Dark cherry color at core. Bricking at rim. Looks like a ten year old Brunello.
Doesn’t smell like it though! Maple-covered cherries on the nose. Cherries on the palate. Impeccably balanced, with loooong acidity to the back of the tongue. Fills out with air.
This is from a ripe vintage, so carrying 14+% ABV which is atypical of the house style. Lovely.
Sourced from the winery.
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Very light. dull red almost like a BdM, taste is savory with herbs and little fruit, very different as an aged wine. Pushing the envelope with aging 12 years but I wanted to see how well they aged. Pretty well as it turned out. Sadly though, this is my last one.
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The wine is showing its age with a nice tawny translucent core to a clear rim. The nose is perfumed flowers, leather, spice, and earth. The mouth is red fruit, spice, and oak. The fruit has lost some liveliness but I prefer this to overly fruity CA pinot's. The body is light to medium, tannins nicely integrated with a medium to long finish. The wine is downward side of peak but still very enjoyable.
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(Note: Have had this bottle for about 7-8 years, and never stored in a wine fridge or anything fully climate-controlled, so your mileage may vary).
Definitely past its peak, with a color heading towards tawny, but still just enough fruit and verve to make it enjoyable. Survived pairing with a meal of carnitas tacos that helped bring out some of the remaining flavors. Drink soon, though.
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AT age 10, this wine seems to be more about texture than fruit. The aromatics are lovely, with notes of smoke, mint and dark berries, but on the palate the fruit is subdued, not sure if the wine will come back into balance with time.
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Drank from Bin North 14. Salmon dinner with Thomas. Hint of spice and barnyard on nose. Medium watery purple. Light body barnyard touch of leather and spice. Classic delightful Pinot. 7/10.
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Another Blind Saturday (S2's): Blind Saturday Group Dark cherry and cranberry with a stemmier quality than I usually get on this wine. Lots of clove and other baking spice. It has put on weight since release and is in a great spot right now.
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Prior bottle was almost five months ago and this bottle was essentially consistent. Red cherry, earth and vanilla on the nose with the vanilla and earth becoming more noticeable as it warmed from cellar temperature. Medium bodied with red cherry upfront, mixing in some black cherry through the middle. Felt like there was a touch more depth through the middle than with the prior bottle. Tart red cherry in the back and then vanilla, earth and mineral notes through the finish. The transition to the finish is nicely integrated and the wine overall shows good balance, but as with the prior bottle, it just didn't show quite the depth and complexity of the first three. That said, still in a very good spot and should be able to hold this level for at least another 18 months or so, but I don't see additional improvement in the future.
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Prior bottle was a bit over 14 months ago and my notes were consistent for the most part. More red cherry on the nose now, with just a touch of black cherry to go along with the earth and vanilla. Felt a bit thin when first opened and I worried the fruit and the wine overall was fading. But by three hours, it had recovered nicely. Red cherry upfront with some black cherry notes through the middle. Mid-body is rounded and well integrated, but didn't have quite the depth of the prior bottle. Retains some nicely tart red cherry notes towards the back and the transition to the finish is almost silky now. Finish continues to show vanilla, minerals and lingering, light acidity. This wine still has all the elements it previously possessed, but it feels a bit lighter overall and slightly less complex. It has integrated quite well and is still quite enjoyable to drink, but if this bottle is a true indicator, it may be slightly past peak. I suspect it might be more of a slight negative bottle variation and I'll try my next bottle before year end to be sure.
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gorgeous color and nose. excellent complexity. The 2010 vintage of this wine is consistently better than others. only one left, which I'll save and see how it ages.
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Prior bottle was eight months ago and this wine continues to show quite well. A mixture of black and red cherry, along with vanilla and earthy notes on the nose. A little tight and acidity dominant when first opened, it blossoms around three hours in. Has softened slightly and come into better balance than the prior bottle. Black and red cherry upfront with excellent contrast behind showing tart red cherry, wildberry and then even more tart cranberry and more acidity. Elegant transition to the vanilla, mineral and floral notes on the finish. The strengths of this wine remain its complexity, impressive contrasts and deftly handled transitions. Given how long it needed open, it feels like this is still on the upswing, but on the flip side, the density through the middle is starting to smooth out. I'll probably wait until at least year end, maybe even early 2018 for my next bottle, but drinking before 2020 is reasonable to allow the wine to show its best.
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Last bottle was almost 15 months ago and this wine has improved almost exactly along the lines I was hoping. Blackfruit and floral notes on the nose. Medium bodied and 14.2% ABV with no trace of heat. Black cherry upfront, then bright black raspberry with tart black cherry and wild berry in the back along with acidity that struck almost the perfect notes of balance and tartness. Integrated spices, fine grained tannins and a lingering mineral/stone/earth quality through the finish. Opened about an hour ahead of time, this bottle was much more refined and integrated than my prior bottle. Overall, beautifully elegant in the mixture of bright blackfruit upfront and the more tart background notes. Impressive mid-body fruit complexity, nicely rounded and silky mouthfeel and it just felt like all the elements were working in concert in produce a fantastic showing. Probably still has maybe six months before it peaks and should stay at that level for awhile. Proves to me once again that as well as the Peay single vineyard pinots show young, it well worth the extra time invested to let them rest in the cellar for a few years.
