April 19, 2012 - medium red color, cherry, mushroom and mineral aroma with a tart cherry, pepper palate, medium rounded wine with a lingering finish.
May 7, 2010 - PnP. Earthy cherries on nose with some spice and cola. Medium plus intense fruit on palate from entry through finish. Good acidity (midpalate, descent and finish) and balancing tannins. Not complex nor with much finesse, mineral or vibrancy, but the rich, refreshing fruit is delicious and great with food.
March 23, 2009 - Solid, crowd-pleasing PN; drinking perfect right now
December 27, 2008 - (Tasted w/ Adam Lee): Drinking beautifully, with mellowing of the bright red fruit and now giving out a bit more earthy, mushroom character.
May 26, 2008 - Decided to go with this for first Copper River salmon of the season, given earlier experrience with this wine in the winter and spring. The salmon was baked in the green egg on a plank and served with a cherry sauce. Decanted 90 minutes (and seemed to improve over 3 houors). The wine matched the cherries but then took those fruit flavors to new added layers and hieghts, then morphing into the earthy components of this wine and finishing off with acidity that matched with the fatty richness of the wild salmon. An excellent wine moved to 'WOW' because of the conditions.
May 10, 2008 - Cal Poly Pomona Wine Dinner (Kellogg Ranch - Pomona, CA): I suspect that this bottle may have suffered from heat damage as the nose displayed a sour tomato juice/V8 aroma and the palate was very tart.
April 4, 2008 - Decided to go with this again, barely a month later. Decanted about one hour, but this was really singing right after opening. Los of deep red fruit and gorgeous mushroom/earth but with a piney/cinnamon element poking through as well. Nice balance and persistent flavors. Over the evening this took on a little more weight, but I think the decant is probably optional.
February 20, 2008 - Surprised to find that this is my first encounter with this vintage. Decanted 60 minutes and needed more as it continued to evolve throughout the evening. Reticent nose at first with red berries, piney earth, oak and a hint of cola. After time a really appealing mushroomy-earthiness emerged along with deeper fruit. Medium weight on the palate and finishes with light acidity and melted tannins. Long decant recommended.
July 15, 2007 - Restrained pinot with spice and mushroom, not as much fruit at this point as other reviewers have noted. Muted nose and opened up some but not fully over 2 hours (wish I could had decanted earllier and given it even more time, as suggeted by others). Went reasonably well with grilled salmon, though. Others guests liked it more than me.
June 25, 2007 - Crap. Having held this wine for as long as I did, to find it moderately corked, just killed the flavors. A drag.