Wow! This is drinking beautifully right now. PnP! Served at family dinner with grilled tuna and pesto sauce. Made for a lovely pairing! Wine has lots of fruit but extremely well-balanced. Cherry and cola flavors definitely present. Truly a gorgeous Sonoma Pinot that shows how well W-S wines age. This one should drink well for another year or two, maybe longer. But it is so lovely now, why wait?
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Red fruit on the nose with a bit of earthiness starting to show. Flavors still showing good fruit and surprising acidity. Tannins have softened nicely, and this will drink well for at least a few more years. Not the most textured in terms of complexity, but a good food wine for sure.
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Drank at BBQ at Laidley street. Showing its age, but still hanging together (from a magnum). Cherry fruit, anise, some cola, modest tannin and acidity at this point. Drink up.
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Well-balanced, nice age (drink now as it's likely a bit past it's peak), good acid. Fruit flavors becoming a bit more muted as other flavors come forward. Very smooth with soft tannins from age.
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- Garnet color and aromas of tar, sherry and cherry. It's lacking fruit and has flavours of dusty and tobacco with a light/medium body. Linear texture with a short finish - One dimensional, may be past it's peak. Waiting to drink with a little food!
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W Tuna caserole. This was nice fimd in the cellar, didnt know we had some. Great aged color but still fresh. On nose good fruit with spice. On palate this showed good balance of cherry / strawberry fruit and good acidity. This has some life left in it but drinks very well now.
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this was a good pinot. had it with sausage, potato salad. color a bit murky but darkish. good fresh nose. On palate this was still very youngish and developing, not tired at all. good red berries and fruit remains on the finish. not powerfull but solid.
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A fully mature wine. There is a roundness that reflects ripe fruit, but the overall impression is more of spice than of fruit. Acidity is lively and there is a hint of minerality too. A solid effort.
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This was sitting in my mini-fridge in my office and when my client's merger was effective and the 8-K was filed, I decided that we should drink it with lunch. Walked down the street to Hillstone's (formerly Houston's) in the Citicorp Building. They had the RRV on the wine list for $140, which was ridiculous but made my client happy with my choice. The wine is very very nice right now. Popped and poured. Delicate cherry, half way between sweet cherry and tart cherry. California pinot cola flavor (although I have tasted it in Burgs as well) has given way to a nice flavor component. Smooth with a tiny bit of spice. It was the middel of a weekday and I do not normally during lunch on a weekday, but this was a special occasion. Even so, we only finished half the bottle. I brought the rest home and finished it the next day. The flavor was a bit more subdued, but it still held up very well and maintained a relatively delicate cherry flavor profile. Excellent.
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13.8% alcohol. This wine is drinking beautifully. Lovely cherry color, with a terrific bouquet of black cherry, cherry pie, baking spice, and minerals. In the mouth, a lovely texture that is framed by full cherry fruit flavors, hints of earth and spice, and racy acidity. A bit clipped on the finish, but an awfully nice drink. B+/A-
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My third of 3 bottles. This final one was like the first: disappointing. Not sure why I'm getting bottle variation but it's a bit frustration. This was overall flat-- fruit was thin with spice and alcohol.
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Enjoyed this much more this time. It seems to have put on weight and the juicy fruit was fron and center. Nothing earth-shattering, but a very nice cherry-driven pinot that went well with salmon.
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This is indeed a softer styled CA pinot. Lighter color, lighter palate impressions. Some herb, spice, and lots of cherry flavor but more feminine in output and result. I also kept coming back to a note hiding in the background, what I keep wanting to call a light note of brett or barnyard, but it doesn't detract, but it's there. Someone else in another TN used the word "cedar", which may be more accurate, as I don't smell anything off in the nose of the wine at all. Maybe even tobacco. Overall, easy to drink and I don't see why further aging on this would be warranted.
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Dreamy. This has so much of the Sonoma Pinot qualities that I love. Cranberries and baking spices in the nose--I cannot get enough of it. Silky palate with a touch of spice and cedar. This should continue to drink well through 2010 but no need to wait.
