September 26, 2020 - 2 hour decant through vinturi. Fair amount of sediment in bottle. Light garnet. On the nose, early scent of asphalt moving into raspberry and some vegetal notes. On the palate, pure plush raspberry. Nice acidity level with smooth tannins. Long, long finish. Gotta' hand it to Jordan Ehren- blind tasting indicated Old World Pinot from 2008.
November 8, 2019 - Very beautiful. Charcoal-like at first, but blew off very quickly in decanter. Dark cherry fruit is the star of the show (multiple professional reviewers as well as commenters here have noted the same)- with a very present baking spice note, something like graham cracker in its sweetness. Generally very soft, not exploding from the glass but gently wafting. With air, gained a subtle high-pitched mineral note- almost sanguine- which complemented the fruit beautifully. (My wife said the nose was almost like red meat, and I agree, although it's extremely subtle.) Not super complex or powerful (for its price range), but beautiful for sure.
Palate continues this softness with reddish fruit and a very plush, soft texture, very drinkable but more tannin-heavy than acidic. If it had a touch more aromatic presence and acidity (or simply more interesting complexity) it'd be a bit better for me- this didn't quite feel energetic or intriguing enough for $50 in my opinion, but it's certainly close. Curious to try their other Pinots, especially their Sonoma Coast ones.
March 8, 2019 - Excellent. Tons of cherry, some nice acid
March 2, 2019 - Wine of the night among 5 other bottles. Beautiful cherry and fine spicy notes on the nose. Balanced and elegant yet with a kind of concentration without weight.
Drinking well now.
November 1, 2017 - $65 average
May 9, 2017 - Great, lush fruit. There is an enticing but subtle earthiness in the mouth that drives this one home.
September 30, 2016 - Rich and long but oak and alcohol are somewhat dominant. I don't think it will make old bones.
July 30, 2016 - excellent
February 22, 2016 - Very nice.
February 21, 2016 - Wow - rich, but not overbright. Some grip, but still lots of velvet around the edges. Leans toward the plusher, darker sides of the spectra, but still quite recognizably a California Pinot. Drinking well now (February '16), but I wonder if it might be a little out of balance and suffer a bit in the out years - might not be hugely age-worthy like many other Failla Pinots are.