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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2011 and 2015 (based on 6 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.2 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 46 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by juneau bob on 4/3/2017: Ditto Leomania and merryberry. Nice structure. (2443 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 12/12/2016 & rated 90 points: Still drinking surprisingly well. See previous note. (2580 views) | | | Tasted by merryberry on 1/2/2016 & rated 92 points: Nearly brown garnet. Strawberry, fresh leather, and baking spice nose. Medium to full bodied, pomegranates, pepper, bing cherries, well integrated rounded tannins, good acid, mint, a bit of heat, and a long red fruited finish. Superb, especially on night 2. Lots of life left in this one. (3254 views) | | | Tasted by Hodby on 12/23/2015: Medium red-violet color. Fresh raspberry coulis nose, touch of celeriac, black peppercorn and French oak spice. On arrival, smooth and low tannin, with balanced acidity; harmonious, fat, ready. Delicious and deliciosly easy drinking, this gets better with aeration hour by hour. Kent's estate Pinots might be the best "least known" top pinot noir every year. Bottle #6 of six. (3334 views) | | | Tasted by jj96 on 10/4/2014 & rated 90 points: 88-89-90 on Days 1-3. Had different experience from poster who saw no benefit from aeration. Little subtlety as PnP, much more interesting and a good QPR by Day 2. (4144 views) | | | Tasted by NEwino on 8/19/2014 & rated 90 points: Still one of my favorite pull a bottle to drink with a burger wines. Medium bodied that has cherry notes. Drink now to 2015 (2540 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 8/10/2014 & rated 90 points: Glad I held on to a couple of bottles; the cellar time has been very good to this wine. Same tart cherry, but softer, yet retaining the flourish into the finish. As before, very food friendly but was better on its own than previous bottles. (1751 views) | | | Tasted by joefel on 12/4/2013 & rated 90 points: What a difference time has made on this wine. I've increased my rating by 2 points. Again, this wine drinks well even without decanting. Very nice bottle of wine - especially for the price. (2150 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 11/28/2013 & rated 90 points: Very good, and drinking nicely at this point. Higher acidity than most Pinots, lending a tart aspect to the wine. Enjoyed best with a meal. (1974 views) | | | Tasted by PolarBear22 on 11/23/2013 & rated 89 points: Very nice. Paired with salmon. This is still doing very well. (1502 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 11/9/2013 & rated 89 points: Tart cherry and cranberry, subtle oak influence. Higher acidity than most, best paired with something that can offset it. (1480 views) | | | Tasted by NEwino on 9/17/2013 & rated 90 points: One of my favorite evening drinking Pinot's. Goes well with food or just by itself. This is a medium bodied easy drinking pinot that gives you nice cherry and black berry notes but is not over the top at all. Drink now to 2015 (1622 views) | | | Tasted by rmh66 on 12/2/2012 & rated 90 points: Had me worried from the first sniff. Lots of California pinot cola, cocoa powder, and fern. Also black cherry, vanilla, boysenberry, and earth. However, the palate is quite lovely: tart cherry, black cherry, spice, earth, and vanilla. There's nice focus, and it's not over the top like the nose suggests. Good acidity and decent finish. There's a bit of sweetness on the finish. Overall, very nice wine at a good price. (2668 views) | | | Tasted by fultonjf on 9/25/2012 & rated 88 points: no formal notes. Feels a bit closed upon opening, but opens up nicely with air (2762 views) | | | Tasted by joefel on 8/5/2012 & rated 88 points: Opened and poured. Actually nice upon opening. Did improve after an hour, but soft and accessible from the first glass. Garnet in color. Typical Pinot nose. Light-to-medium in body, with a medium-length finish. (2839 views) | | | Tasted by drdecanto on 7/31/2012 & rated 89 points: Not quite as nice as the last bottle. Less of the intense black sherry fruit and a bit more tart cherry fruit. Still very nice and a great price. (2814 views) | | | Tasted by terryamerson on 7/28/2012 & rated 90 points: Taking to Don & Marcia's for lake cruise (2699 views) | | | Tasted by drdecanto on 6/12/2012 & rated 92 points: Very nice bootle. Garnet. Loads of ripe black cherry fruit with some spice and just the right amount of acidity. Complimented Copper River salmon grilled on a cedar plank. Yum! (2313 views) | | | Tasted by jtinto on 5/13/2012 & rated 85 points: Red fruit dominant. Astringent with noticeable alcohol even though not high at 13.5abv. The acid remains up front start to finish. Pass. (2488 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 4/5/2012 & rated 88 points: Very light in color, even by Carneros standards. Flavors of cranberry with a bit of pomegranate, framed by high but appropriate acidity. Subdued oak, medium finish.