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In anticipation of next week's spring 2008 release, I decided to open one of these. Popped and poured, this wine is a beauty. Light ruby red, completely translucent color. On the nose, plenty of cranberry, sour cherry, red currant and earth. Lovely on the palate with great red fruit, and earthy notes. Finishes well and shows absolutely outstanding balance. Great food wine as well. Paired with roast chicken and leek vegetables. 13.8% alc.
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Pretty big for a Pinot. Cherry, cola, tobacco. If the Sonoma County is this tasty, I'm really looking forward to the smaller appelations and the single vineyard wines.
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Moderate light ruby color. Cherry on the nose, tart cherry on the palate, with that standard CA pinot noir flavor that I have never been able to identify or describe. No oak flavors. The label says alcohol is 13.8% and the alcohol level was not strong, which was nice. There was a bit of minerality to go with the cherry. Very easy to drink. This was not quite one-dimensional but it was not a complex melange of a lot of flavors either. Well made and very enjoyable. Giving this a rating in the middle of the very good to excellent category seems about right. No jump out of your skin WOW, but still a good wine experience.
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A fairly typical WS effort. By no means a fruit bomb like Dumol. Light on the palate, with good fruit, including cherries and berries. Fine finish. Not sure if it will improve with age, but prior vintages seem to be fairly long-lived. Unfiltered.
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Soft cherry nose with a hint of tobacco. Flavors are medium cherry and juicy. Not much more complexity but after the cherry you taste a little baked pie and light spice. Good mouth-feel, nicely balanced med-long finish. Overall a very nice pinot that will improve with age.
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Very well-made if a bit one-dimensional. The fruit starts with a earthy raspberry on the nose and transitions to sour cherry on the palate with a bit of spice. While not offering a tremendous amount of depth, the fruit is nicely focused in a clean package. Of decent weight, it maintains a nice balance of fruit and acidity across the mid-palate and through the (relatively short) finish. It needs a little more bottle time to smooth out the remaining tannin, but certainly it can be enjoyed now. Very nice for what it is, although not up to the level of the Central Coast and Sonoma Coast appelation wines from '04.
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A bit musky and otherwise reticent on the nose. Predominantly sour cherries and raspberry with none of the mouthfeel I look for in a good pinot. Not terribly impressed...enjoyed the central coast more.
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5/16/2017 - Buckwheet wrote: 93 Points
Wow! This is drinking beautifully right now. PnP! Served at family dinner with grilled tuna and pesto sauce. Made for a lovely pairing! Wine has lots of fruit but extremely well-balanced. Cherry and cola flavors definitely present. Truly a gorgeous Sonoma Pinot that shows how well W-S wines age. This one should drink well for another year or two, maybe longer. But it is so lovely now, why wait?
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9/25/2016 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Fantastic. Good body, excellent aged Pinot nose. Drinking beautifully now, but can easily go longer.
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2/25/2016 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red fruit on the nose with a bit of earthiness starting to show. Flavors still showing good fruit and surprising acidity. Tannins have softened nicely, and this will drink well for at least a few more years. Not the most textured in terms of complexity, but a good food wine for sure.
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6/20/2013 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank at BBQ at Laidley street. Showing its age, but still hanging together (from a magnum). Cherry fruit, anise, some cola, modest tannin and acidity at this point. Drink up.
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4/8/2013 - toddvh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well-balanced, nice age (drink now as it's likely a bit past it's peak), good acid. Fruit flavors becoming a bit more muted as other flavors come forward. Very smooth with soft tannins from age.
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3/29/2013 - SStarkjohann wrote:
- Garnet color and aromas of tar, sherry and cherry. It's lacking fruit and has flavours of dusty and tobacco with a light/medium body. Linear texture with a short finish - One dimensional, may be past it's peak. Waiting to drink with a little food!
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12/29/2012 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
W Tuna caserole. This was nice fimd in the cellar, didnt know we had some. Great aged color but still fresh. On nose good fruit with spice. On palate this showed good balance of cherry / strawberry fruit and good acidity. This has some life left in it but drinks very well now.
