Robust ruby color with nothing to indicate its age. Plush on the tongue. Rich cherry fruit and a little cola. Surprisingly, a little herbal note. Finish still a little closed until it got some air time.
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This Rochioli bottle is aging very, very nicely. So much fruit in this one, it hardly seems to be 10 years old. It even held up exceptionally well on the second day open. Believe there are still many years ahead for this vintage, suggesting 2028 end-date.
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Very open knit nose of baking spice, dusty earth, dried Italian herbs, kola nut, black cherry.
Full and rounded palate of ripe red cherries, cola, and orange peel. This particular bottling seems to enjoy the acid balance of the vintage. Very fine and quite delightful.
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PnP. Medium red no signs of browning. Nose is very much secondary flavor driven with sous-bois and herbs. On the palate this has lovely smooth texture and a very savory driven taste with a finish which is quite long. I would say this is at or past its peak of maturity but quite a lovely wine, especially given the vintage.
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ripe mulberry nose; smooth slightly sweet mulberry and plum with secondary notes; full mid palate; a bit of earth and spice; i don't get any heat; my fave style back then, though now i prefer more acidity; still so easy to drink, and goes great with chicken pot pie.
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Followed my last TN and gave this bottle a 20 minute decant. Small amount of sediment. Earth and some cola on the nose. Not quite as satisfying as our previous bottle 6 months ago. The medium bodied palate showed dark red fruits, some earth, some spice, a touch of tannin, but a fair amount of cola. The acidity is juicy, but balancing.
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Love this vineyard and again it shines. After 45 minutes it started to show its potential.. Classic oily texture that comes across without much weight. Plenty of time left here. 93/94
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Another satisfying 2011 W-S pinot that requires air to provide maximum enjoyment. When PnP, the wine is thin and light. After about 20-30 minutes of slo-ox, the wine fleshes out to add color and weight. The medium to plus bodied palate shows lots of dark red fruits, some earth, spice and herb, and even a touch of tannin. The acidity is juicy, but balancing. This wine could hold for a couple of years.
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Nothing worse than drinking wines out of the cellar because you have to clear old stock. Tonight was one of those evenings . Original purchase was based upon enthusiasm and then years later reality sets in Lots of fruit but no real soul 'nough said'
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PnP. Medium red. Nose of cola, cherry, some spice. On the palate this was initially a bit awkward with some oak poking out, but with some air, it smoothed out and integrated nose. Good persistence on the finish. Better fruit and balance than I would have expected for an '11 at age 8. Pleasant surprise.
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PnP cellar temp. Clear, deep ruby/purple color. Powerful proper nose. Wonderful Pinot on the bigger side. Resolved and integrated but will hold for years yet. Leaner on the extraction, typical of this vintage, the tannin's are resolved for the most part. Black and red fruit, slight rough edge finish. Nothing off. $83
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Decided to open this earlier than I said I would in my previous note. Either my last bottle was a bit off or a bit more time has done wonders. Earthy fruit, cola, and baking spice on the palate. This is why I love WS Rochioli so much. The finish is flavorful, but a bit short. A great wine from a lesser vintage.
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Spice and cola on the nose, with some cherry. Earthy fruit on the palate. Not as expressive as I expect from this bottling. This is more like RRV appellation wine than a $80+ single vineyard. I will hold my other bottle for 2-3 years to see if it develops more, but I’m not sure it will.
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Drinking great. Like a young rsv. Lovely nose and mouthfeel. Fruit forward with bright cherry taste. Very good QPR. Hope rest of the WS 11's are as nice.
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Popped and poured at a restaurant. Bright ruby. Complex nose, lots of cherries, some spice. Big palate for a Pinot, cherries were tamer than the last bottle (2010), some darker fruits, spice, a bit of forest floor. Crazy long finish. Nowhere near the end of the drinking window. Paired with chicken, halibut and a goat cheese ravioli. Worked wonderfully with all three.
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One more year earned one more point from me. Consistent with my notes from last June, but a little more in synch. Extracted notes I mentioned last time toned down. Still reflecting WS's efforts to pack a bit more punch in a lighter vintage.
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So I've been watching the comments on this wine for a while. I'm always fascinated when I see such a wide range in ratings. Even the pro reviews on this wine go from 87-93. Now that I've opened it I get why. This has an appealing nose of primary red fruit, vanilla and caramel. that big fruit profile continues on the pallet with juicy strawberry and cherry. while I agree it's lacking some acid it's not completely devoid of acid on the finish which does close with medium length of mouth coating fruit. What I do see lacking, especially at this price point is, mineral and general complexity. It's a pretty wine and very enjoyable to drink, but wines similar to this can be had at 1/2 the cost or less. Just a miss on this vintage as Rochioli is generally a high quality site. Drink now
Sweet and tart cranberry and hard candy fruits. Not a lot of complexity or depth but very pleasing and easy to drink. Easy to drink now but should keep for 8-10 years I would think
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I'm more in line with the notes prior to SMZ...good not great, solid rather than spectacular. Seems like it hung on the vine a little too long in this lighter vintage. The best 2011s for me embrace the vintage and are light on their feet, femine, racy. This bottle is searching for masculinity and in doing so lost its way a bit.
