November 10, 2012 - Light red robe, perfumed nose of cherry. Clean and aromatic in the mouth, with a touch of dirt giving it muscle and length.
Star of the tasting evening - won blind against Prieur Clos Vougeot 2002!
Robe robe claire, nez parfumé de cerise. Clair et aromatique en bouche, avec une touche de terre lui donnant des muscles et de la longueur.
La "star" de notre dégustation - a gagné à l'aveugle face au Clos Vougeot 2002 de Jacques Prieur!
July 14, 2012 - I can't resist Russian River pinots. This Arista is a fairly classic example of what I like. Bright fruit, spicy and sweet, with a touch of the Russian River dirt showing through. To my mind, the Russian River comes closer to Burgundy than any other US pinot noir region. Not sure about whether they are as age-worthy, but these young examples are comparable, at least to those Burgundies that I can afford.
February 12, 2012 - Signature California Pinot Noir: clean, fruity (cherry). Good length. Drink now.
Typique Pinot Noir californien: ligne claire, nez de cerise, bonne longueur. Prêt à boire.
April 24, 2011 - We did not decant and it didn’t need it…it was great straight from the bottle. Very balanced at this point but with such vibrant fruit I’m sure it will hold up well for another couple of years. Nose had bright/ tart raspberry and cherry fruit with some white pepper and mild underlying cocoa powder. Palate was quite similar and the white pepper brought in a nice spiciness which complemented the fruit very well. This paired excellently with both our homemade cheese and chocolate fondue!
September 12, 2010 - Beautiful, classic RRV pinot. Spicy, earthy.
July 1, 2010 - Decanted 1 hour.
May 14, 2010 - 14.5% alcohol. Drinking beautifully right now. Black cherry, spice, and minerals on the nose. In the mouth, alive and zingy, with juicy black cherry, nice spice, and a floral note that comes in above the acidity. Strong finish. A-
December 4, 2009 - Rose petals, cherry and spice. Amazing acidity surrounds the berries without being sour or green. Don't know if any of these will remain in the cellar long enough to see where they end up in 5 years.
November 15, 2009 - Decanted 1 hour.
June 28, 2009 - Sonoma-Napa Trip Day 2 and 3; 6/27/2009-6/28/2009 (Sonoma): Richer, darker fruit quality to the sonoma coast. Tangy black cherry fruit. Bit one dimensional. Eh.