2007 Pinot Days – Best of Anderson Valley Seminar

We tasted each wine, 15 in all, single blind. The '04 Esterlina, which I accurately identified blind, was my wine of the seminar by an easy margin. I also enjoyed the 2005 Standish. The Goldeneye and Navarro vintages in the tasting were not as strong as I've had in other vintages. I'm glad I tasted the Arista from a 2nd bottle, as the first seemed flawed, as tasting from a 2nd bottle confirmed.

• 2004 Bink Wines Pinot Noir Weir Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands

  Medium cherry red color; spicy, deep caramel and dried cherry nose; big, a little hot, young blueberry, tart red fruit, roses and spice palate; medium finish ($40, 15% alcohol; grapes, as it turns out, are not from Anderson Valley)

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• 2005 Elke Pinot Noir Blue Diamond Donnelly Creek Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Pale light red color; sappy, ripe strawberry, framboise and rosehips nose; tart red fruit, strawberry with firm tannins, highest acidity; medium finish 87+ pts. ($30)

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• 2003 Harmonique Pinot Noir The Noble One 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Dark cherry red color; big, caramel and black cherry nose; tart red fruit and rosehips with good acidity and a green note; medium tart and slightly hot finish (14.7%)

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• 2004 Philo Ridge Pinot Noir 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Pale light red color with clear edges; higher pitched, incense, sour cream and rhubarb nose; tasty, tangy, spicy, rosehips palate; medium-plus finish 89+ pts.

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• 2004 Handley Pinot Noir Estate Reserve 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium cherry, pinkish red color; caramel oak and ripe cherry nose; ripe cherry with grip and sandalwood note, a little too much oak; medium hot finish

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• 2004 Raye's Hill Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Light red color; spicy, blue berry and olalaberry nose; sweet blueberry and berry on palate; short-medium finish

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• 2004 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium red color; tart cherry, cola nose; tight, big, a little hot, spicy, tangy cherry with oak peeking out; medium hot finish 87+ pts.

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• 2004 Esterlina Pinot Noir Esterlina Estate Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Light red color; barnyard, floral, sweet cherry and framboise on nose; lovely, sapy, tart and sweet cherry and red fruit with rosehips, most Burgundian so far; medium-plus finish ($40; suitcase clone and Pommard clone) (WOTF, and WOTS for me)

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• 2004 Claudia Springs Pinot Noir Klindt Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium cherry red color, a little cloudy; brown sugar and ripe cherry nose; very tasty but hot, ripe cherry, sappy, black cherry; medium-plus finish (300 cases)

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• 2005 Breggo Cellars Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium red color; nice smoky ripe red fruit with a savory note; tasty smoky red fruit and caramel oak palate; medium finish 90+ pts. ($50, 193 cases)

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• 2004 Husch Vineyards Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 84 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium red color; floral, sour cherry gum ball nose with a weedy green note; green, vegetal and possibly flawed on palate; medium finish

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• 2005 Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir "Méthode à l'Ancienne" 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium cherry red color; focused cherry and oak with brown sugar note; soft plush cherry with low acidity, some spiciness and a brown sugar note toward medium finish (a disappointing year for them after '04, lower yield, not releasing until October, $27)

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• 2005 Dain Wines Pinot Noir Savage Juliet 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Light cherry red color; nice focused cherry, brown sugar and caramel nose; tasty, a little hot, cherry, brown sugar, needs time; medium finish 88+ pts.

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• 2005 Arista Winery Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  from 1st bottle: medium cherry red color; brown sugar and sour cream nose with oak; hot, disjointed palate of brown sugar, cherry and oak; medium hot finish 84 pts.
  from 2nd bottle, since 1st seemed flawed: medium cherry red color; brown sugar and sour cream nose; tart red fruit and spicy, not disjointed or flawed like the first bottle; medium hot finish 89 pts. ($54, 100 cases, 60% new oak)

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• 2005 Standish Pinot Noir Day Ranch 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Light cherry red color; pure, focused cherry and red fruit nose with depth; tasty, tart red fruit palate with sap, rosehips, and rhubarb; medium finish

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