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The nose has notes of spice, sandalwood, tea and orange rind. The palate is earthy with cherry, blackberry, and cranberry notes. It's feel is round with good weight. Drink 2016 to 2022.
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This wine is consistently awesome across vintages. One of my favorite wines out there. Burgundy colored and lovely mineral aroma with great aged burgundy character. Fantastic already.
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Rose and blackfruit on the nose. Medium bodied and very refined and pretty. Deep, nuanced black cherry upfront backed with darker plum and wildberry. Very good acidity and excellent tannic structure throughout. This is an elegant and complex pinot pinot with the fruit and structure very much in balance. Finishes with light spices, earth, some red fruit notes and a lingering mineral quality. This is not at peak yet and as good as it is now, I'm excited to see where it ends up in another year or so.
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After most of the bottle was gone, I read the label on the back. It claimed the wine was shooting for purity, elegance, and focus. Never have I had a wine so well described on the back label.
First, the wine has a ton of acidity. Not for the faint of heart. But the fruit is stil definitely CA. Pure, focused, and delicious.
Definitely needs more time to come together, but man. I loved this.
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7/29/2023 - Vinsboro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry color at core. Bricking at rim. Looks like a ten year old Brunello.
Doesn’t smell like it though! Maple-covered cherries on the nose. Cherries on the palate. Impeccably balanced, with loooong acidity to the back of the tongue. Fills out with air.
This is from a ripe vintage, so carrying 14+% ABV which is atypical of the house style. Lovely.
Sourced from the winery.
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9/4/2022 - Chris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very light. dull red almost like a BdM, taste is savory with herbs and little fruit, very different as an aged wine. Pushing the envelope with aging 12 years but I wanted to see how well they aged. Pretty well as it turned out. Sadly though, this is my last one.
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1/15/2022 - alitman Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine is showing its age with a nice tawny translucent core to a clear rim. The nose is perfumed flowers, leather, spice, and earth. The mouth is red fruit, spice, and oak. The fruit has lost some liveliness but I prefer this to overly fruity CA pinot's. The body is light to medium, tannins nicely integrated with a medium to long finish. The wine is downward side of peak but still very enjoyable.
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1/10/2022 - Mwc33 Likes this wine: 90 Points
(Note: Have had this bottle for about 7-8 years, and never stored in a wine fridge or anything fully climate-controlled, so your mileage may vary).
Definitely past its peak, with a color heading towards tawny, but still just enough fruit and verve to make it enjoyable. Survived pairing with a meal of carnitas tacos that helped bring out some of the remaining flavors. Drink soon, though.
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9/25/2020 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
AT age 10, this wine seems to be more about texture than fruit. The aromatics are lovely, with notes of smoke, mint and dark berries, but on the palate the fruit is subdued, not sure if the wine will come back into balance with time.
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9/25/2020 - GSW wrote: 92 Points
Still lovely ten years on!
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4/16/2020 - RDB Wine Likes this wine: 70 Points
Drank from Bin North 14. Salmon dinner with Thomas. Hint of spice and barnyard on nose. Medium watery purple. Light body barnyard touch of leather and spice. Classic delightful Pinot. 7/10.
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12/21/2019 - S1 Likes this wine:
Another Blind Saturday (S2's): Blind Saturday Group
Dark cherry and cranberry with a stemmier quality than I usually get on this wine. Lots of clove and other baking spice. It has put on weight since release and is in a great spot right now.
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8/7/2019 - Jcalvin3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Feminine and silky. Medium body with earth and fruit undertones. Great acidity and smooth tannins. Medium-light minerality on the finish.
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3/31/2019 - ksmith wrote:
Corked
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1/18/2019 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior bottle was almost five months ago and this bottle was essentially consistent. Red cherry, earth and vanilla on the nose with the vanilla and earth becoming more noticeable as it warmed from cellar temperature. Medium bodied with red cherry upfront, mixing in some black cherry through the middle. Felt like there was a touch more depth through the middle than with the prior bottle. Tart red cherry in the back and then vanilla, earth and mineral notes through the finish. The transition to the finish is nicely integrated and the wine overall shows good balance, but as with the prior bottle, it just didn't show quite the depth and complexity of the first three. That said, still in a very good spot and should be able to hold this level for at least another 18 months or so, but I don't see additional improvement in the future.
