Important Update From the Founder Read message >

Some blind 2013 Northern California Pinots to ring in the new year

Rich's, Chicago, IL

Tasted January 1, 2016 by KeithAkers with 567 views

Introduction

Rich had sent out an email to a few of us that he was in need of making some buying decisions so as to balance out his cellar. A few of us responded and made sure that this would be a classy Hair of the Dog. All Adrian and I knew going in was that the pinots would be from Northern California and that they would be more IPOB leaning.

Flight 1 - Opening blind white and some bubbles (2 notes)

White
2010 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles Château Grenouilles France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
90 points
Nose: The nose shows off an underlying minerality with pears, apples, white fruits, some vanilla bean notes, and a touch of florals. There is medium depth to this with a lighter intensity on the nose.

Taste: Medium bodied with high acidity. The acidity has a sharpness to it, but it isn't too much along with pears, white fruits, floral tones, vanilla beans, and an underlying minerality.

Overall: I guessed this as an 11 Puligny-Montrachet. The lighter color should've been a hint towards Chablis, but either way, I'm rather happy that I was at least able to nail the grape and general region blind.
White - Sparkling
N.V. H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Julie Brut France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
94 points
Nose: And this is a brawny and deep wine on the nose filled with brioche, baked apples, honey notes, a touch of wax, potpourri, peaches, and some nutty tones. The nose is quite layered with more mature notes at this time.

Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity. The palate is rich, yet balanced with the acidity holding things together. The depth and layering continues on the palate with brioche, baked apples, wax notes, nutty tones, peaches, and some baked bread.

Overall: This was from a 2006 disgorgement. There is a refined power to this that has come with age. It is a larger scaled Champagne, but it is extremely well put together that makes you keep yearning for more.

Flight 2 - The Main Event (12 notes)

Red
2013 Ceritas Pinot Noir Hacienda Secoya Vineyard USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
87 points
Nose: The nose shows off a much cooler side to it as well as whole cluster influence with baking spices, cloves, red cherries, violets, and cranberry notes. There is a sourness to the fruit tones along with lacking some depth.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and silky tannins. The structure is a bit much at the moment and somewhat green along with baking spices, bitter chocolate, cloves, and cranberries.

Overall: This was showing off some stemmy qualities that weren't too appealing. There was a nice attack on the palate, but the mid-palate and finish were on the thinner side.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
91 points
Nose: The nose shows off a slightly richer, yet savory, side with violets, perfumes, red cherries, brown sugar, cranberries, and rhubarb. There is a whole-cluster quality to the nose with the fruit showing a more higher toned style.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and noticeable tannins. The tannins seem to be more stem based while having a chewiness to them along with violets, red cherries, brown sugar, cranberries, and some rhubarb notes.

Overall: This was showing some more flesh than the previous wine. There seemed to be some stem based tones at this time, but there is a nice lively style to it that also favors the red spectrum on the fruits.
Red
2013 Littorai Pinot Noir The Haven USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
Nose: At first, the nose was a bit closed off and unyielding. With more air, it's true class emerged with raspberries, red cherries, strawberries, rose petals, and some creamy notes backing everything up. This had depth and class that was hard to deny with a higher-toned quality to it all.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and silky, yet defined tannins. The structure is certainly there, but there is also a regal quality to the feel along with raspberries, red cherries, rose petals, and creamy notes.

Overall: Once this was revisited after more air, it's real quality shone through for me. At first, I could feel that there was something special here, but it was just grumpy. It never felt like it got out of third gear, but it was opening up even more as we went along. This deserves a lot of time as it certainly seems like great rewards are there. As is right now, air is your friend and air will also be one's reward.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Lioco Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
88 points
Nose: The nose is understated, yet perfumed with a more red-fruited base of raspberries, herbs, strawberries, baking spices, fresh picked red berries, and some purple florals.

Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and chewier tannins. There is some substance to the structure and feel backed up by raspberries, herbs, cranberries, strawberries, baking spices, and some dark red cherries.

Overall: There is a slightly stemmy side to this while the tones generally favor the red spectrum. This was a pinot that seemed to be somewhat closed up at the moment, but has the stuffing to really improve.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
Nose: The nose is certainly riper and more forward than the previous wines with black cherries, raspberries, baking spices, plums, licorice, brown sugar, and a bit of orange peels. While the fruit is richer, there is a freshness to it at the same time.

Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The feel has a real delicious and plush factor to it with black cherries, baking spices, brown sugar, raspberries, and orange peels.

Overall: I described this as a happy puppy dog licking you in the face. This has a real yum factor to it that makes it enjoyable in a youthful and fun way.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Wind Gap Wines Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
92 points
Nose: The nose is quite pretty and perfumed with red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, rose petals, bitter chocolate notes, and violets. There is excellent depth with the nose favoring the higher register.

Taste: Medium bodied with high acidity and silky tannins. The structure is certainly youthful along with red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, violets, and bitter chocolate notes.

Overall: This was an extremely pretty and understated pinot. The nose was lively and favoring a more red spectrum at this time.
Red
2013 Littorai Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
92 points
Nose: The nose is more demure and floral with roses, violets, perfumes, red cherries, brown spices, and earth tones. The nose is a bit tight, but it shows off a more earth-based take.

Taste: Medium bodied with high acidity and noticeable tannins. The structure is certainly there along with roses, violets, earth tones, mushrooms, red cherries, and raspberries.

Overall: This was a more feminine and earthen Pinot. It's clearly young, but there is a lot to like for down the road.
Red
2013 Lioco Pinot Noir Saveria Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
86 points
Nose: There is a stemmier quality to the nose along with a red fruited base of berries, herbs, red florals, beets, and cherries. There is a creaminess to the fruits to boot, but the herbal base over-rides it at the moment.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and silky tannins. The notes of red fruits, herbs, berries, beets, stemmy tones, cherries, and a touch of cola notes show off well on the attack, but the mid-palate and finish are a bit thin.

Overall: The stem note was persistent, but it wasn't overwhelming. The problem was more on it thinning out on the palate. It's still a good Pinot, but it could really improve if it fleshes out some more.
Red
2013 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
86 points
Nose: There is a sappier quality to the nose with red cherries, raspberries, pomegranate, orange peels, and some baking spices. The nose is showing off a richer side, but it's lacking some depth.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The attack is bigger, but it thins out quickly with red cherries, raspberries, orange peels, cranberries, and some pomegranate.

Overall: The notes are more fruit driven, but the dissipating feel is a bummer. The nose is excellent though possibly giving hope for this to come together down the road.
Red
2013 Wind Gap Wines Pinot Noir Amaya Ridge Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
94 points
Nose: The nose is wide open and highly perfumed with red fruits, pomegranate, earth notes, herbs, baking spices, brown sugar, plums, and a heaping dose of roses and wild flowers. The nose is extremely complex with a much high-toned quality to it.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium/high acidity and sneaky tannins. The feel is sexy and silky with red fruits, pomegranate, baking spices, herbs, plums, roses, and wild flowers on the back end. The structure takes hold a bit just to remind you how youthful it is.

Overall: This is a stunner right now with the possibility of even more down the road. Even blind, this was a real winner with all of us taking notice.
Red
2013 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
90 points
Nose: The nose is a bit tight and unyielding with tart red fruits, raspberries, some orange peel, rhubarb, cranberries, and mixed berries. The notes that are poking through are excellent, it's just in fleeting moments right now.

Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. The structure certainly shows off the youth of the wine along with tart red fruits, raspberries, orange peels, rhubarb, cranberries, and some floral notes.

Overall: I wasn't too surprised when this was revealed. I do expect this to show a lot more down the road as the stuffing is there, it just doesn't want to come out and play right now.
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Ceritas Pinot Noir Elliott Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
88 points
Nose: There is a higher-toned and fragrant quality to the nose with raspberries, cranberries, rose petals, red cherries, and baking spices.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is taught and youthful with raspberries, rose petals, red cherries, and baking spices.

Overall: This was an excellent and balanced pinot that greatly favors the red spectrum. The feel was a bit lean, but it will be interesting to see where this goes as the structure pulls back.
2 people found this helpful Comment

Closing

This was a fun and fantastic experience. All of the wines had a lot of individuality to them and on the whole they were really good. There was also a lot of good discussion that came about due to the general style wondering if the pendulum has possibly moved back too far in the other direction. In any case, there was a lot of really good Pinot on hand to kick off the year.

© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC.

Report a Problem

Close