10/25/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Took a long time to open up, acids were very sharp at first & still quite present after 2 hours. Lots of green notes though they did work with food. Fruit was very bright.

10/1/2011 - pxstone wrote:

A very concentrated pinot, typical of PH. Characteristic RR fruit, dark red. Good acidity though it could have more to balance the medium bodied fruit.

8/4/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Decanted 2 hours prior to consumption. Big mistake. What is normally a vibrant acidic lively wine was dull on the palate. Sedate fruit, depressing. DO NOT DECANT!

8/4/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Decanted 1-2 hours. rich fruit on the nose & palate, with some spice and balanced acidity. Absolutely delicious.

7/29/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Decanted about 2 hours. Lush dark fruit, almost jammy. Subtle chocolate, leather & cigar box. Sweetly floral. Full bodied with nice long finish.

7/28/2011 - pxstone wrote:

A little more wood than I remember from previous tastings, but I think it just needed air. After about 1.5 hours, towards the end of the bottle, I found lush layers of fruit that were finally in balance with the wood.. Still a very young wine that I think could benefit greatly from decanting 1-2 hours before consumption.

7/2/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Decanted 1-2 hours. Dark fruit, great acidity, nice balance. Glad I have more

6/26/2011 - pxstone wrote:

As burgundian as Oregon gets. Subtle layered fruit, dark cherry, blackberry. Licorice & spice. Earth and oak follow but never overpower. Really very pretty Oregon Pinot.

6/26/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Chose not to rate given how little chard I drink. Rich stone fruit - peach apricot, very well balanced acidity and oak. A very lush wine. The nose is floral plus apricot. Long rich finish.

6/18/2011 - pxstone wrote:

This bottle showed significant age on opening, with a slightly orange/brown color and loads of raisin & prune notes. Opened up over the next hour and the red and black fruit showed up. Please air for at least an hour or two, big payoff.

6/18/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Aging very nicely, the depth of flavors seems better each time I open a bottle. Very lush red and black fruit held together by a fantastic structure.

6/18/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Really very pretty. Good effervescence, showing it's age as the carbonation no longer seems acidic. Strawberry, bright red cherry and subtle stone fruit fill the palate. A great Gem.

6/18/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Not as concentrated as I thought it would be. Really more burgundian in style. Great ripe strawberry and dark red cherry on the palate. perfectly integrated oak and solid acidic backbone. Really very pretty.

6/18/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Fresh summer strawberries, crisp, light, everything it should be plus a nuance present from the pinot fruit.

6/18/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Still relatively simple but gaining in body and complexity. At first mostly strawberries but opens up nicely to more ripe red cherry. Good acidic structure with loads of ripe red fruit.

6/16/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Huge full bodied, very ripe Shiraz. Ripe red fruit, lacks structure but still very nice to drink. Needed spicy food to pair.b Decanted about an hour before drinking.

6/16/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Beautifully integrated. Full of dark red & purple fruit. Great acidity that balances the fruit. Exceptionally easy to pair. A nice balance between old world body and new world fruit. Decanted about an hour before drinking.

6/15/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

Rich dark red fruit, cherries & plums. Great depth in a medium body pinot. Acidity is present but perfectly matched to the fruit, oak & minerals.

6/11/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Lush ripe fruit, with a touch of spice, but not a lot of backbone. Lacking complexity, but still quite nice.

5/30/2011 - pxstone wrote:

A little more mature than the last bottle tasted. Nice balance, medium to full body, lush dark red fruit, integrated tannins. Still lacking the subtlety that would make it a serious wine, but very nice.

5/26/2011 - pxstone wrote:

No funk as noted by others, just soft, lush, very fruit forward juice. Loads of ripe red berries.

5/21/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Cherries & raspberry on the nose. Palate of dark cherry, blackberry, cigar box. Firm tannins, long finish. Nose dissipated over 2 hours as the palate got richer. Very lush, palate coating fruit. Delicious.

5/19/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Typical young chianti. Loads of acidity, needs air & food.

5/15/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Stone fruit, light citrus, balanced but very present minerality and acidity.

5/13/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

A gem and a bargain.

5/13/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

Decanted, let sit for 3 hours, poured back into bottle to go out to dinner, started drinking 6 hours after opening. Not a big nose, but some ripe fruit & floral notes. Huge ripe fruit on the palate, sweet cherry, raspberry, plum, but easily balance by the ample acidic structure. A beautiful rich wine but in need of every minute of air I gave it.

