December 16, 2018 - As you would expect, very well past drinkability. Drain pour. No judgement on Failla or Keefer Ranch - just that '03 not expected to last 15 years.
November 22, 2012 - Thanksgiving wine paired with a riesling. Medium ruby with edges of oranging. Medium body. Toasted roasty oak, green and ripe strawberry, cherry, melon, plum and heat on the nose. Complex mouthfeel, with broasted oak dominating the maturing fruit featuring a plethora of reds. Not too overdone, showing some complexity. Certainly not over the hill, but starting to mature. Better than last bottle. Day two+, gaining some weight and prune elements, showing maturity with greater oxidization. Throwing some sediment.
March 26, 2010 - Proof, yet again, that drinking windows are a moving target. While I enjoyed a number of '03 Calipinots after release, I found that many failed to hold even 4 or 5 years after release. As a result the few that I have remaining (mostly Dehlinger, Sea Smoke and Williams-Selyem) have been left to languish in the racks. Now unexpectedly, this bottle has not fallen apart. In fact it is still quite fresh and lively. Color was an encouraging clear, medium cherry red and although the nose wasn't particularly aromatic the fruits are delightfully red and tart: substantial swirls of strawberry, bing cherries and cranberry on the palate. Texture is both puckish and smooth. A nice wine drinking well now and a positive beacon for my remaining '03s.
December 4, 2009 - Paired with a chicken pot pie al deluxe. Dark red to pink on the edges. Initial funky roasted green pepper aromas, with cherry and wet smoked oak - faded with air time. Bright heat on the nose blows off as well. Attack starts slow, with ripe strawberry, and tart cherry. Fruit gains acceleration through the robust finish, combining toasted oak, heat, black cherry and fermented orange. 14.3% Medium length 30 second finish. Day two provides a better tasting experience - the odd aromas have mostly evaporated though there's a little vegetal musk still left - blackberry, oak take center stage on the bouquet. Explosive ripe strawberry, sweet cranberry and cherry command attention, with some heat and slight vegetal secondaries. Upping score 1 point from initial rating. Drinking very well on day 5 under vac-u-vin - the final analysis is this could use more rack time or decant for several hours prior to serving at this point.
September 30, 2008 - This wine is cloudy and while it taste is ok, it does detract from enjoying it more. A bit of alcoholic heat on the finish. Decanted for about an hour.
July 16, 2007 - Rating is average of two nights. When opened first night had nice soft flavor, subtle bouquet, kind of fruity, cherries on top of flavor. Not too hot at all, actually balanced though lacking much structure or depth. Dry and good match for picnic food. But on second night the wine had died. Still drinkable, but cloudy and flat.
July 6, 2007 - Not what I expected at all, kind of hot and somewhat unbalanced...give it the benefit of doubt and try it again in a few years...this has always been very good in the past....pleasant enough but not up to previous vintages...also a little cloudy.
June 24, 2007 - A big modern pinot with blue fruit and a good amount of heat. Not my style, and not even sure this is such a great example of the style.
July 15, 2006 - Pungent, unidimensional nose of cherry--with perhaps just a hint of something woodsy. Light, tart in the mouth, with little or no structure. The wine bore a very unfortunate resemblance to cherry kool-aid.
April 11, 2006 - excellent, earthy, complex with strawberries and raspberries on the nose and the tongue. open now; it's terrific.