November 26, 2015 - Light in color with a bit of cloudiness that is typical of Thomas Brown's pinots, which are not racked. Sweet red fruit with some saddle leather and earth. Tasted from a magnum.
January 21, 2012 - Rivers Marie Summa Old Vines Vertical (Elks Tower Penthouse, Sacramento, CA): Subtle nose giving mineral notes along with citrus and cranberry. Juicy yet focused with a lean feel. Nice secondary characters lending complexity. Very nice.
April 17, 2009 - Fairly cloudy appearance. Medium brick red. Very perfumed nose. Red rassberrrys and cranberry mostly with some pretty exotic other notes, like five spice and clove. Some lingering tannin and a real good spike of acid.
July 17, 2008 - Drank with the DC Crü at New Heights in DC.
Green vines, sweet, slightly caramely, cake frosting, bright, some leatheriness, red raspberry cream, unbelievable at the end of the evening. I'd really fallen for this when I think Pops brought it to a dinner at Stomp a few years ago. The bottles in between left me disappointed, and I thought this one would, too, but after a few hours of air it really showed well. 92-93 pts at the end of the night.
July 28, 2007 - Rivers-Marie Dinner (Sage Restaurant - Newport Beach, CA): 44 cases produced. 100% new French oak. 14.4% alcohol. Compared to the regular Summa, the super silky Old Vine Summa makes the former wear like a cotton shirt. Predictably deeper and richer and my WOTN, in part I think because it is drinking so well right now (whereas the others need more time to come together and/or mellow out). Enchanting aromas of dried cranberries, black cherries, pomegranate, and just a hint of sweet tobacco followed by gorgeous mouth-filling strawberry and cranberry fruit. The oak is perfectly integrated and gives the wine a complexity that is hard to describe. All I can say is that it's there without being there. Finishes with a nice kick of acidity that prepares the palate for food and keeps you returning for more. Delicious.
December 15, 2006 - General impression only. Very good effort. Deep, plush while retaining brightness for balance with nice currents, cranberries, some vanilla and allspice coupled with something I just can't describe. Solid effort and better than the 2003. 90pts
April 5, 2006 - I think something was wrong with this bottle- had a nice nose of cherry rhuebarb, but I couldn't get over the Fizz on my tongue, it also had a short tart finish. a few others noted the fizz thing, but no one was as put off by it as I, although my end of the table shared our dissapointment with this wine.
November 30, 2005 - Fizzy and not alot of fruit.