The Fifth Annual Largest Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine: Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. Pale straw color with an odd nose, a bit briny, close to pickle juice. Unfortunately, the palate is not much better. Really tart with that odd flavor matching the nose. I have had this wine a few times now, and the first few were Very Good to Excellent. Something is off with this bottle. Unrated.
Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. As I find is often the case with well-made sparkling wine, it continues to evolve in the bottle, often improving. Two years ago, and even as recently as this past December, I found this wine quite tart, even overly so. Now? Sure, it is still laden with zingy fruit (tart apple, pear), but a bit of the yeastiness is now popping its head out, wanting to be noticed. Still, austere and brazen, but the added autolytic component has elevated this wine. It is already eight years old, but I feel it will continue to improve for some time.
The Third Annual Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine: Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. Back to the brilliant pale straw (is that an oxymoron?) yet again, with a bit of an odd nose—a bit of a stale yeastiness here, with some under-ripe yellow apple and pear. The palate is laden with fruit but quite tart. Even really tart. I rarely (ever?) say that a wine could use a bit more sugar, but this might be one. Really tart (did I mention that?). Still, Excellent. thedrunkencyclist.com
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The Second Annual Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine: Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. A bit oxidized on the nose, almost sherried. Sherried on the palate as well—has a real old champagne feel to it without the yeastiness. Very Good to Excellent. 88-90 Points.
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12/21/2022 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote: flawed
The Fifth Annual Largest Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine: Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. Pale straw color with an odd nose, a bit briny, close to pickle juice. Unfortunately, the palate is not much better. Really tart with that odd flavor matching the nose. I have had this wine a few times now, and the first few were Very Good to Excellent. Something is off with this bottle. Unrated.
www.thedrunkencyclist.com
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3/16/2021 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 91 Points
Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. As I find is often the case with well-made sparkling wine, it continues to evolve in the bottle, often improving. Two years ago, and even as recently as this past December, I found this wine quite tart, even overly so. Now? Sure, it is still laden with zingy fruit (tart apple, pear), but a bit of the yeastiness is now popping its head out, wanting to be noticed. Still, austere and brazen, but the added autolytic component has elevated this wine. It is already eight years old, but I feel it will continue to improve for some time.
http://www.thedrunkencyclist.com
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12/14/2020 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 90 Points
The Third Annual Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine: Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. Back to the brilliant pale straw (is that an oxymoron?) yet again, with a bit of an odd nose—a bit of a stale yeastiness here, with some under-ripe yellow apple and pear. The palate is laden with fruit but quite tart. Even really tart. I rarely (ever?) say that a wine could use a bit more sugar, but this might be one. Really tart (did I mention that?). Still, Excellent. thedrunkencyclist.com
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1/21/2020 - wagonwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rock solid Willamette sparkler with stunning tension between nervy acidity and palate weight and luscious sur lie tones. Delicious and compelling.
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12/21/2019 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 89 Points
The Second Annual Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine: Retail $55. 100% Pinot Noir. A bit oxidized on the nose, almost sherried. Sherried on the palate as well—has a real old champagne feel to it without the yeastiness. Very Good to Excellent. 88-90 Points.
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