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7/24/2011 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
this was a good pinot. had it with sausage, potato salad. color a bit murky but darkish. good fresh nose. On palate this was still very youngish and developing, not tired at all. good red berries and fruit remains on the finish. not powerfull but solid.
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12/4/2010 - bhouk wrote:
A fully mature wine. There is a roundness that reflects ripe fruit, but the overall impression is more of spice than of fruit. Acidity is lively and there is a hint of minerality too. A solid effort.
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6/11/2010 - Jay Hack wrote: 89 Points
This was sitting in my mini-fridge in my office and when my client's merger was effective and the 8-K was filed, I decided that we should drink it with lunch. Walked down the street to Hillstone's (formerly Houston's) in the Citicorp Building. They had the RRV on the wine list for $140, which was ridiculous but made my client happy with my choice. The wine is very very nice right now. Popped and poured. Delicate cherry, half way between sweet cherry and tart cherry. California pinot cola flavor (although I have tasted it in Burgs as well) has given way to a nice flavor component. Smooth with a tiny bit of spice. It was the middel of a weekday and I do not normally during lunch on a weekday, but this was a special occasion. Even so, we only finished half the bottle. I brought the rest home and finished it the next day. The flavor was a bit more subdued, but it still held up very well and maintained a relatively delicate cherry flavor profile. Excellent.
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12/9/2009 - windypinot wrote: 86 Points
Very light, cherry flavors with a quick finish; atypical WS pinot; no reason to wait on this wine
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11/18/2009 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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5/23/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
13.8% alcohol. This wine is drinking beautifully. Lovely cherry color, with a terrific bouquet of black cherry, cherry pie, baking spice, and minerals. In the mouth, a lovely texture that is framed by full cherry fruit flavors, hints of earth and spice, and racy acidity. A bit clipped on the finish, but an awfully nice drink. B+/A-
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3/21/2009 - blgros wrote: 88 Points
Light in body and flavor, but fresh and great fruit/acid balance.
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3/4/2009 - kgh wrote: 86 Points
Light ruby color, medium body, vibrant cherry fruit. A good bottle, but doesn't blow your socks off.
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2/28/2009 - plitton wrote: 87 Points
My third of 3 bottles. This final one was like the first: disappointing. Not sure why I'm getting bottle variation but it's a bit frustration. This was overall flat-- fruit was thin with spice and alcohol.
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2/24/2009 - jheathw wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyed this much more this time. It seems to have put on weight and the juicy fruit was fron and center. Nothing earth-shattering, but a very nice cherry-driven pinot that went well with salmon.
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1/19/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This is indeed a softer styled CA pinot. Lighter color, lighter palate impressions. Some herb, spice, and lots of cherry flavor but more feminine in output and result. I also kept coming back to a note hiding in the background, what I keep wanting to call a light note of brett or barnyard, but it doesn't detract, but it's there. Someone else in another TN used the word "cedar", which may be more accurate, as I don't smell anything off in the nose of the wine at all. Maybe even tobacco. Overall, easy to drink and I don't see why further aging on this would be warranted.
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1/11/2009 - plitton wrote: 91 Points
Dreamy. This has so much of the Sonoma Pinot qualities that I love. Cranberries and baking spices in the nose--I cannot get enough of it. Silky palate with a touch of spice and cedar. This should continue to drink well through 2010 but no need to wait.
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12/2/2008 - imbibe wrote:
rhubarb, pomegranate, clove
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11/27/2008 - rmodak wrote: 90 Points
Surpisingly fresh and lively, showcasing black cherry, cranberry with forest floor and a hint of baking spices. Very silky wine with long finish.
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10/31/2008 - dino_mike wrote: 85 Points
Wine has peaked. It's lighter in body and light pretty flavors. Good finish with length. Fruit is light and still complex.
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9/15/2008 - plitton wrote: 88 Points
Pretty basic. Nice clear color but it really lacks a statement.