This style of Pinot begs for the right food to match the acidity. I will pair something with my next bottle and I think this will improve its score. As it stands, it was enjoyable on its own but the acidity remained a bit too prominent. (2503 views) | | | Tasted by RDHudak on 4/4/2012 & rated 86 points: Light color, cherry cola nose. Weak palate and finish. Another Garagiste dud. (2353 views) | | | Tasted by Dale M on 1/9/2012: a bit og heat on the nose that quickly blew off to reveal a sublte and understated California Pinot. Not complex but very satisfying. (2909 views) | | | Tasted by tonysmith72 on 1/8/2012 & rated 92 points: I thought this tasted better than most CA Pinot. Low alcohol. Bright cherry fruit with solid acid and soft silky tannin. I would drink now if you have bot give it some time to open. (2737 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 1/8/2012 & rated 89 points: Poured into decanter and served after two hours. Samped a small glass ahead of time and I'd say the two hours was warranted. Nice raspberry nose and flavors with relatively high acidity (not too much, just more than average) and fine-grained tannins. Noticeable oak. Very enjoyable, but did not pair well with the grilled salmon we served. (3246 views) | | | Tasted by Hodby on 7/27/2011 & rated 90 points: Medium red-violet. Nose of vanilla, violets, red cherry, some leafiness. Medium acidity, medium- low tannin (perhaps high for pinot noir). Very ripe cherry fruit grapple in the mouth for position with the oak seasoning. I think this wine is going underground for a bit. Finishes well, with plenty of acid and tannin to matched today with gaspacho (Ina Garten recipe, nice) and crusty bread, garlic and oil. Bottle #2 of seven. (3653 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Kent Rasmussen Producer website
Kent Rasmussen Winery
Founded: 1986
Owner: Kent Rasmussen
Location: St. Helena, CA
Since its modest beginnings, the Kent Rasmussen Winery has evolved into one of the most important producers in the Napa region. The winery outgrew its tractor shed barrel room on Cuttings Wharf Road in the Napa Carneros long ago. In 1995, Kent and Celia established a new winemaking facility in a turn of the century slaughterhouse, on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena. Refined over the years, it now houses business offices, an oenology lab and lab tasting room, a wine library and upgraded production equipment. The modern crusher, press, tanks, catwalks, refrigeration systems, pumps, forklift and fruit sorter have greatly enhanced winemaking options. Grapes are either estate grown or under long term contract with reliable growers.Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa / SonomaSONOMA: The Yorkville Highlands AVA, approved in 1998, is located in the southwestern corner of Mendocino County, between Sonoma County's Alexander Valley to the South and Mendocino County!s Anderson Valley to the North. The region is 25 miles long, roughly in the shape of rectangle and bisected by Highway 128 which runs the length of the AVA. The region!s terrain is hilly and forested, with elevations ranging from 1,078 to 2,442 feet above sea level.
The distinguishing features of the Yorkville Highlands AVA are rocky soils with a high gravel content and the climate, which is cooler than Alexander Valley but warmer than Anderson Valley, and significantly cooler at night than the surrounding areas.CarnerosStraddles the southern ends of Napa & Sonoma Counties. |
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