1/3/2015 - willison Likes this wine:

First taste of this wine. Well structured. Not much of a nose. Much bigger and fuller on the palate. Likely consumed too early, but wanted to give it a try. Very good. Would guess it will get better.

10/25/2014 - willison wrote:

This is a good bottle of wine. Complex on the nose and the palate. Very good balance and minerality. With good acidity as well. Just flat out enjoyable.

8/20/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Very much the typical RM pinot, with heightened aromatics. All of the citrus, rhubarb, baking spices found in RM pinots. On top of that, some incredible dark berry, floral, and spice aromatics. Very drinkable...and enjoyable.

7/18/2014 - willison wrote:

Second bottle opened - both past their time. Pretty much in drinkable. A shame since I really liked this before.

6/28/2014 - willison wrote:

3 bottles - all premox'd

5/17/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Overall, a very 'drinkable' wine. Not a very big nose; yellow fruit and some minerality. Very clean on the palate, crisp. If anything, could have used a touch more acidity. Very pleasant and food friendly. Just a good wine.

4/8/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Very good structure and fruit, minerality profile. Would have preferred if it was just a bit lighter and brighter with more acidity. Enjoyable.

4/11/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Couldn't resist opening one of these, but I should have. The wine was enjoyable, but the primary impression is that these need time. Likely a statement if the obvious for many.

3/3/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Clear light gold color. Citrus and minerality with a touch of oak on the nose. Good fruit up front, followed by some minerality. Decent acidity. Just slightly higher notes of oak than I would have ideally wanted to taste. May be that it is young. Overall, well made wine, and enjoyable.

2/14/2014 - willison Does not like this wine:

Wasn't sure what to expect, but did not enjoy this wine. Fruit was dominated by petrol and synthetic notes. Just not enjoyable.

2/15/2014 - willison wrote:

Bright gold color and a lot of fruit with some vanilla on the nose. A well structured wine, with more oak than I usual get from this wine. May be just in an off place. Will try another one again in a couple of months.

2/14/2014 - willison wrote:

Drank side by side with an 06 Occidental, which was better. This was somewhat muted, almost a bit flat. Still, a good bit of red fruit and earthy undertones.

2/15/2014 - willison wrote:

Cloudy light burgundy color. Bright red fruit and spice on the nose. Still lively, with a good balance of tangy fruit and acid. Typical red fruit, cranberry, orange peel and forest profile. Drinking very well.

2/21/2014 - willison wrote:

Ruby red color, a bit cloudy. Muted nose, typical burgundy. Initially rather closed, earthy, and tart. Opened up some with red fruit. Good, likely to get better.

2/11/2014 - willison wrote:

Brilliant gold color. Loads of oak, but even more butterscotch. Not a bad wine, but not for those who prefer Burg over Cali. Big profile.

2/8/2014 - willison wrote:

Popped and poured, probably should have decanted or given it more time. Bright ruby color. Muted fruit on the nose. Immediate burst of raspberry and other red fruit, followed by some earthiness and menthol, and then a very short finish. My guess (and it is just a guess) is that the finish has to do with it not being decanted or it just being in a closed phase. I am a regular buyer of AHF, so I am not discouraged. Will wait a while before I try another of these. With the allocation going live tomorrow, just wanted to check in. 89 points.

2/5/2014 - willison wrote:

Bright ruby color. All deep red fruit and citrus on the nose. First got some damp earth, followed by the red fruit, rhubarb, and orange peel so often cited, and then followed with some deep red fruit and even dates in the finish. Best QPR around. 91 points.

2/1/2014 - willison wrote:

TN: 2010 Bluxome Street Winery, Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir -
Winemaker is Web Marquez, also part of Anthill Farms. Wine is deep, clear burgundy color. Very fragrant nose. Rose petals, black cherry, crushed sweet tarts. Deep cherry flavors, sour cherry, licorice. Full of fruit and smooth. Enjoyable. 90 points.

1/31/2014 - willison wrote:

Deep color. Chewy tannins. Big mouth full of chocolate covered blueberries followed by black licorice. Still tasted a bit young.

1/26/2014 - willison wrote:

Bright, clear plum color. Deep berries, licorice, earth, clove on the nose. Big wine, but balanced. Not a fruit bomb. Way young to try it, but wanted to see if this vintage will live up to the acclaim. Deep fruit, 'bramble', spices. Will be interesting to try the others. Definitely holds a lot of promise.

1/24/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Deep plum color, a bit cloudy. Fragrant right out of the bottle. Deep red berry nose and a bit earthy, even some olive notes. Smooth with a bit of grip. Less citrus and cranberry than other RM pintos. More deep red fruit and spice. Very enjoyable. One more bottle of this left.

1/8/2014 - willison Likes this wine:

Just got bottles back after long period in storage. Wine was decanted, brick-ish around the edges in color. Still some presence of fruit, but fading and not as vibrant as a couple of years ago. Some deep fruits as well as some earthy, mushroom characteristics. Good wine still, but drink up if you have any. I have one bottle left and will be drinking it soon,

5/27/2012 - willison wrote:

The cranberry and orange rind typically found in RM pinot's had moved to the background and left nose-fully and mouth-fully of cherry red twizzlers. Indulgent, but still refined. Enjoy it now.

1/21/2012 - willison wrote:

Deep, deep red. Muted on the nose presumably given it's youth. Opened up more with time. Smooth, smooth. Deep red fruit and a bit jammy. Will be interesting to see what happens with some years.

1/15/2012 - willison wrote:

Same score as last time. Improved a bit with age, but seems like it is reaching the last part of its drinking window.

