2005 native9 Pinot Noir Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (23) Avg Score: 90.8 points

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  12/5/2020 - PIntag wrote: 94 Points

  2nd of 2 bottles from recent auction purchase.
  Based on this gorgeous bottle, the bottle I had a week or so ago was flawed. This bottle showed wonderful Santa Maria Valley Pinot character with everything you want in a quality wine: concentration, depth, balance, and complexity. So flavorful yet not at all heavy with silky mouthfeel and just the right amount of acidity to give it a little "tang". Each sip provided a wonderment of interesting and enjoyable flavors - it was so well delineated. Integrated in a way that only extended bottle age can bring. This was good on the pop 'n pour and was drinking well the next evening (vacuvin'd and refrigerated overnight). This has the makeup to age for a while longer, though it is certainly in its prime drinking window right now.

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  11/26/2020 - PIntag wrote:

  14% abv. 1st of 2 bottles from recent auction purchase.
  As others have noted, cloudy and dark appearance. This was a pop 'n pour and I only got one glass, so I didn't get a chance to see this evolve. Very ripe and fleshy, very soft in the mouth with little acidity, though not what I'd call flabby. Didn't really have any energy. Did not seem much like Pinot to me. Just kind of a weird red and did not attract me at all.

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  1/10/2016 - DesMarteau wrote:

  Hard to rate as I don't think I did this justice....popped and poured...clowdy, crabapple color. Cranberries, spice, tart acids. over the span of 90 mins, the color turns more purple and the fruit changes to faded blueberries, cherries, the spice integrates...not a typical CA pinot...interesting. I will open one of my other two and decant next weekend.

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  10/25/2015 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points

  Dense, concentrated blueish red color; never could've guessed this was a Pinot from its appearance, let alone a wine with 10 years of age! Expressive and haunting nose with honest pinosity: cherries, violets, raspberries, some earthy aromas and a hint of sweet smoke. Nuances of blue fruits and an ethereal whiff of sweet prunes. Despite its obvious sweetness, the nose is stylistically more elegant than a straightforward fruit bomb. The palate is as ripe and concentrated as the nose leads to believe. Ripe, juicy and pure cherry and plum flavors complimented by nuances of sun-baked earth, some allspice and a hint of bitter. Surprisingly full-bodied expression of Pinot Noir that is very fruit-forward and even easy, but also so pure and fresh that this can be nothing but utterly drinkable, moreish stuff. Lively acidity and gentle, low tannins. 14% of alcohol does not show. Complex, juicy and generous finish that leaves a very long aftertaste of dark cherries, ripe plums, boysenberries, violet florals, some bitter minerality and a hint of allspice.
  
  This is a big, concentrated and ripe wine by any standards of Pinot Noir, but still far from fat or flabby - this is incredibly pure, moreish and surprisingly fresh and structured expression of this challenging variety. Even though I usually prefer light and delicate Pinot Noirs, this was nothing but utterly delicious stuff. The only thing that is wrong with this wine is its annual production - at only couple of thousand bottles per year, this is exceedingly hard wine to get ahold of. Despite of its 10 years of age, this wine will easily age for more than 5 years; probably even 10. Worth the 46€.

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  11/9/2014 - llink wrote: 92 Points

  1st place out of 5 wines. Lovely spicy, whole cluster type nose with a great perfume. Rich, cherry flavors but it has a nice suppleness to the texture that makes the wine very compelling. Well done and a surprise given that this was up against Kistler, Rochioli and Mount Eden. Blind tasting is always enlightening.

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