5/4/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Decent for a $20 pinot, but used mainly for cooking

5/3/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Very similar note to prior bottle, not too generous, but well balanced and fine to pair with food.

5/3/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Upon opening, this was a little leaner and tighter than expected. Nice colour, young. Tight and a little tannic, needs air. Will revisit.

update after an hour or so open. much better. some cayuse funk, meatiness bacon and olives beginning to show. still not at the level of the syrahs and a good reminder of why i cut purchases of this off.

i would not pull this wine out to impress guests, but it is plenty tasty.

4/28/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

lIght plum cherry colour, hint of brick. slightly smokey, peppery red cherry fruit, juicy red cherry and plum fruit on the palate. firm slightly austere tannins, but finishes with some nice warm peppery flavours. Very nice, but not spectacular.

As an addendum, after a night's air this was better, darker, deeper and rounder. I was delicious and would upgrade by a point. Still not enough depth and complexity for more .

4/27/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Could copy and paste my last note. So similar, even after 4 years. Stilll loads of fruit, earth, complex, interesting and long. Really delicious. Excelllent.

4/20/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Pale yellow gold. Lovely ripe apple fruit on the nose with lots of tropical notes - melon, guava, passion fruit. Palate is light in body with some sweetness, ripe apple and pear and melon, juicy acidity and a long lime and apple finish, hints of orange marmalade . Very good without getting to great.

4/19/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Same notes as prior bottle. For sure drinkable, but just not very pinot like. Will put in a coq au vin tomorrow. May have another glass and see if i missed badly.

4/19/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Decent enough. Dark and intense, but lacking some character. Lots of dark cherry and plum fruit, nicely balanced, maybe a tinge of coconut on the nose, but seemed a bit international in style. Great value however!

4/15/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Another lovely showing for this wine. Deep, ripe, sweet, lovely ripe texture. Balanced, with nice complexity, this way exceeds its price point and was better than expected.

4/13/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Showing some brick on the rim but showing even more maturity on the nose. Earthy red cherry, sweet yet mature. Palate is more of the same, juicy, but dry with soft tannins,. Red cherry and red plum fruit, some woody earthy complexity on finish, but mainly dry and a little short. Overall, seems to be tiring, would finish my last bottle asap if i can find it, but a nice tasty mature brunello.

4/12/2024 - thebonnydooner Likes this wine:

Very tasty. Dark in colour. Nose is sweet and ripe, showing a little maturity but mainly red and black cherry fruit. More of thr same on the palate, soft tannins, still juicy acidity and more red and black cherry fruit. Really pure, vibrant pinot. Nicely balanced. Drinking well.

4/9/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Sweet and honeyed with loads of peach, apricot, ripe apple and sweet melon. Some complexity but mainly pure sweet fruit deliciousness. Nice finish

4/7/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Really delicious. As someone else posted, WA really delivers at this price point. Fully mature, but still with lots of life, dark and ripe with currant and berry fruit, nice soft tannins, juicy aciidty and a long smooth finish. Really tasty and a great match for a steak.

4/7/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Better than expected. Juicy but still with serious structure - firm tannins and acidity. I liked the balance and complexity - lots of earthy, tobacco red plum and cherry fruit. No worries about holding onto the last bottle for a while.

4/5/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Again, similar to the prior bottle, nicely mature with soft tannins and still nice amount of acidity and fruit, pretty soft however, red fruit is now a little dusty and beginning to get tired, needs drunk up.

4/2/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Medium bodied, light tannins, juicy fresh cherry and plum fruit, nice umcomplicated wine.

3/30/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Bonus! Found another of these in my cellar. Ripe soft and mature. Lovely sweet dark cherry and currant nose, with similar profile on the palate, Dry with soft tannins, still juicy but tastes like an older wine. Nice rounded finish, quite sweet maybe a hint of brown sugar alongside the fruit. Really nice. If you know you have some - drink up!

3/27/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Dark and tight. Lovely, peppery, black berry and currant nose, nicely complex. Palate is medium bodied, lean but with fruit, dry, with fine tannins, and berry and dark cherry fruit.

3/24/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

lovely

3/23/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Nice dark colour. Intense, smoky, meaty , olive notes on the nose. Juicy, fresh, crisp with bright red cherry and red plum fruit, dry with firm tannins, but lovely crisp currant and plum fruit on the finish. Leaner than a good WA or CA syrahh but with a load of falvour for the weight.

3/23/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Another nice showing, went very well with a sausage pasta dish. Crisp and crunchy with bright red fruits.

3/22/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Pretty average. Nice nebbiolo colour, light with a brick cherry rim. Nose is pretty, but the palate is a little thin and astingent. Maybe more air? Used mostly for cooking.

3/16/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

What a lovely showing for this wine. Looks dark and inviting with some brick around the rim. Nose is just lovely, mellow, but full of fruit, and earthy bordeaux complexty. Palate is more of the same, very smooth with resolved tannins, but still fresh acidity and lovely sweet earthy currant, dark plum and berry fruit. Nothing really stands out in this wine, but put together its just a lovely experience.