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Solid W-S pinot, although not spectacular. Nice balance of dark fruit and structure. Very drinkable now, although this could well benefit from another 2-3 years.
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Certainly much better WS Pinots from this vintage, and at much lower price points. Seemed a bit too extracted and low in acid for me, but still a very nice wine.
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A good, but not great wine. Maybe I needed to age it longer. Nicely-balanced with a moderate finish, but flavors were somewhat flat. Not much dimension.
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classic Williams Selyem pinot noir. they have the formula down...a little more chewy, larger structure though, perhaps because of the vineyard....so drinkable and good.
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9/23/2022 - underwds wrote: 91 Points
Robust ruby color with nothing to indicate its age. Plush on the tongue. Rich cherry fruit and a little cola. Surprisingly, a little herbal note. Finish still a little closed until it got some air time.
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8/12/2022 - Goofienewfy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Powerful wine even at 10 years. Screams of strawberry cola and ends with sweet vanilla. Big and beautiful.
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2/7/2022 - Terramare Likes this wine: 93 Points
This Rochioli bottle is aging very, very nicely. So much fruit in this one, it hardly seems to be 10 years old. It even held up exceptionally well on the second day open. Believe there are still many years ahead for this vintage, suggesting 2028 end-date.
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12/27/2021 - bobdobilina wrote: 94 Points
Just slightly opaque sangria color.
Very open knit nose of baking spice, dusty earth, dried Italian herbs, kola nut, black cherry.
Full and rounded palate of ripe red cherries, cola, and orange peel. This particular bottling seems to enjoy the acid balance of the vintage. Very fine and quite delightful.
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5/13/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Medium red no signs of browning. Nose is very much secondary flavor driven with sous-bois and herbs. On the palate this has lovely smooth texture and a very savory driven taste with a finish which is quite long. I would say this is at or past its peak of maturity but quite a lovely wine, especially given the vintage.
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3/28/2021 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 91 Points
Glad we waited - was well balanced
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2/12/2021 - St8ofGrace Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinks perfectly now. Very balanced with bright fruit and floral bouquet on the nose. Smooth silky mouth feel with nice long lasting finish.
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2/8/2021 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 91 Points
ripe mulberry nose; smooth slightly sweet mulberry and plum with secondary notes; full mid palate; a bit of earth and spice; i don't get any heat; my fave style back then, though now i prefer more acidity; still so easy to drink, and goes great with chicken pot pie.
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10/17/2020 - VlgJeff wrote: 90 Points
Followed my last TN and gave this bottle a 20 minute decant. Small amount of sediment. Earth and some cola on the nose. Not quite as satisfying as our previous bottle 6 months ago. The medium bodied palate showed dark red fruits, some earth, some spice, a touch of tannin, but a fair amount of cola. The acidity is juicy, but balancing.
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8/25/2020 - woody0198 wrote: 92 Points
Spectacular. Worth every penny.
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8/9/2020 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Love this vineyard and again it shines. After 45 minutes it started to show its potential.. Classic oily texture that comes across without much weight. Plenty of time left here. 93/94
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4/17/2020 - VlgJeff wrote: 91 Points
Another satisfying 2011 W-S pinot that requires air to provide maximum enjoyment. When PnP, the wine is thin and light. After about 20-30 minutes of slo-ox, the wine fleshes out to add color and weight.
The medium to plus bodied palate shows lots of dark red fruits, some earth, spice and herb, and even a touch of tannin. The acidity is juicy, but balancing. This wine could hold for a couple of years.
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4/16/2020 - Jbird73 wrote: 89 Points
This was good in the beginning and then over time heat came out. Share amongst five people and enjoy right after popping.
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12/19/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet blackberry nose; jammy; fruit forward; sweet finish.
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9/17/2019 - Oskiwawa wrote: 88 Points
Nothing worse than drinking wines out of the cellar because you have to clear old stock. Tonight was one of those evenings . Original purchase was based upon enthusiasm and then years later reality sets in Lots of fruit but no real soul 'nough said'
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6/11/2019 - rosenst1 wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Medium red. Nose of cola, cherry, some spice. On the palate this was initially a bit awkward with some oak poking out, but with some air, it smoothed out and integrated nose. Good persistence on the finish. Better fruit and balance than I would have expected for an '11 at age 8. Pleasant surprise.