10/1/2011 - willison wrote:

Golden yellow color. Plenty of yellow fruit on the nose with a hint of minerality and petrol. On the palate, more yellow fruit up front with some floral and minerality on the mid palate. Bananas and a bit of simple syrup and petrol mix. Reminded me a lot of those 'circus peanut' things I ate as a kid. Just enough minerality and acidity to make it interesting. Decent Kabinett.

7/2/2011 - willison wrote:

Gold in color. Yellow fruit and minerality on the nose. Honeydew and lemons, followed by some minerality and a bit of oak. Nice balance of fruit and complexity.

3/20/2011 - willison wrote:

Previous bottles of this were a simpler, lighter version of the Ribbon Ridge. This bottle was past it's window. Faded color. Earthiness and some fruit on the nose. Very, very sour cherry and tart. Drinkable, but not very enjoyable.

2/25/2011 - willison wrote:

This to me is classic Cali Chardonnay. There is a good bit of yellow fruit and minerality followed by a good bit of oak and butter. Decent as long as you are in the mood for that.

12/31/2010 - willison wrote:

Had not had one of these before, so I popped one to check out whether or not I should buy more. Obviously, way too early to be drinking this wine. Medium gold in color. Very rich and syrupy. Needs much more time in the cellar. Will buy more and then forget about them for 10+ years.

12/31/2010 - willison wrote:

Like his Pinots, a smooth Tony Soter wine. Salmon in color with decent amount of bubbles. Strawberry and minerality on the nose and the palate. If anything, could have used just a bit more acidity to balance out the fruit, but overall the smoothness and softness were very enjoyable.

12/31/2010 - willison wrote:

Consistently enjoyable. Light in color with decent amount of bubbles. Fresh and lively. Good balance of yellow fruit, minerality, and acidity. Yeast was present jut not over-powering. Just plain enjoyable. Always reminds me for some reason of the ocean.

12/30/2010 - willison wrote:

A bit subdued, but a well made wine. Deep, dark color. Black fruit primarily on the nose. An initial taste of blackberry, currant, and (oddly enough) grape laffy taffy. Then evens out with some solid tannins and structure, but nothing overwhelming. Overall, just very smooth.

11/30/2010 - willison wrote:

Bought a couple based on the hype on Wineberserkers. Decent, but nothing special for my palate. Bright fruit upfront, followed by some tartness and a bit of jam and oak. Found others more enjoyable at the same price point.

11/12/2010 - willison wrote:

Everything I like about burgundy. Equal parts dark red fruit and earth. Starts with cranberry, cherry then transitions to an earthy mid palate and finishes with rhubarb and a mouth drying tartness. Perfect pairing with grilled whole red snapper, fennel, and potatoes.

10/30/2010 - willison wrote:

Loads of cocoa and black and blue fruit, both on the nose and the palate. Well integrated for a young wine, but also shows the promise of aging well. Extremely enjoyable. Decent finish.

10/20/2010 - willison wrote:

Very enjoyable Kabinett. Crisp fruit and minerality. Decent balance. If anything, for my palate, could br a bit drier with a bit more acidity. Bought a case. Will be gone in no time.

10/17/2010 - willison wrote:

Cherries, cranberries followed by some spice and integrated oak. Very delicious.

10/9/2010 - willison wrote:

Very enjoyable wine. Licorice, licorice, licorice. Dark fruit, followed by black licoriCe, and a deep earthy finish. Licorce nose remained in the glass. Very good structure and enjoyable.

10/9/2010 - willison wrote:

Red fruit and plum followed by some spice. Not a very long finish, and a bit fruit forward. Decent QPR, but not something I will return to.

10/9/2010 - willison wrote:

Loads of toasty vanilla. Starts with some red fruit, but primary note is vanilla. Decent structure.

8/7/2010 - willison wrote:

Oak was over-powering and not to my taste. Good underlying structure and fruit, but hard to get past the oak.

7/3/2010 - willison wrote:

Good QPR. Burgundian style. Ruby red in color. Red fruit and a bit of funk on the nose. Red raspberries and rhubarb on the palate with some cinnamon and spice component as well. Interesting mix. First try, will try it again.

5/19/2010 - willison wrote:

You can tell this is a very well made wine, as with all RM wines, but I wish I would have waited longer to pop this. Everything was there, just a bit muted. Will hold on to my remaining ones for some time.

3/12/2010 - willison wrote:

On opening, a bit of damp earth, wet stones on the nose. The nose and the palate moved quickly to sour cherry, cranberry, with still a bit of mushroom and earthiness. Gained some weight over time and showed mostly cherry. Not a bad QPR.

3/6/2010 - willison Likes this wine:

The 2007 bottling was a favorite of mine to pair with sushi. The wine was well balanced, but had a good streak of acidity along with the bright red fruit to make for a good pairing. I found the 2008 to be a bit deeper and smoother, with the acidity a bit less pronounced. Might not make for as good a pairing with sushi, but still enjoyable.

2/27/2010 - willison Likes this wine:

Decanted for 3-4 hours. Remembered this being alot bigger at the winery when purchased. Not a hugely expressive nose. Bitter chocolate and cherries. Oak came through on the finish. Smooth. Enjoyable.

2/27/2010 - willison Likes this wine:

Opened for guests.

2/28/2010 - willison Likes this wine:

Drink this QPR often with sushi. Relatively dry, which is good. Simple, but with a nice balance between acidity and bright fruit. Overall a decent wine.

2/27/2010 - willison Likes this wine:

Initial tasting of this wine. Popped and poured. Lots of fruit. Approachable. Consumed in a long line up of wines that night. Enjoyed enough that I will give it another try (and pay more attention)