3/11/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Excellent, nice maturity and complexity

3/8/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Lovely clear cherry colour with quite a bit of brown on the rim. Nose is surprisingly soft and mature , sweet cherry jam and wood with a hint of sous bois. Dry on the palate, soft tannins, a little cherry and strawberry fruit but comes across as a little tired and/or pre-oxidised. Would be tough to send back in a restaurant, but something not quite right. Maybe too late?

3/8/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Decent enough for the price. Nice ripe fruit, dark cherry and currant with soft tannins and nice earthy acidity. Maybe a little jammy and certainly lacking some zip, nice entry level bdx.

3/4/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

This was rather good, different between a rhone and a sangiovese. Crisp ripe fruit, juicy berry and cherry fruit, nice complexity and well balanced. Long finish as well.

3/1/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

This may be my last ever Loring, as they dont appear to be imported into the UK. But it was good while it lasted! Not had the Seven Springs before, but was excellent. Nice ripe black and red cherry fruit, maybe a little drying out on the palate, soft tannins but with nice spiciness and good pinot character. Nice complexity as well. Overall a really nice wine and probably about peak, cannot see mjuch improvement

2/26/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Excellent value nebbiolo with crisp crunchy red cherry and red plum fruit. Nice complex nose as well. Good long finish too.

2/26/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

For sure a little funky - some fizz on palate on opening, did disappate. Ended up with some nice fruit and complexity, but used mainly for cooking

2/26/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Very tasty. Mature, complex and balanced. Decent fruit - cherry and plum. Lots of earth and a complex finish. Drinking very well.

2/21/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Dark, ripe and nicely mature though with plenty of life left. Inky black, deep blackberry and plum fruit, nicely balanced.

2/21/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

similar niotes to prior bottle. decent

2/20/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Excellent, probably better than the prior bottle. Lovely juicy smokey balance with similar notes to prior bottle

2/18/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Lovely. Sweet, nicely mature, honeyed, with orange and apricot , long excellent finish

2/17/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Very good. Dark, ripe, intense, with enough herbal, woody notes to be interesting. More fruit on the palate than the nose, quite dry with fine tannins and a medium length finish. Would be hard to place blind, does not taste old world, neither does it taste new! Probably let down by the faint whiff of green pepper.

2/17/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Tasty, but maybe a little tired. Cherry fruit on nose, more red than black, some spice. Palate is nicely sweet with dry tannins and some acidity, not really vibrant but tasty with a decent finis. Drink up.

2/13/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Lovely fragrant gewurtz , quite plump but with decent acidity and a nice balanced finish. Juicy apple, melon and lychee fruit. Delicious.

2/10/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Dark and ripe on nose and palate, juicy with soft acidity and tannins. Not hugely complex but with a little earth and a little currant.

2/2/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Super tasty, value in spades, excellent.

1/27/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Super wine, excellent value. Same notes as prior bottle.

1/27/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Very dark, most un-pinot like, dark fruit on nose, palate a little bit of fizz, Flawed?

1/26/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Wow. Just wow. On opening just an explosion of ripe fruit on the nose. Palate is similar, smooth, ripe , soft tannins, still some acidity, juicy currant and black berry and plum fruit. Just so well balanced, concerntrated and long, this is above expectations. Fantastic. Better nose would be 95+.

1/22/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Intense and dark but some weird notes, not off per se, but dark fruit is a little muted. Palate is a little better dark and ripe , maybe more time?

1/20/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Really nice. Opened around two hours before tasting. Still dark not much bricking. Nose is pure and ripe with good cassis and plum character. Palate more of the same, pure and balanced, with smooth tannins, juicy acidity and nice currant and plum finish. Overall, excellent, balanced and pure not showing a tonne of complexity but really nice.

1/19/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Nice colour, vibrant. Nose is quite intense, with dark fruit, dried herbs and dark licourice. Palate is juicy and balanced wit dry tannins and ripe balc fruit acidity, currant, dark cherry and plum fruit. Nice finish, although a little short. Taste is better than nose.

1/18/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Worse than the prior bottle - seemed more tired and less fruity - still some tannins and acidity but not much juicy fruit. Used some for cooking, well see if the rest gets any better.

1/18/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Light gold in colour. Nose is a nice light brioche and butter over apple fruit. Palate is similar with apple fruit and a nice hint of mellow oak on the smooth finish. Nicely balanced with good acidity and length. Very tasty.

Update from a day later - seemed much older more smooth but losing some zip. Drink up.

1/14/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Just lovely. REally nice colour,. Smokey, olive, mineral, meaty blackberry and currant nose. Palate is smooth and ripe with lovely balance, more currant and berry fruit, nuanced and delicious, with some smokey notes on the palate as well. Excellent finish.

1/14/2024 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Superb. Classy, crisp, light in colour but full of flavour and a really long finish. Loads of crisp apple and kiwi/lime. Bracing but balanced. Really good value as well.