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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.8 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 75 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Somm David T on 8/28/2020 & rated 94 points: Simply one of the best Northern California Pinot Noirs for the money.
It takes four or five sips to get what this wine is meant to be when switching from the white burgundy.
This is another producer like Williams Selyem is good young but, amazes in 10-15 years.
The nose shows, ruby, candied & floral; blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, touch of baked rhubarb, mix of blackberries & raspberries, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark spices, black licorice, mix dark & mid fruit cola, dark rich, black earth, steeped fruit tea, dry twig, tree sap, underbrush, dry crushed rocks, limestone, volcanics with dry, withering & candied: red, dark, blue florals set in a field of violets.
The palate & body are elegant and sexy. Fantastic, glorious mouthfeel. Ripe, ruby, candied & floral; blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, dry cranberries, pomegranate, poached strawberries, touch of baked rhubarb, blackberries & raspberries, burnt rhubarb, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark spices, black licorice, mix dark & mid fruit cola, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, dark rich, black earth, steeped fruit tea, dry twig, tree sap, underbrush, savory meats, touch fresh & dry tobacco, suede leather, dry crushed rocks, limestone, sandstone, volcanics with dry, withering & candied: red, dark, blue florals set in a field of violets with hints of lavender. The acidity is like a gentle, cool, stream. The long finish is just flat out amazing. It’s; candied, florals, well knitted & balanced, floral and is endlessly persistent.
Still has 5-8 years of good drinking ahead. (1087 views) | | | Tasted by LotionInTheBasket on 1/2/2017 & rated 91 points: Deep red, garnet, can still see my hand through the glass. Slight orange tint at the corona. Bold nose. Dark red fruits, cola, some funk, whiff of vanilla, florals. The front has all that an a twang to it, slight sourness to the cherry notes. Hits nice. Mid palate's a touch flabby. Long smooth finish though, fruit rides for quite a bit and fades out nicely.
Overall, I was surprised because it starts real heavy and viscous, like seriously you'd swear it has some serious weight hitting your teeth. Then it pulls up on the mid-palate only to regain some concentration and sit nicely on the rear palate. Like a dip in a roller coaster. Its a solid wine; opens up quite a bit; the fruit and the nose are pretty bold. (2075 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 12/3/2016 & rated 91 points: Medium-dark red garnet in color with very slight clearing at the edges. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of complex, ripe fruits aromas of red cherries, strawberries & plums with overtones of spices notes of cloves & earthy/dusty notes, floral, cola, tea, herbs, minerals & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush, ripe red fruit flavors of sweet cherries, strawberries & red plums with spice notes of cloves, cola, herbs, earthiness, minerals & a bit of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & may be close to or at its peak of development, but it has the fruit & structure to hold maybe for an additional year or so. The aromatics & complex flavors on this wine are delightful; doing quite well for 11 year old California Pinot. (2065 views) | | | Tasted by rustyRudy on 4/23/2016 & rated 93 points: Tasting pour from a friend's cellar. Rich, dark fruit oriented, absolute killer nose, with bright lively fruit for an eleven year old Pinot. Really good. Wonderful finish. Drinking well now. (2582 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 11/27/2015: This bottle was a bit candied (unlike that last bottle which was really delicious) (2863 views) | | | Tasted by affordableCollector on 11/24/2015 & rated 89 points: garnet, opaque, in the color. cherry, blackberry, earth, on the nose. black pepper, spice, cedar, mocha, dark cherry, on the palate. medium plus acid, medium tannins, on the finish. (2376 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 12/14/2014 & rated 88 points: Seems like it's getting heavier and candied with age. Acidity is almost gone. Dark cherry fruit. Integrated. Some earthiness. (1946 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 10/12/2014 & rated 91 points: This bottle drank much, much better than a bottle a couple years ago. The annoying sweet/candied taste was absent from this bottle...instead it showed earth, a touch of funk, dark fruits and spice (2032 views) | | | Tasted by hanasowner on 2/12/2014 & rated 92 points: Much better than my last bottle and unfortunately my last. Big and rich with a great finish. (2349 views) | | | Tasted by hanasowner on 6/8/2013 & rated 89 points: Big funk...that "barnyard" smell...on the nose upon opening that took awhile to blow off. After that really opened up into a nice wine with dinner and we ended up finishing the bottle. Full mouthfeel, which is one of the reasons I stocked up on this wine a few years ago. It was sold to me as a "pinot for cab lovers" and I would agree; however, it very much tasted like a pinot on this night with light cherries, some vanilla notes and a pleasant finish. (2655 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 5/26/2013 & rated 88 points: Liked it better on day #1 when was brighter, lighter in color and the red fruits dominated. Decent structure and acid. On day #2 got darker, more earthy and a bit of a burnt carmelized flavor. (2662 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 1/30/2013 & rated 89 points: Lovely pinot nose, slightly oxidized as it was opened the previous night.hints of earth, raspberries, and dark fruit on the palate, medium/long finish, at its best, no reason to cellar the wine. drink up. (2480 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 4/3/2012: There seems to be a bit of bottle variation with this wine. (All bottles are from the same retail source, but purchased at varying dates.) This one showed lots of fruit, if a bit too sweet/candied for my taste. Sufficient acid and tannin to keep in balance and suggest promise for further aging/development. Based on this showing, my inclination is to hold to see if the candied element resolves with time. (2894 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 8/3/2011 & rated 89 points: This bottle did not show as well as the last one. The muted fruit did not seem to be displaced by the earthy or minerally flavors one might hope age will bring. Little or no bottle boquet. Pleasant, but lacked verve and interest. Time to drink up? (2696 views) | | | Tasted by jclarkwmj on 4/26/2011: Cellared upon release, popped and poured with Dad the pinot lover. Strawberry rhubarb, forest floor, nag champa (incense), fresh herb and smoke nuances. Wonderful Burgundian character! Fruit, but not like an '03 Village or Premier Cru Burgundy. This is exactly what appeals to me about Cali Pinot. If you're a fan of fruit forward, ripe CA Pinot's steer clear of this beauty.
