July 2018 Rivers-Marie Visit

At Mending Wall winery
Tasted Thursday, July 26, 2018 by Frank Murray III with 543 views

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind as part of a 3 wine flight of RM whites. We did not know the wines but given the portfolio, we knew we had to be in Chardonnay land. The color on this distinctly golden and little bronzy. While the color was advanced, the wine tasted fine to me. Lemon, mint, green apple, decent acidity and a moderately spicy finish.

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  • 2014 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind as part of a 3 wine flight of RM whites. We did not know the wines but given the portfolio, we knew we had to be in Chardonnay land. Aromatics of white pepper, broad texture, spicy with green apple, flint, light lemon and the same spicy finish of the 2010 we had next to it.

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  • 2016 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind as part of a 3 wine flight of RM whites. We did not know the wines but given the portfolio, we knew we had to be in Chardonnay land. This is less intense than the 2014, and instead of green apple, this vintage of Thieriot is more yellow/golden apple. It's not as spicy as the 2014 but it does have the same lemony finish and the flint. I just find the 2014 to be a bit more crisp and intense than the 2016.

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Flight 2 (4 Notes)

Flight 3 (3 Notes)

  • 2004 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured bind. This seems from a riper vintage, as the aromatics tee that up. Round, intense and plush with dark raspberry, some oak barrel tones that shade and richen it. Finishes a little crunchy. Pretty amazing this is coming up on 15 years and is holding right together. Delicate in style? Well, no. But this is the early craft of RM and it shows the wines can age.

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  • 2008 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind. This doesn't for show the heat or elevated ripeness to that of the 2004 or 2012 that we had alongside it blind. Delicious and juicy, with fruit bowl tones with plenty of backbone acidity. Orange peel, citrus zest, dark strawberry, cranberry and pomegranate. Terrific richness and one of my WOTD for the visit.

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  • 2012 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind, and we had this wine a year ago with Will when we visited and he blinded us on it then, too. Lots of mouthfeel here. Like the 2004, I did find some heat on the nose. Generous and zesty, lots of cranberry is in the core of the wine, along with raspberry. Tangy with some grip in the finish and lots of youth.

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Flight 4 (3 Notes)

  • 2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be 2009 vintage. This shows to me as the ripest of the three wines. Plush, spicy with a light menthol note. Zesty with black/darker fruit, blackberry, dark apple, some cranberry buried here that is underneath the juicy, darker palate. This is broad in tone.

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  • 2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be 2009 vintage. Lots of dark fruit, with a little tar and some spice, along with menthol (which Brig called out during our tasting discussion) with my thought being bay leaf. Strawberry jam, dark apple, good balance and juicy. This was the best of the flight for me and also on the short list for one of my WOTD.

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  • 2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be 2009 vintage. Very tangy, with cranberry, bit of caramel, with the color showing a light brown tinge on the edges. Some soil? Cherry tomato? Tangy, and it seems to me to be taking on some age so depending on what you like in your RM PN wines, use my note as you like.

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Flight 5 (3 Notes)

  • 2005 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be a Summa vertical. Some at the table thought this was flawed. I didn't find anything that bothered me about the wine. Juicy, still tangy, some cedary quality in the wine and it's doing fine.

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  • 2010 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be 2009 vintage. Still have one of these in the cellar and oddly, never have TN'd this wine. Not sure how this got through all the years and never have been tasted. Distinctive aromatic, with some ripeness and heat. Tangy, roasted fruit quality, a little metallic, dark fruit and good acid. My sense is that I will open this in a few years and use it blind, as Will did for us today.

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  • 2015 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Beautiful color, purplish fruit, vibrant aromas. Tarry, dark berry, crunch with mineral and a big-time concentration of fruit and intensity. Plush yet balanced and my WOTD for the visit. Outstanding example of the best RM PN craft.

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Flight 6 (3 Notes)

  • 2016 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be part of the just released portfolio of RM cabs. These were not decanted, just opened and poured to the glasses. Dark berry, lots of powdered cocoa, maple, some decadence, iron. No booze or heat here either. Chewy and darkly delicious.

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  • 2016 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be part of the just released portfolio of RM cabs. These were not decanted, just opened and poured to the glasses. A wow-like wine, with big concentration. Olive, cedar, tight currant and dark berry fruit with an intense and chocolatey finish.

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  • 2016 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be part of the just released portfolio of RM cabs. These were not decanted, just opened and poured to the glasses. Cedary and chewy, with bitter chocolate and a more prominent red fruit core than the other 2 wines in the flight (2016 Napa and Panek). Lots of tannin with the red fruit profile really terrific. This was my favorite of the flight.

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Flight 7 (3 Notes)

  • 2014 William & Mary Cabernet Sauvignon Shifflett Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be the William and Mary wines. Lots of concentration and density, with light chocolate and after some air, the tangy, herbal fruit comes through.

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  • 2015 William & Mary Cabernet Sauvignon Shifflett Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be the William and Mary wines. Round and concentrated with a beautifully present red fruited core and bright acidity (much more than the 2014 showed). I also liked this today better than the 2014.

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  • 2016 William & Mary Cabernet Sauvignon Shifflett Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District

    Poured blind, in a flight of three which all turned out to be the William and Mary wines. Plush, even a bit pillowy in the texture and for me has the best approachability and overall best experience for me of the three wines (2014-2016). Pencil shavings, herb, juicy, lush and youthful and just getting started as a young wine would be.

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Flight 8 (3 Notes)

  • 2016 William & Mary Proprietary Red Shifflett Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District

    Poured blind, and followed a flight that was the three releases of William and Mary Cabs (2014-2016). Of all 4 wines, this was my stand-out favorite as I found this wine to have all the parts working well for me, the flavor profile to be more aligned with my own palate, which is often away from the more modern style. Delicious mix of acidity, wood, fruit and less opulence and more reigned in that the Cabs, showing focus with bright red fruit. I will be buying this wine when it is released this year. Excellent.

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  • 2014 Mending Wall Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

    As expected with these wines, it is inky and black, staining the glass. Dense and dark with chalky tannin and bittersweet chocolate. I like this vintage of MW PS, as it mixes plushness, density and yet I find the wine to stay in the balance rails. The tannin here is still hefty so decant like hell if you drink these now, as while I do believe these can be enjoyed today, they just need lots of air to be their best.

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  • 2015 Mending Wall Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

    Poured next to the 2014. I like that wine better, mainly because I got turned off with some heat on the nose, which I don't find on the 2014. On the upside, I believe the 2015 is more concentrated than the 2014, with more stuffing.

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