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8/26/2008 - stjames wrote: 80 Points
neither taste nor smell of the wine memorable
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8/10/2008 - ruddy wrote: 89 Points
Bright cherry, some spice on the palate. Nose is muted. Light pink/garnet color, good acid. Nice with gruyere/heirloom tomato tart
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7/6/2008 - the godfather wrote: 88 Points
pretty basic but solid pinot
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6/8/2008 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
Very light, clear color. Full cherry and earth flavors are a surprise given the color. Well balanced with moderate and pleasant finish.
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2/8/2008 - steffenpelz wrote:
In anticipation of next week's spring 2008 release, I decided to open one of these. Popped and poured, this wine is a beauty. Light ruby red, completely translucent color. On the nose, plenty of cranberry, sour cherry, red currant and earth. Lovely on the palate with great red fruit, and earthy notes. Finishes well and shows absolutely outstanding balance. Great food wine as well. Paired with roast chicken and leek vegetables. 13.8% alc.
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1/13/2008 - Alarak wrote: 90 Points
Pretty big for a Pinot. Cherry, cola, tobacco. If the Sonoma County is this tasty, I'm really looking forward to the smaller appelations and the single vineyard wines.
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12/25/2007 - Jay Hack wrote: 87 Points
Moderate light ruby color. Cherry on the nose, tart cherry on the palate, with that standard CA pinot noir flavor that I have never been able to identify or describe. No oak flavors. The label says alcohol is 13.8% and the alcohol level was not strong, which was nice. There was a bit of minerality to go with the cherry. Very easy to drink. This was not quite one-dimensional but it was not a complex melange of a lot of flavors either. Well made and very enjoyable. Giving this a rating in the middle of the very good to excellent category seems about right. No jump out of your skin WOW, but still a good wine experience.
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11/28/2007 - MPF wrote: 90 Points
A fairly typical WS effort. By no means a fruit bomb like Dumol. Light on the palate, with good fruit, including cherries and berries. Fine finish. Not sure if it will improve with age, but prior vintages seem to be fairly long-lived. Unfiltered.
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10/9/2007 - MPF wrote: 89 Points
Had this bottle with Valerie and Allie during Allie's fall break from school. Nice, if unexceptional, effort from WS.
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8/26/2007 - dino_mike wrote: 90 Points
Soft cherry nose with a hint of tobacco. Flavors are medium cherry and juicy. Not much more complexity but after the cherry you taste a little baked pie and light spice. Good mouth-feel, nicely balanced med-long finish. Overall a very nice pinot that will improve with age.
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8/11/2007 - KellyW wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant. Rather thin and linear.
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7/7/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
Very well-made if a bit one-dimensional. The fruit starts with a earthy raspberry on the nose and transitions to sour cherry on the palate with a bit of spice. While not offering a tremendous amount of depth, the fruit is nicely focused in a clean package. Of decent weight, it maintains a nice balance of fruit and acidity across the mid-palate and through the (relatively short) finish. It needs a little more bottle time to smooth out the remaining tannin, but certainly it can be enjoyed now. Very nice for what it is, although not up to the level of the Central Coast and Sonoma Coast appelation wines from '04.
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6/16/2007 - BailliSacks wrote:
Liked this very much. Persistent tight fruit note, like other W-S we've had. A very strong signature.
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6/15/2007 - spotfin wrote: 88 Points
ok, but drank it too young. If you have one of these, wait at least another year.
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12/27/2006 - jheathw wrote: 83 Points
A bit musky and otherwise reticent on the nose. Predominantly sour cherries and raspberry with none of the mouthfeel I look for in a good pinot. Not terribly impressed...enjoyed the central coast more.
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11/25/2006 - DRL01 wrote: 88 Points
Sour cherry, pepper and earth.
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8/19/2006 - zheem wrote:
Very much enjoyed by friends who took it on a picnic.
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7/9/2006 - tmay wrote: 87 Points
Peppery and earthy. A little thin. Short finish.
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