February 22, 2024 - Double decanted back into bottle just prior to serving. Nose off decanter held beautiful bing cherry and spice aromas. Poured a 10 year old Rioja before to let this air out from decanting- very little bottle time on this '20 RRV PN. The "poor" Rioja never stood a chance against this modern style RRV Pinot Noir. Pours medium garnet in glass with aromas of bing cherry, rose petals, and spice. Palette immersed in cherries, dark plums a bit of leather mixed with nice glycerin. Modest acidity knits this wine together, balanced with fine tannins on a medium + length finish. Hard to put the glass down with this gem. This is what I love about RRV styled PN.
Needs more bottle time, should improve IMO.
November 5, 2023 - 3rd bottle still Meh
November 4, 2023 - Lighter styled, complex nose of tree bark, early and bing cherry. Light and pretty on the palate. Very nice wine.
October 7, 2023 - Falls firmly within the good dN category. Cherry cola, raspberry and five spice, fruit forward and ripe without going over the top. Full bodied, medium low acidity, oak is more prominent than my preference. Good flavor intensity, OK finish--neither a peacock tail or cliff. Light tannins. Drink or hold for several years.
August 11, 2023 - Update from last note: fruit is no longer nearly as jammy. Overall, still a “bigger” wine than I prefer and not stylistically aligned with what I love about Pinot. Not sure this is going to mature and mellow.
Day 3 edit: left about 8oz in the bottle. The color is Syrah but the nose and palate are cherry, blackberry, and spice. This is a nice wine to drink after it sees a lot of air/time. Long finish with grippy tannin. I will likely stash one in the back of the cellar and come back to it towards the end of the decade. An expirement, if you will. Again, not what I look for in a Pinot, but I am just enjoying this as a nice, pleasant, wine with quality fruit and a great winemaker.
June 29, 2023 - I still really like where this is at, consistent with my previous note
June 3, 2023 - I'm going to chock this one up to bottle variation. Over the 6 hours open, it just never came together to offer the same attraction as earlier bottles. My enthusiasm is tempered from February. 5+10+14+7= 86
May 9, 2023 - Cherry candy is still the dominant theme here, while subtle spices, mushrooms, and peppermint hide in the background. Little or no tannins, medium+ body, a little heat, not particularly acidic but it has enough to still make me want another glass.
March 23, 2023 - 1 hour decant (which may have been a limitter)
Had with rich mushroom risotto, no mushshoom affinity here. This was better sipping after dinner by itself.
A: Pale ruby. Heavy legs (label denotes 14.5%)
N: alcohol burn, shy nose but some cherry and forest floor
P: cherry, cranberry, rasberry, tongue coating viscosity mid palate, somewhat crisp and juicy finish, then the drying tannins take over. Short/Minimal fruit on the finish.
Good qpr. If the minimal complexity and short finish improves in 2024+ this will move up a few points.
March 18, 2023 - Nice and smooth with a touch of tannins. Needed 2+ hours to open up.