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12/5/2018 - Barry Notes Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP cellar temp. Clear, deep ruby/purple color. Powerful proper nose. Wonderful Pinot on the bigger side. Resolved and integrated but will hold for years yet. Leaner on the extraction, typical of this vintage, the tannin's are resolved for the most part. Black and red fruit, slight rough edge finish. Nothing off. $83
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10/21/2018 - kkleg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decided to open this earlier than I said I would in my previous note. Either my last bottle was a bit off or a bit more time has done wonders. Earthy fruit, cola, and baking spice on the palate. This is why I love WS Rochioli so much. The finish is flavorful, but a bit short. A great wine from a lesser vintage.
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8/14/2018 - JackCMac Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful raspberry fruit. Good mouth feel. Tannin structure. Well balanced. Still has life
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6/7/2018 - tfesmgk Likes this wine: 93 Points
My favorite WS pn yet. Fruit forward but round in the mouth. Great balance of dark and light. A little short on the finish. Love most Rochioli's.
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5/3/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Rough and tannic; blueberry; earth; short finish.
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12/25/2017 - kkleg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Spice and cola on the nose, with some cherry. Earthy fruit on the palate. Not as expressive as I expect from this bottling. This is more like RRV appellation wine than a $80+ single vineyard. I will hold my other bottle for 2-3 years to see if it develops more, but I’m not sure it will.
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10/13/2017 - RAD2626 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking great. Like a young rsv. Lovely nose and mouthfeel. Fruit forward with bright cherry taste. Very good QPR. Hope rest of the WS 11's are as nice.
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9/30/2017 - kcp Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent all around. Quintessential WS, Rochioli bottling.
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9/18/2017 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at a restaurant. Bright ruby. Complex nose, lots of cherries, some spice. Big palate for a Pinot, cherries were tamer than the last bottle (2010), some darker fruits, spice, a bit of forest floor. Crazy long finish. Nowhere near the end of the drinking window. Paired with chicken, halibut and a goat cheese ravioli. Worked wonderfully with all three.
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8/14/2017 - tcbrown Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice nose of deep black berry, truffle, and earth. Ready now but still has a lot of life.
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6/25/2017 - blaine wrote: 89 Points
One more year earned one more point from me. Consistent with my notes from last June, but a little more in synch. Extracted notes I mentioned last time toned down. Still reflecting WS's efforts to pack a bit more punch in a lighter vintage.
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3/7/2017 - wineguy1968 Likes this wine: 90 Points
So I've been watching the comments on this wine for a while. I'm always fascinated when I see such a wide range in ratings. Even the pro reviews on this wine go from 87-93. Now that I've opened it I get why. This has an appealing nose of primary red fruit, vanilla and caramel. that big fruit profile continues on the pallet with juicy strawberry and cherry. while I agree it's lacking some acid it's not completely devoid of acid on the finish which does close with medium length of mouth coating fruit. What I do see lacking, especially at this price point is, mineral and general complexity. It's a pretty wine and very enjoyable to drink, but wines similar to this can be had at 1/2 the cost or less. Just a miss on this vintage as Rochioli is generally a high quality site. Drink now
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12/11/2016 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sweet and tart cranberry and hard candy fruits. Not a lot of complexity or depth but very pleasing and easy to drink. Easy to drink now but should keep for 8-10 years I would think
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10/5/2016 - ettalovesgoodwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Complex, earthy, better than expected
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6/10/2016 - blaine wrote: 88 Points
I'm more in line with the notes prior to SMZ...good not great, solid rather than spectacular. Seems like it hung on the vine a little too long in this lighter vintage. The best 2011s for me embrace the vintage and are light on their feet, femine, racy. This bottle is searching for masculinity and in doing so lost its way a bit.
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1/31/2016 - SMZ wrote: 94 Points
So much better than the last bottle. Deep Crimson, multi berry favors. Stunning.
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1/11/2016 - SteadyEddy wrote: 90 Points
Solid W-S pinot, although not spectacular. Nice balance of dark fruit and structure. Very drinkable now, although this could well benefit from another 2-3 years.
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11/8/2015 - Scharin wrote: 89 Points
Certainly much better WS Pinots from this vintage, and at much lower price points. Seemed a bit too extracted and low in acid for me, but still a very nice wine.
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8/10/2015 - witsend23903 wrote: 88 Points
A good, but not great wine. Maybe I needed to age it longer. Nicely-balanced with a moderate finish, but flavors were somewhat flat. Not much dimension.
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7/21/2015 - SMZ wrote: 90 Points
Didn't seem appreciably better than the Williams Selyem RRV or Sonona wines, but the cost was almost double.
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12/13/2014 - myvine wrote: 91 Points
coravin. didn't expect much given scores but medium fruit body earthy
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3/4/2014 - mike l. wrote: 85 Points
Sonoma in the City Industry Tasting (Beverly Hills, CA): quite dark
N: tons of nice oak, too much at this point, vanilla, cedar, etc.
P: just a mess. too acidic in spots, and overoaked in others. stick to their chards.
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11/23/2013 - richshoes Likes this wine: 92 Points
classic Williams Selyem pinot noir. they have the formula down...a little more chewy, larger structure though, perhaps because of the vineyard....so drinkable and good.
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