North Slope opened to more earth characteristics on the nose after 30 mins. Well integrated, silky mouth-feel with an austere finish of mineral, stone and lemongrass. I liked this when I first tasted it on Stephen Hansel's farm with BWG and enjoying it to the extreme now. Tough to find this vintage/vineyard, but I would buy this for $35 in a heart beat. (2553 views) | | | Tasted by smphelps on 2/8/2011 & rated 91 points: Dark cherry red. Rich and robust on the nose leading to ripe red fruits of black cherry, asian tea, blueberry and allspice. Light hints of pepper midpalate but mostly more rich black cherry. Full bodied, still evolving, and not for those looking for reseved and delicate. Nice long finish. From the list ANGC. (2542 views) | | | Tasted by dougie on 12/11/2010 & rated 91 points: Extremely fruity without being heavy. The nose from the glass was amazing when there was no wine left in the glass. Decanted for an hour. (2548 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 12/5/2010 & rated 91 points: Opened and allowed to breathe for at least an hour. Consumed over the next couple hours.l This wine has softened and rounded out. The oak is well integrated. nose of cherries and some earth. great mouthfeel. the candied fruit of a couple years ago is absent. Surprisingly long finish. In a good spot now, and certainly will last for a bit, but I'm not sure this has the stuffing to go too many more years. (2497 views) | | | Tasted by tederf on 8/20/2010 & rated 90 points: The best part of this wine was the mouthfeel. Very silky and rich. Long finish. Aroma of red cherries - sour red. I got a bit of heat on the nose and some on the back of the throat. The red cherries was the predominant flavor. There is sort of a Luden's cherry cough drop flavor as well. There is a little white pepper thrown in which makes it a bit more interesting. I did decant and it sat for about 1/2 hour. I'll see if it opens up over the next couple of hours. Good pinot especially considering the price. (2679 views) | | | Tasted by cadamson on 5/21/2010 & rated 87 points: Still at about the same spot as 6-7 months ago. Damn good fruit profile still, but it is just striking me now as too big and rich, stretching what a pinot should be. Enjoyable, yes... in small amounts...but again lately I am struggling to find satisfying complexity in these big wines and this is certainly no exception. If you like the style of heavy extraction, this has years left, be in no hurry. I suggest to drink on its own, probably would show well in a general tasting where everyone gets a couple sips. (2900 views) | | | Tasted by dougie on 5/4/2010 & rated 92 points: After 2 hours, this wine has a great deal of rich fruit- rasberry and tart cherry. Gets more balanced while opening up. A wonderful wine. Some 2005 californita pinots are really opening up! (2841 views) | | | Tasted by WinstonWolfe on 2/21/2010 & rated 92 points: Big, rich and bold. (3124 views) | | | Tasted by thalver on 1/25/2010 & rated 92 points: This bottle did now show at all 'candied' like the last one...nicely balanced, drinking well now, should go a bit longer (3039 views) | | | Tasted by dannyk8232 on 12/1/2009 & rated 91 points: Very nice with Thanksgiving dinner (3197 views) | | | Tasted by rickspicks on 10/19/2009 & rated 88 points: Opened this for my in-laws who I have learned, like big, rich, sweet pinots. A duplicate of a prior bottle with a big nose of dark cherry and bramble. Big rich flavors that match the nose along with a good dose of spice. Medium finish with some astringency. It is big and soft, but with an astringent edge -- not at all my style, but my in-laws liked it. (3307 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, May/June 2007, IWC Issue #132
(Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Walter Hansel Winery Producer websitePinot 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 Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyRussian River Valley Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia |
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