June 19, 2022 - Prior bottle was 4 years ago and this wine showed stunningly well. Black and red cherry, blackberry, earth and minerals on a very pretty nose. Just a bit above medium bodied with very open, accessible and expressive red cherry upfront, backed with deeper black cherry and brighter blackberry through the middle. Mid-body remains the standout with beautiful fruit and perhaps even better balance. The entire tone was one of elegance, nuance and silkiness. Supported with fine grained tannins, acidity, tart notes of both red and black cherry and lingering mineral qualities. This wine should show well for some time to come and I'll certainly buy more if I come across it.
February 20, 2021 - Rich dark red. Blackberries and dark ripe cherries dominate on the note, then raspberry reveals itself on the palate, on a substrate of forest floor and mushroom. Tannins mature and nicely integrated. This feels like it is near its peak although I suspect there are some good years ahead.
October 17, 2020 - Medium dark red color. Split bottle over 3 hours. This was simply marvelous; it has everything I look for in Oregon pinot noir. As this sat in glass it didn't take very long to really get into high gear, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. What a fantastic perfume on the nose; deeply earthy with gorgeous red raspberries and strawberries mixed with rose petals that builds even more over time revealing a wonderful array of spices, sauvage, fungi and orange peel notes. The palate is very silky with impressive depth and clarity. This balances the essence of earth, forest floor and fungal notes with the brightness of the deep red berries while being intense, yet entirely refined and feminine. Ultimately it is simply sublime. The sauvage comes through clearly on the palate too adding notes of pencil lead, spices, black raspberry and blood. This is the kind of wine I can just sit and smell all night reveling in the gorgeous aromas. A classic and complete wine. My last note in 2016 said to give this 2 years. Well, the time has served it very, very well as the evolution is impressive. Drink or Hold.
October 17, 2020 - "The Beat Goes On" another great socially distanced dinner, this one hosted by Andrea and David w/ Joe/Wendy/Harry/Anne/Bill/Ashley (Chez Silverstein): From magnum, first red of the evening. Opened and decanted, rebottled about 2 hours prior.
From notes earlier this year: "Bright ruby-red. Complex nose of black raspberry, asian spice, floral/rose notes. Expressive palate, cranberry (?), cherry-cola, dark berries, spice. Spices continue to show through mid palate."
This really wowed the crowd. Like prior bottles this wine has great energy. It continued to improve in the glass. Classic Oregon red fruit profile. Great first wine with rack of lamb. WOTN for probably half the crew
July 15, 2020 - Pop and pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Medium-plus intensity, black cherry, cranberry, smoke, and cola. Palate: Medium bodied, good balance, slightly creamy mouth-feel, dark red fruit - black cherry and cranberry - attack, spice driven mid-palate lift, earth and rusty iron notes join in the back-end. Finish: Medium-plus length dominated by sweet & tart dark red fruit, spice, and rusty earth.
February 21, 2020 - Final dinner of PNV week - "mostly non Cab" palate rinse, great lineup...Brooke runs the show! (Ad Hoc, Yountville CA): From magnum bought at release. One of my contributions.
Bright ruby-red. Complex nose of black raspberry, asian spice, floral/rose notes. Expressive palate, cranberry (?), cherry-cola, dark berries, spice. Spices continue to show through mid palate.
Focused and energetic wine, in a really good spot right now. WOTN for several at the table...
November 11, 2019 - Two bottles. Complex nose and body of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, spice, cinnamon and some smoke. Good structure and balance. Drinking at its apogee; maybe a year or two left. Score 93-94. Consumed on Veterans Day in memory of LCDR Larry “Mike” Jordan, a fellow U.S. Navy serviceman during the Vietnam War. Mike was returning to the USS Kitty Hawk from the Philippines when his aircraft, a KA3B aerial tanker, was purportedly shot down on April 12, 1966. His name is listed on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, PANEL 6E LINE 106.
January 18, 2019 - Amazing wine. Beautiful. Well balanced.
September 6, 2018 - Decanted one hour. Initially a little hesitant, but then exploded out of the glass. Beautiful fruit and acidic balance. Drank beautifully for three hours. Second day was a big drop off. Ready to drink.
June 17, 2018 - Black cherry, black raspberry, spices and floral notes combine for a very pretty and aromatic nose. A bit above medium bodied (13.2% ABV) with bright, acidity-backed black cherry upfront, with hints of red cherry sprinkled in, adding complexity. Mid-body is fantastic: beautiful fruit, but with depth, plushness and an overall elegance that lasts and lasts. Back end into the finish shows additional tartness, a few more red berry and tart red cherry notes, integrated spices and balanced tannins. The Ken Wright Tanager and the Big Table Farms Resonance showed extremely well, but this was the clear winner. Has the structure and the concentration to potentially even improve a touch more and it has a few more years ahead of it, but I would think over the next three years is where this wine will be enjoyed the most.