California Pinot

This was a Cali Pinot event featuring a trio of Calera wines and a pair from Mount Eden.

• 2007 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Justice Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

  Dark red color, 2mm slightly bricked margin. PNP, drank 1+ glass over 3+ hours. This was another exceptional showing of this wine. Gorgeous, complex nose with deep earthiness, a touch of funk, a lovely perfume of florals, cinnamon and a mix of exotic spices, dark cherry and berry fruit, pine needle, and brown sugar. The palate is equally lovely with very pretty fruits of cherry and raspberry, elegant, deep and layered, balanced, medium bodied, earthy, mineral, and an array of spices lead into a long finish. Probably at or nearing peak, but should hold easily for 5+ years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Domaine Eden 92 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Dark red color. Splash decanted for 15 minutes. Drank 1 glass over 3 hours. Very nice follow up to a bottle from January. Fresh and alluring on the nose, bright fruits of cherry, cranberry, strawberry, very floral, smoke. The palate has some sour cherry, strawberry, cranberry, smoke, a slight tar note, tart, nice acidity, good finish. This is bright and flavorful and not over the top. Lovely style. So distinctive from the central coast wines tonight. This was my #2 and group #1 WOTN.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2004 Miura Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Dark red, slightly rusty color. This bottle had a one hour decant, followed one glass over 3 hours. 14.5%alc. Interesting nose with dry earth, forest floor, cola, cherry cola, slightly floral, a touch stewy over time. The palate has oak, spice, some heat, typical sour cherry, medium finish. I suspect this wine is past peak and on the down swing.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Dark red color. Decanted for 30 minutes. Followed one glass for 1.5 hours. 14.6% alc. This a big wine, and if you like your pinot's hot, spicy and tasting more like syrah than pinot, this is for you. Nose shows grape jelly, boysenberry, big jammy dark fruits, briary, syrah like, pepper and spice, some heat. The palate is disjointed, very spicy, pepper, briary palate, black fruits, medium body, lots of alcohol showing, oak and wood spice on the finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir 93 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Dark red with a pretty ruby hue. Splash decanted. Drank 1 glass over 2 hours. Very similar to the 2010 Domaine Eden in reality. Fresh nose with a bright floral perfume, dry earth, nuanced, mineral, strawberry, cherry. The palate has mouth watering acidity, bright red fruits, cherry, strawberry, slightly sweet essence, spices, subtle earth, and supple tannins that lead into a long finish. 92+ to 93pts. This was my WOTN for the Cali group.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Calera Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard 84 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan

  Very dark red color. Decanted for 2 hours. 14.9% alc. Followed 1 glass over 2 hours. Nose has vanilla, cherry compote, blueberry, herbs. The palate is mired in alcohol and a blast of wood and spice, tannin, with a little dark cherry fruit on the side. Dumper.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Calera Pinot Noir 35th Anniversary de Villiers Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan

  Very dark red color. 2hr decant, drank 1 glass over an hour. Stunning contrast to the 2007. This was pretty and well balanced. Nose shows a little damp earth, floral, bright berries, fresh. The palate is very pretty, medium body, berry fruits, round, polished, with a nice finish. 90+ to 91pts.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Calera Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan

  Very dark red color. 2hr decant, followed 1 glass over 2 hours. Nose has lots of pepper, cherry Flintstone Vitamins, powdered cherry, raspberry. The palate is cherry and raspberry, black pepper, spicy, firm tannins, slightly murky, brooding. Didn't improve over the 2 hours.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Château de Malle 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium dark gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Nose becomes more complex over time. There's a nice mix of vanilla, apricot, pineapple, orange, cream and honeysuckle. The palate shows restrained sweetness, but just enough, apricot, caramelized sugar, honey, pineapple, full bodied, nicely spiced, medium plus finish. Very nice. Thanks Gary!

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 Château Rozier 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Very dark purple red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Really good nose here; forest floor, some funk, minerals, dark fruits. The palate has a hole on the front end, but it comes together at the end and has a nice finish; there's a polished texture with black fruits, dusty tannins, austere, full bodied. Very nice, would have benefited from a 1-2 hour decant still. 88+pts.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

The Mount Eden wines showed best with the Domaine Eden taking honors for WOTN in group voting. The Caleras were a very mixed bag and rather disappointing on the whole.