- > The Seventh Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir
The Seventh Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir
My House, Houston, TX
Tasted Saturday, November 9, 2024 by The Drunken Cyclist with 191 views
Flight 1 (4 Notes)
Flight 2 (4 Notes)
2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Janus 92 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $55. Medfium color and quite shy on the nose, really closed. Very nice on the palate if a bit muted with good black cherry and moderate acidity. This might need a bit of time in the bottle and/or a healthy decant to open up a bit more, but it is quite nice now. Excellent. 92 Points.
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2022 Copain Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 89 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Retail $55. Medium color but still translucent with a bit of cranberry and subtle cherry. Good fruit and some nice acidity, fantastic balance in that regard, but the finish is a bit short despite the noticeable tannins. Very Good. 89 Points.
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2022 Stoller Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 88 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Retail $40. Heavy Bottle (663g; 23.3oz). Quite stemmy and dirty on the nose, very stemmy, even, hard to pick up the dark fruity behind all those stems. Good tartness and solid fruit on the palate, but that stemmy nature comes through here as well. Very Good. 88 Points.
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2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Old Vine Pommard Eola - Amity Hills 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Retail $65. A fruity and perfumed nose with hints of fruit. The palate is subtle and demure with intense acidity and a bit hot on the finish. More of an earthy style, which works. Excellent. 90 Points.
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Flight 3 (4 Notes)
2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, West Sonoma Coast
Retail $75. Heavy Bottle (630g; 22.2oz). Lovely nose of candied cherry and a touch of orange rind. Fruity and rich, a classic American (CA?) Pinot with oodles of fruit, great acidity, and a rich, lovely finish. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate 95 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Retail $47. Responsible Bottle (586g; 20.6oz). A bit richer and darker cherry with some cranberry. Lovely. All this carries through on the palate with an intense black cherry and a perceived sweetness from all that fruit. Fantastic. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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2021 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir Stone Corral Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Retail $68. Responsible Bottle (543g; 19.1oz). Another really rich nose of Bing and black cherry. Whoa. The palate is lovely but a bit muted, with shy fruit initially, but the tartness and the rich fruit come roaring in on the mid-palate. Very nice finish. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2022 Tongue Dancer Rambling Fox 93 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Retail $45. Heavy Bottle (625g; 22.0 oz). Initially, quite a shy nose with some dark fruit and just a bit stemmy. The palate is a bit bold, but it works, for sure. Darker again with some stemminess, but wonderful balance and nice fruit on the mid-palate. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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Flight 4 (4 Notes)
2022 Siduri Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Retail $75. Responsible Bottle. Fruity and floral on the nose with more cranberry than cherry. Fruity and full on the palate with crunchy fruit and a lovely zing. Another fantastic wine. Outstanding. 94 Points.
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2021 Saffron Fields Vineyard Pinot Noir Spectrum 93 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $65? Very Responsible Bottle (484g; 17oz). Another great nose, what can I say? This is a stellar lineup for sure. Subtle, certainly, but there is cherry and rhubarb after a touch of time. The palate is fruity, balanced, and pretty darned fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 96 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Retail $75. A bit darker in color, perhaps, than the others in this lineup, but still translucent. Lovely nose of dark cherry and a bit of clove. The palate is transformative with lovely fruit, an intense but unifying tartness, and very lengthy finish, really magnificent. Outstanding. 96 Points.
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2023 Chehalem Pinot Noir 91 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $30. Screw Cap. Bright, tart fruit on the nose, with some black pepper, really lovely. The palate is a bit demure but loaded with tannins, surprisingly. The fruit is there, but this could use a bit of time or a healthy decant. Still? This is pretty fantastic. Excellent. 91 Points.
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Flight 5 (4 Notes)
2022 Exprimere Pinot Noir Persey Peake Ranch Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Retail $100. Heavy Bottle (688g; 24.2oz). Classic American pinot nose with sweet cherry fruit on the nose and it translates over to the palate; the wine is really rich and sweet there as well, stopping just short of too much. Really really rich and decadent. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Vineyard Eleven 96 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $80. Heavy Bottle (627g; 22.0 oz). Another nose that is quite inviting where the fruit is shy and the earth is subtle. Great balance and just a fantastic mouthfeel. Fruit, acidity, harmony, and length. Really has it all. Outstanding. 96 Points.
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2021 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir River West Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $35. Responsible Bottle (542g; 19.1oz). Under cork. A bit of a different nose here, with not much fruit, and a bit of a menthol feel. Rich, even really rich and a bit flabby initially on the palate, but the acidity comes through just before the finish. Very Good. 89 Points.
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2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Crannell Eola - Amity Hills 92 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Retail $60. Responsible Bottle (598g; 21.0oz). A darker, magenta color here with a shy nose. Eventually, some darker berry fruit and cherry cola come through, which carries through onto the palate. A wonderfully balanced wine, really nice. Excellent. 92 Points.
