Beltramo's "High-Profile Pinot Noir" walkaround tasting

This was an in-store featuring a number of high profile Pinots from the '05 vintage, with some '04s for comparison. In all there were 29 Pinots, together with one Pinot rosé. The Anciens, August Wests, Freemans, '05 Walter Hansels and Sea Smokes were particularly good. The Goldeneye (which I've liked a lot in prior years) and Etudes (which were surprisingly bad) were very disappointing. The following TNs are in alphabetical order, for ease of reference.

Ancien's Ken Bernards

• 2005 Ancien Pinot Noir Toyon Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Medium cherry red color; focused roses and cherry and dried cherry nose; good sweet cherry fruit, sappy, with grip; medium finish

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• 2005 Ancien Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Dark cherry red color; focused cherry and floral nose; sweet cherry, with sap and good acidity; medium finish 91+ pts. (had some from one of the left over bottles the next night and it was still excellent)

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• 2005 Ancien Pinot Noir Mink Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville

  Medium cherry red color; roses and cherry nose; very tasty, tart but rounded red fruit, cherry, with good acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (48% new French oak)

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• 2005 Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain

  Medium cherry red color; sexy roses and sappy strawberry and rosehips nose; big, concentrated, with depth, cherry and red fruit, good acidity; medium-plus finish (vineyard planted in 2000)

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• 2005 August West Pinot Noir Graham Family Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Pale red color with clear meniscus; light roses and sexy tart red fruit nose; tasty tart red fruit and spice palate with good acidity; medium finish 93+ pts.

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• 2005 August West Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Pale red color; deep cherry, red fruit and spice nose; solid tart cherry and red fruit with spice; medium finish 92+ pts.

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• 2004 Dehlinger Pinot Noir 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Medium cherry red color; big, redolent, tart cherry, plum and black fruit nose; ripe berries and plum on palate, with depth; medium finish 91+ pts.

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• 2005 DuMOL Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Medium black red color; focused, tart cherry and cream nose; tart cherry fruit and strawberry on palate with good grip and minerals; medium-plus finish

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• 2005 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Light cherry red color; nice brambley red fruit nose; tart red fruit with good acidity; medium tart finish

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• 2005 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Medium red color with black tinge; cola and caramel nose; sweet and tart red fruit with an edge, a little tight yet, with a chunk of caramel oak suspended midway on the palate, making it a little disjointed; medium finish

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• 2006 Etude Pinot Noir Rosé 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Pale pink color; good tart red fruit nose; tasty, tart red fruit with good acidity and minerality; medium finish

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• 2005 Etude Pinot Noir Temblor Vineyard Grace Benoist Ranch 83 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Bright cherry red color; funky, bretty nose; odd brambly tart red fruit, but more like Vacqueyras than a Pinot, high acidity; short-medium finish

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• 2005 Etude Pinot Noir Deer Camp 84 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Bright red color; funky sulfur nose; tart red fruit, with horseradish and rosehips on palate; short-medium finish

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Ken Freeman with winemaker Ed Kurtzman (also of August West)

• 2005 Freeman Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Pale cherry red color; deep strawberry nose; very tasty, sappy, Burgundian palate with tart strawberry and good acidity; medium-plus finish (from 10-year-old vines)

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• 2005 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Light red color; sexy tart strawberry and Burgundian nose; tart, excellent strawberry palate with minerality and great acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.

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• 2004 Migration (Duckhorn Vineyards) Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 84 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Bright cherry red color with pale meniscus; primary red fruit nose; cherry, sour cherry candy; medium finish

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• 2004 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium red color; roses and caramel nose; primary fruit, with iron and tart red fruit; medium finish

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• 2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir Toulouse Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Light red color; nice floral and tart strawberry nose; round, red fruit palate with good acidity; medium finish

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• 2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Light medium red color; tart red fruit and mineral nose; tasty tart red fruit, tart cherry, with good acidity and minerality; medium finish

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• 2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir Pratt Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Medium red color; roses, rose hips and tart red fruit nose; very tasty, tart red fruit with grip and good acidity; medium finish 92+ pts.

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• 2005 MacPhail Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Medium red color; big, slightly funky, sulfur nose; big, round cherry and red fruit and cola palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (needs time)

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• 2005 Lucia Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Tart cherry nose; odd, medicinal oak, rose and tart red fruit; medium finish

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• 2005 Lucia Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Bright medium cherry red color; cola and sassafras nose; solid, tart cherry palate; medium finish

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• 2005 Pisoni Pinot Noir Estate 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Tight cherry and roses nose; nice tart red fruit, cherry palate with depth; medium finish

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• 2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Botella 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Bright cherry red color; focused cherry nose; tasty, focused ripe cherry, with some good acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.

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• 2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Medium bright cherry red color; red fruit and roses nose; tasty, tart red fruit and cherry with good depth; medium-plus finish

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• 2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Lighter cherry red color; sappy, entrancing nose; red fruit, cherry, rosehips, with depth; medium-plus finish 93+ pts.

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• 2005 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir Cahill Lane 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Medium red color with black tinge; nice spicy tart red fruit nose; good, sappy, tart red fruit palate with good acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.

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• 2005 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Light medium red color; roses and tart red fruit nose; tasty, tart red fruit, tart cherry, with minerals; medium finish 92+ pts.

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• 2004 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Black cherry and cola nose; sweet overripe fruit, black cherry; medium finish 90+ pts.

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Mark and Jill