2/12/2022 - Dobrie10 Does not like this wine:

Not scoring this wine

Another recipe wine from Wagner & Co. This is so manipulated and extracted with very little indication that the underlying grapes are Pinot Noir.

Extracted in the glass with what I’m guessing is mega purple. Full cola and syrup on the palate. Quite a bit of heat on the finish — a result of the 14.9% alcohol (!!).

If this wine is $15-$18, I say OK no problems. But to charge a premium ~$50 per bottle is just absurd. I know economics and supply/demand but this just doesn’t make any sense. There are heaps of new world Pinot for $25-30 bottle which represent Pinot Noir better. A real shame this brand is so hyped by the trade publications.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

10/15/2021 - Torchy wrote:

Deep red, with slow legs in the glass. Nose with tar, pharmacy, fresh red berries, and light eucalyptus. Tight mouthfeel, with noticeable tannin structure. 14.5% are well integrated. Taste of leather, tobacco, tar, and clear red fruit. Long. Needed a couple of hours to open up.

8/17/2021 - Torchy Likes this wine:

An old favorite, in the latest edition. 2011 also seems to be a good vintage for this wine that is not made in mediocre vintages. Dark red with a brown tint. Complex and wonderful scent with pharmacy, leather, tar, coughing syrup, spices, dark fruit, and hints of eucalyptus. Powerful and elegant palate. Dark fruit, light oak, fuel, and super lengthy with raw licorice and cream/dairy-like flavors towards the end of the tasting curve. Good wine from Spain is fantastic in several ways. Feels ready now but my estimate is that this will last for 20-30 years at least.

4/3/2021 - Torchy wrote:

Just over three years since the previous bottle. The wine has improved but is still perceived as young. Dark ruby red without discoloration towards the rim. Wonderful nose with light mint, leather, cherries, and darker fruits like cassis and blueberry. On the palate, the wine has a tight structure with ever-so-present tannins. Taste of red fruit, cherries, leather, licorice, and light tobacco. My belief is that this wine still has an up-side to it. Drink now or hold.

10/5/2018 - Torchy wrote:

Team Vitis Fall Tasting 88/76; 10/5/2018-10/7/2018 (Tord): Light flatulence tones that blows away. Afterwards, slim fruit on the nose and on the palate. Hints of caramel towards the end.

12/28/2020 - Torchy wrote:

I have been drinking this for 4 days. I have tried it with a selection of desserts, chocolates, cheeses, and various cakes, as well as alone for contemplation. To take the last at first, my conclusion is that it is a good wine, but that it is too young now, and is not yet blossoming. The potential is indisputable. Nose with deep red fruit. Light bacon, almonds, and nuts. Dark plum. Caramel and burned sugar. A bombshell on the palate. Rather tight tannins. Dark, dense, and deep fruit. Medicine cabinet, mint, and warming alcohol. I will aim to drink the next bottle on my 100th birthday.

12/13/2020 - Benj wrote:

This is my second Belle Glos single vineyard Pinot Noir, and hopefully it will be my last. This wine is made in a style that begs the question, "Why did you decide to make Pinot Noir?" The color is an opaque magenta-red color that is far darker than makes any sense for a grape that doesn't have all the anthocyanins of a true red grape (this is a clear indication that something has been added to boost the color - not that uncommon for some Californian Pinot Noir producers, but rarely is it *this* dark). There is some good Pinot Noir character on the nose, with dark raspberry and sugared redcurrant, but the alcohol is evident and there's a cooked-candied-raisin fruit character that I associate with grape concentrate. On the palate this is remarkably full-bodied and mouth-coating. There is noticeable residual sugar and an odd combination of oily smoothness with surprisingly high tannin. It is quite bitter and extracted, but also quite round. These are all hallmarks of high-intervention winemaking: not a bad thing in and of itself, but something that can obscure the inherent qualities of the fruit and smudge out varietal character. This is quite gloopy but easy enough to drink and will get you tipsy fast. Ok, but at this price (or even half this price), aren't we looking for something more? There are so many beautiful Pinot Noirs to be had at this price, it is a shame that this one lines shelves across the country. 14.9%, $45.

8/11/2019 - Torchy wrote:

Right after opening, somewhat closed with hints of lead and licorice. After three hours in a decanter, it opens up. Nose with blue fruit, some leather, and pencil shavings. On the palate, anonymous with some blackcurrant, fruit, and hints of leather. I experienced the wine as thin with a relatively flat structure and a lack of power. I have little faith that this will get much better with time.

8/30/2018 - ae1983 Does not like this wine:

The worst wine I have ever tried!

8/8/2018 - Torchy wrote:

Read somewhere that this should be available for consumption already now, so I had to try an early bottle. Other vintages have been austere when drunk young. This vintage is absolutely approachable now. Complex nose with tobacco, cherry, marzipan and hints of raw potato and prunes. The palate has a lot of the same with the addition of some «heavy» fruits. Tight structure and good length. Ate it to salami pizza.

12/16/2017 - Torchy Likes this wine:

Winter BYO with a lutefisk pause in the middle; 12/16/2017-12/18/2017 (Trondheim): Dark black red. Nose with blue berries, black pepper and other dark powerful fruits . Balanced palate with crowberries, blueberries and bird blood. Typical and young. A lot of sediments in the bottle.

5/6/2018 - Torchy wrote:

New vintage out now. Maroon. Super-complex nose with vanilla, dark fruit, dill, eucalyptus, dairy products and hints of sawdust and perfume. Refreshing palate. Minty, after a while some dense fruit and red apples. Long. A somewhat flat structure, with the elements nicely integrated. Drinks well now, but will most likely improve over the next 5 to 10 years. Lovely on its own, better with bbq meat.

10/28/2017 - Torchy wrote:

Vin I Nord Fine Wine Fall BYO; 10/28/2017-10/29/2017 (Tord Marius): Golden yellow to amber with a mature and welcoming look. Nose with ripe fruit tones and ox. Poor palate with dead fruit, no effervecense and a bad finish. The wine is over the top or oxidised.

5/17/2017 - Torchy Likes this wine:

Lots of acid. Fresh fruit. Citrus and tropics. Decent length. Some minerality.

10/12/2015 - Torchy wrote:

Fruktig nese som etterhvert kommer med sitrus og kattpiss. Ordinær munn uten det helt store særpreget.

2/27/2015 - Torchy Likes this wine:

Veldig fin nese med krydder, lakris, kjøtt og hint av lakris. Smaken er OK, med kirsebær og noe eik. Tanninene er noe fremtrendene og gjør at den snerper litt. Kanskje noen år på baken vil gjøre denne godt. Dekandert i ca 1,5 timer før drikking.