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Flight 6 (4 Notes)
2022 Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (466g; 16.4oz). Darker with a more rustic feel, maybe a little hot. The palate is fine, even close to excellent, but lacking a “wow” factor. Very Good. 89.
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2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, West Sonoma Coast
Retail $75. Heavy Bottle (621g; 21.9oz). Plenty of dark fruit on the nose (black cherry and blackberry) with an ounce or two of verve, and a slight herbal, menthol note on the nose. Fruity and lovely on the palate. This is what most people have in mind when they think “California Pinot”. 93 Points.
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2021 Freeman Pinot Noir Yu-ki Estate 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, West Sonoma Coast
Retail $74. Heavy Bottle (616g; 21.7oz). Quite dark in both color and aromas with blackberry really the predominate player. Really tart with some nice salinity on the palate, a darker, yet earthier style here. Very Good. 89 Points.
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2022 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Reserve 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $60. Rather non-descript on the nose, with some dark fruit coming through eventually. The palate is much more expressive and fantastic. Good fruit, great tartness, wonderful balance. Best of this flight. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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Flight 7 (4 Notes)
2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $40. Wonderful nose, absolutely stellar, with lovely strawberry and cherry at the forefront. The paalte is scrumptious; yes, there is a lot of fruit, even tons, but the acidity rules the roost here, such a great tang. This is certainly a New World Pinot and makes no apologies about it and that is fine by me. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir The Sly One 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Retail $85. Darker in color and in aromas, certainly on the black cherry and raspberry, but still berries. Big, for sure, and maybe a bit hot, this a nervous wine right now, for sure, but this has all the markings of a fantastic wine: big fruit, tons of acidity, and plenty of confidence. It needs some time to settle down a bit, but this is fantastic. Outstanding. 94 Points.
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2022 Sangiacomo Wines ViMaria 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Retail $90. The nose is a bit different with a touch of mocha and maybe even some anise behind a wall of black cherry fruit. The palate is even more inviting than the nose with good berry fruit, a nice tartness, and a lengthy finish. Very Nice. Excellent. 92 Points.
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2021 Maggy Hawk Pinot Noir Jolie 89 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Retail $75. Dark on the nose with more mocha and a bit of heat. The palate is a bit subdued and I struggled to find the fruit. Sure, everything is there (the fruit showed up on the mid palate), but overall, this is lacking a bit of "wow", for sure. Very Good. 89 Points.
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Flight 8 (4 Notes)
2021 Sangiacomo Wines Pinot Noir Eden Dale 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Retail $50. Under screw cap. Fairly dark in color and in aromas with some cherry cola and comes off as a bit extracted. I was not sure about this wine based on the nose, but the palate is pretty fantastic with good fruit, good acid, nice. Excellent. 91 Points.
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2021 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Lindley's Knoll 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $65. Responsible Bottle (543g; 19.1oz). Quite fruity on the nose, even a little Jolly Rancher cherry going on. That continues on the palate, so it is quite fruity, but there is also some oak evident, lending a bit of complexity to all that fruit. It works, though, stopping short of "over-the-top". Excellent. 90 Points.
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2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot de Ville 96 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Retail $69. Heavy Bottle (630g; 22.2oz). Lovely nose, classic California Pinot, top to bottom. Fresh cherry, and strawberry on the nose and palate, with a lovely mouthfeel and balance. Whoa. Outstanding. 96 Points.
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2022 Sangiacomo Wines Pinot Noir Block 11 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Retail $75. Slightly dirty (some whole cluster fermentation?) on the nose with some dark fruit. The palate, however, does not exhibit that "dirtiness" but rather an earthiness that integrates well with some fantastic dark berry fruit. This is a rare Pinot, in my opinion, as it celebrates California fruit while also embracing Old World complexity. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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Flight 9 (4 Notes)
2022 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 93 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $60. Red and black cherry on the nose, with a touch of earth. The palate is juicy, even really juicy with a hint of anise on the backend, but it works and this is tasty. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2022 Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir 88 Points
USA, California
Retail $18. Under screw cap. Vanilla and cherry on the nose with a hint of strawberry. Nice nose. The palate is fine, but lacking a bit of oomph. Sure, there is fruit and tartness, just no wow factor here. Very Good. 88 Points.
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2023 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $30. Under screw cap. Medium to dark in color with a cherry cola, almost Jolly Rancher thing going on. Fruity and a bit extracted on the palate, this is likely a crowd pleaser but I find it a bit one-dimensional. Very Good. 89 Points.
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2022 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir Vintner's Reserve California 88 Points
USA, California
Retail $20. A bit muted on the nose, really not much there even though this has been open for a while. The palate is similar. It’s fine, even very good, but after the fruit, there is some tartness but not a lot of depth. Very Good. 88 Points.