5/13/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

Wow, Lovely! Honey on the nose, Citrus, apricot & Honey on the palate. Crisp & clean finish. Too bad I have no more. Paired well with Goat cheese crackers, lemon marmalade & smoked pheasant.

5/1/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Barbaresco's little brother. Great nose - tar, anise, cedar, cherry, spice. All tart cherries on the palate, good depth, long finish. Huge acidity, the structure to stand up to anything. This 10 year old still comes across as young.

4/28/2011 - pxstone wrote:

very cloudy, some sediment. Perhaps towards the end of it's life, fruit still quite present, very soft, good acidity but lacking complexity & structure.

4/27/2011 - pxstone wrote:

I made a mistake. I didn't read others' comments before opening this bottle just minutes before dinner. Nest time: Decant, Decant, Decant at least 4 hours before drinking!
It has opened up nicely in the last 2 hours but needs more air.

4/17/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Mature Shiraz. Plum jam, spice, cassis, chocolate tones. Enough acidic backbone to balance the richness and high alcohol of this wine. Not yet past it's prime, but the last of mine. Showed lovely with chocolate after dinner.

4/16/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Lovely again with loads of cherries & great structure. Decanted 2 hours.

4/12/2011 - pxstone wrote:

I think I rushed this one. Next time decant! A little closed & austere at first. Opened up nicely by the time dinner was done. Cherry, herbs, solid acidic structure. Glad I have more - decant, breathe, write a better note! (next time)

4/11/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Wow, full bodied, firm tannins, loads of cherries, oak fully integrated into fruit & licorice. I had two bottles, the first opened 5 years ago - awful - would have given it a 60. Now I wish I had more.

4/10/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Very lovely - integrated fruit, tannins, wood. Lacks the subtlety and depth I'd prefer, but at the price this is a winner.

4/10/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Good fruit, balanced wood, but lacks the complexity desired and expected from CdP.

3/22/2011 - pxstone wrote:

again, as always, yummy. What a bargain this one is!

3/14/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Loads of dark cherry. Some spice. A little unbalanced with oak. Medium to full bodied, lacking the finess of a great Pinot, but still yummy and food friendly.

3/13/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Beautiful. Full bodied, big red fruit, integrated tannins.

3/6/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Decanted & drank over the next 3 hours. Dark ruby color, rich nose of blackberry & dark cherry. Tastes of dark cherry, tart blackberry, minerality, subtle wood. Firm tannins, balanced acidity. Long finish. This was my last bottle, I've had a good many over the last 5 years. It has changed over that time, but has always been pretty and complex. I'm not sure this wine has a lot of time in bottle left. I would recommend drinking.

3/4/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Licorice comes through more prevalent than previous tastings. Fruit forward, good acidity , but this bottle doesn't seem as balanced as earlier notes imply.

3/4/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Another bottle consistent with previous bottles.

2/28/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Wow, delicious. I cannot believe that this is not at it's peak. I've had perhaps 6 bottles previously and this one was really pretty. This was my last bottle so I guess I'll never know. Lush dark red fruit, cherries, plum, ripe strawberry, fully integrated tannins, balanced acidity. Medium to full body with a hint of sweetness easily stood up to steak au poive.

2/27/2011 - pxstone wrote:

A bright young pinot dominated by ripe cherries with the wood present early and significantly in the finish. Nice acidity, plays well with food. Deceptively light in color, it has a light to medium body for a pinot. A good balance but left me wanting slightly. Could have used a little more body to stand up to smoked chicken but was lovely with savory waffles.

2/20/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

Subtle nose, full bodied on the palate. Dark red fruit, fully integrated tannins, lush acidity. A beautiful wine, gracefully accompanies food and stands well on it's own. Wish I had more . . .

2/12/2011 - pxstone wrote:

consistent w/ previous notes

2/12/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

Still great big fruit. a little underlying mineral, & soft acidity.

2/11/2011 - pxstone wrote:

Dark fruit, good acidity, great food wine. Medium to full body. A little bit smoky.

2/9/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

tart cherry, good acidity, light to medium body. lacks complexity but nothing to dislike.

2/4/2011 - pxstone Likes this wine:

Thin but balanced. Bright fruit, good acidity.