is even better, maybe on the verge of other-worldly. Rich (just short of unctuous), intense fruit, balanced with a lip-smacking acidity, layers of complexity, and a lasting finish. Whoa. And then some.
Retail $65. Big. Ass. Bottle. While tasting this wine, I read through a few of the tasting notes here on Cellar Tracker. While most are overwhelmingly positive, there is one clown who gave it a 64. Sixty-effing-four (just a few months after giving it a 90, FYI). Well. If it were up to me, that dude would be barred from the forum. Not so much for his widely varying views on this wine but rather a blatant dismissal of a wine that may have been stored improperly or otherwise mistreated. Get a grip, dude. For me? This is one of the better Pinots I have tried all year: fruity, balanced, tart, earthy. Yowza. thedrunkencyclist.com
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We have been fans of Failla for a while. A long while. And this is a reason why. Really vibrant on the nose with dark cherry and a curious touch of mocha. Really close to a Whoa. Good color in the glass with just a hint of bricking. The palate? Whoa. Incredible fruit, still, but secondary flavors of mint and earth. Like I said, I’ve been a fan of Ehren Jordan and Failla for a while. That will not change. At all. thedrunkencyclist.com
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Amazing how well this wine holds up after a decade. Bought it from the library when I ordered the new Day zin (a show-stopper btw). Anyhoo, Failla makes impressive juice that bows to no one and holds steadfast to Old World style, with just enough New World flair to keep me coming back. Most of the New World bomb is gone on this, which is perfectly fine. Think of it as an old friend that moved abroad five years ago, and now you're meeting her in Toulouse for small bites and a glass on the Garonne. She misses you, and you're better for it.
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(Failla Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Sonoma Coast) Light medium red color; light savory nose; light-medium bodied, tart red fruit and mineral palate with good acidity; medium finish 90+ pts.
1/16/2022 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 96 Points
Retail $65. Big Ass Bottle. When I last tasted this wine, I was more upset at the asshat who gave it a 64 (really? 64? a few months after a 90?) than describing the wine. And I should have paid more attention to the latter since this wine is completely off the charts. Rich dark and Bing cherry, some Christmas spice, earth, a touch of black pepper. Holy crap. The palate, astonishingly, is even better, maybe on the verge of other-worldly. Rich (just short of unctuous), intense fruit, balanced with a lip-smacking acidity, layers of complexity, and a lasting finish. Whoa. And then some.
www.thedrunkencyclist.com
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11/8/2020 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote: 94 Points
Retail $65. Big. Ass. Bottle. While tasting this wine, I read through a few of the tasting notes here on Cellar Tracker. While most are overwhelmingly positive, there is one clown who gave it a 64. Sixty-effing-four (just a few months after giving it a 90, FYI). Well. If it were up to me, that dude would be barred from the forum. Not so much for his widely varying views on this wine but rather a blatant dismissal of a wine that may have been stored improperly or otherwise mistreated. Get a grip, dude. For me? This is one of the better Pinots I have tried all year: fruity, balanced, tart, earthy. Yowza. thedrunkencyclist.com
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4/7/2019 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 93 Points
We have been fans of Failla for a while. A long while. And this is a reason why. Really vibrant on the nose with dark cherry and a curious touch of mocha. Really close to a Whoa. Good color in the glass with just a hint of bricking. The palate? Whoa. Incredible fruit, still, but secondary flavors of mint and earth. Like I said, I’ve been a fan of Ehren Jordan and Failla for a while. That will not change. At all. thedrunkencyclist.com
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11/24/2016 - brasstab wrote: 90 Points
Amazing how well this wine holds up after a decade. Bought it from the library when I ordered the new Day zin (a show-stopper btw). Anyhoo, Failla makes impressive juice that bows to no one and holds steadfast to Old World style, with just enough New World flair to keep me coming back. Most of the New World bomb is gone on this, which is perfectly fine. Think of it as an old friend that moved abroad five years ago, and now you're meeting her in Toulouse for small bites and a glass on the Garonne. She misses you, and you're better for it.
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3/1/2015 - eteyemd wrote: 64 Points
A yeasty mess. Past due to drink. My fault........not the wine's.
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