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Flight 10 (4 Notes)
2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Le Ciel Serein 91 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Retail $62. Dark fruit and a bit funky (I love the funk) on the nose which some anise and a bit of clove eventually peeking through at the backend. A surprisingly amount of fruit on the palate, and while the acidity is a bit lacking initially, it certainly catches up by the finish. Excellent. 91 Points.
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2022 Sangiacomo Wines Pinot Noir Roberts Road Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Petaluma Gap
Retail $75. Strawberry rhubarb on the nose with a hint of vanilla. Nice. Lovely, even a whoa on the palate with luscious red fruit and fantastic balance. Beautiful. Outstanding. 94 Points.
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2022 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir Diana's Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $56. A bit dark with a sour cherry predominate on the nose. There is also a bit of celery, oddly. The palate is light on fruit, has a nice level of acidity, and a bit of a tannic grip on the finish. Excellent. 91 Points.
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2021 Freeman Pinot Noir Gloria Estate 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Retail $60. Heavy Bottle (627g; 22oz). Really dark in color with a bit of a cherry cola on the nose. Another wine with an abundance of fruit, mostly slightly under-ripe cherry, with a nice tartness coming in on the mid-palate. A subtle wine that provokes contemplation. Excellent. 91 Points.
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Flight 11 (4 Notes)
2022 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Retail $28. Very Responsible Bottle (471; 16.6oz). A classic nose of ripe black cherry and a touch of earth, wonderful. The palate does not disappoint either. Rich, voluptuous, silky, smooth. Excellent. 92 Points.
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2022 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (606g; 21.3oz). Another gorgeous nose, but a bit more subtle and a little darker. A lovely palate with great fruit, and a balancing tartness, with a lasting finish. Excellent. 92 Points.
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2022 Exprimere Pinot Noir Mia Peake Ranch Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Retail $100. More of an earthy nose here but there is also some lovely fruit. Super rich on the palate with oodles of fruit, stopping short of being over the top, with several layers of depth and some intrigue. Outstanding. 94 Points.
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2021 Left Coast Estate Pinot Noir Latitude 45 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $55. Heavy Bottle (623g; 21.9oz). Super stemmy on the nose, with plenty of earth and black fruit (cassis, blackberry). The palate has more of that black fruit but the earthiness and a savory aspect really define the wine. Excellent. 90 Points.
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Flight 12 (4 Notes)
2021 Freeman Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, West Sonoma Coast
Retail $48. Heavy Bottle (629g; 22.1oz). Subtle, even demure on the nose but this is certainly on the classic side of pinot with red berry fruit and an earthy component. The palate is amazing, fruity, balanced, length. One of the best wines so far. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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2022 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $38. Fruity and dark and a bit funky, but the palate is fruity, yes, but on the dark side with some nice acidity and anise. Very nice. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Avant Garde 96 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Retail $36. Another Whoa. Holy cow. Fantastic nose, loads of red fruit. The palate is nothing short of amazing. Checks all the boxes and excels in all of them. Outstanding. 96 Points.
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2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $30. A tad on the dark side again with black cherry fruit and earth. Yum. Luscious fruit and fantastic from start to finish. Whoa. Outstanding. 94 Points.
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Flight 13 (3 Notes)
2022 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 95 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Retail $56. Heavy Bottle (603g; 21.2oz). Fantastic nose of rich cherry and earth. The palate is rich, layered, and phenomenal. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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2021 Freeman Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $48. HEavy Bottle (621g; 21.8oz). More on the savory side with cranberry, rhubarb, and tomato leaf. Rich, fruity, dark, and lovely on the palate. Classic Pinot. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2022 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir Eastside Estate 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Retail $56. Heavy Bottle (618g; 21.8oz). Cherry cola on the nose, almost to a Jolly Rancher vibe. With a little heat. Big, fruity, and a bit of heat. Really nice fruit, but a tad out of balance. Very Good. 89 Points.
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2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Cahiers 94 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $60. Fairly clear with a medium color in the glass. Great cherry and a bit of earth on the nose. Fruity and fresh on the palate with bright fruit and acidity. A great way to start the tasting. Outstanding. 94 Points.
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2022 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Retail $68. Responsible Bottle (594g; 20.9oz). Darker in both color and aromas with darker fruit and some clove. A bit heavy on the palate but lightens up with a healthy dose of acidity on the mid-palate. Lengthy finish. A bigger style, but very well done. Outstanding. 93 Points.
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2021 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir Edna Valley 95 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Retail $38. A touch of cinnamon and cardamom combine with lovely red fruit on the nose. Subtle, initially but with lovely balance and weight. A gorgeous wine. Outstanding. 95 Points.
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2023 Stoller Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (470g; 16.5oz). Screw Cap. A bit of herbal on the nose with shy but darker fruit and just a touch of earth. Lovely. A bit stemmy on the palate with a drying component on the mid-palate. Excellent. 90 Points.
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