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8/25/2018 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior bottle was a bit over 14 months ago and my notes were consistent for the most part. More red cherry on the nose now, with just a touch of black cherry to go along with the earth and vanilla. Felt a bit thin when first opened and I worried the fruit and the wine overall was fading. But by three hours, it had recovered nicely. Red cherry upfront with some black cherry notes through the middle. Mid-body is rounded and well integrated, but didn't have quite the depth of the prior bottle. Retains some nicely tart red cherry notes towards the back and the transition to the finish is almost silky now. Finish continues to show vanilla, minerals and lingering, light acidity. This wine still has all the elements it previously possessed, but it feels a bit lighter overall and slightly less complex. It has integrated quite well and is still quite enjoyable to drink, but if this bottle is a true indicator, it may be slightly past peak. I suspect it might be more of a slight negative bottle variation and I'll try my next bottle before year end to be sure.
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5/14/2018 - Chris Likes this wine: 93 Points
gorgeous color and nose. excellent complexity. The 2010 vintage of this wine is consistently better than others. only one left, which I'll save and see how it ages.
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2/12/2018 - gmbdds wrote: 92 Points
Drinking great at age eight. Cherry and cranberry fruit. Floral, earthy and spicy each in balance with the fruit. Fresh and racy, but not light.
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2/2/2018 - skp88 wrote: 91 Points
A rich, smooth, juicy wine with a cranberry finish
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6/11/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was eight months ago and this wine continues to show quite well. A mixture of black and red cherry, along with vanilla and earthy notes on the nose. A little tight and acidity dominant when first opened, it blossoms around three hours in. Has softened slightly and come into better balance than the prior bottle. Black and red cherry upfront with excellent contrast behind showing tart red cherry, wildberry and then even more tart cranberry and more acidity. Elegant transition to the vanilla, mineral and floral notes on the finish. The strengths of this wine remain its complexity, impressive contrasts and deftly handled transitions. Given how long it needed open, it feels like this is still on the upswing, but on the flip side, the density through the middle is starting to smooth out. I'll probably wait until at least year end, maybe even early 2018 for my next bottle, but drinking before 2020 is reasonable to allow the wine to show its best.
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2/18/2017 - Rico100 wrote: 93 Points
I like the coastal pinots.
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10/2/2016 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle was almost 15 months ago and this wine has improved almost exactly along the lines I was hoping. Blackfruit and floral notes on the nose. Medium bodied and 14.2% ABV with no trace of heat. Black cherry upfront, then bright black raspberry with tart black cherry and wild berry in the back along with acidity that struck almost the perfect notes of balance and tartness. Integrated spices, fine grained tannins and a lingering mineral/stone/earth quality through the finish. Opened about an hour ahead of time, this bottle was much more refined and integrated than my prior bottle. Overall, beautifully elegant in the mixture of bright blackfruit upfront and the more tart background notes. Impressive mid-body fruit complexity, nicely rounded and silky mouthfeel and it just felt like all the elements were working in concert in produce a fantastic showing. Probably still has maybe six months before it peaks and should stay at that level for awhile. Proves to me once again that as well as the Peay single vineyard pinots show young, it well worth the extra time invested to let them rest in the cellar for a few years.
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4/29/2016 - Coconutexpress wrote:
The nose has notes of spice, sandalwood, tea and orange rind. The palate is earthy with cherry, blackberry, and cranberry notes. It's feel is round with good weight. Drink 2016 to 2022.
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11/7/2015 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
No decant.
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7/19/2015 - Chris Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine is consistently awesome across vintages. One of my favorite wines out there. Burgundy colored and lovely mineral aroma with great aged burgundy character. Fantastic already.
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7/5/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rose and blackfruit on the nose. Medium bodied and very refined and pretty. Deep, nuanced black cherry upfront backed with darker plum and wildberry. Very good acidity and excellent tannic structure throughout. This is an elegant and complex pinot pinot with the fruit and structure very much in balance. Finishes with light spices, earth, some red fruit notes and a lingering mineral quality. This is not at peak yet and as good as it is now, I'm excited to see where it ends up in another year or so.
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4/15/2015 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
No decant. Maybe the best Peay that I have ever had.
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10/16/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Raspberries and plastic, maybe that will blow off. Tart on the finish, rather bitter. Not sure where that is going.
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7/18/2013 - billyfitness wrote: 91 Points
Way too young but had to try.
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3/8/2013 - Michael Davidson wrote:
After most of the bottle was gone, I read the label on the back. It claimed the wine was shooting for purity, elegance, and focus. Never have I had a wine so well described on the back label.
First, the wine has a ton of acidity. Not for the faint of heart. But the fruit is stil definitely CA. Pure, focused, and delicious.
Definitely needs more time to come together, but man. I loved this.
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10/30/2012 - B-Love wrote: 92 Points
Way too young but drank anyway. Very floral. Nice acid. Good fruit. Three years would serve this well.
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8/4/2012 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
West of West Wine Festival; 8/4/2012-8/5/2012 (Occidental Center for the Arts, Occidental, California): Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; floral, hibiscus, tart raspberry nose; tasty, creamy textured, tart cherry, raspberry, vanilla palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 92+ points
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