A ripe nose with cola, rich overripe fruit. It's broad and dense, full bodied and a bit oafish. Power without grace. A pinot for Cali Cab lovers. I'm sure it is accomplishing its goal, but not a goal I appreciate. NR due to stylistic aversion.
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What happened here? I usually love this cuvee, but recently I have had a few bottles that were so disappointing. Clunky and unbalanced. Really didn't taste like Pinot Noir. I had this with my wine group along with one of Martinelli's Syrahs. We all loved the Syrah, and were all disappointed in the Pinot.
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Nose of cherry cola and Robitussin. The palate of a donut wine, hollow at the core. A bit too sweet for the amount of acid. Feels more like under-extracted Zinfandel than Pinot. Disappointing unfortunately.
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Fairly light garnet ruby Rather pungent watermelon and cranberry aromas Strawberry watermelon ripe big lush and a tad alcoholic, with a bit of savory oak(?) in the finish. Lovely if you like the overblown style.
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Drank with Joe and Diane for Joe's summer farewell at Verbena. Decanted around 45 mins during cocktails. Really nice overall drinking; great nose, flavors and balance. Hard to believe Burgundy is any better.
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Lovely burgundy color and very similar to the last bottle with a bouquet and flavor of mushrooms, earth, raspberries and dark cherries, all topped off with Pinot Noir spiciness. Wonderful intensity but still refined with good balance and nuance. A wow wine to be sure. Martinelli and Aubert are among the best Pinot Noir makers in California and the world.
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Part of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Pinot Noir night with my wine group. And the easy WOTN. I'm not sure why I enjoyed this bottle so much more than my previous bottles of this vintage. It was opened, but not decanted, at a NYC restaurant. It was our next to last wine of the evening, and it was probably open for 2 hours before we poured it. Maybe that was the difference.
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Beautiful burgundy color with a bouquet and flavor of caramelized mushrooms, dry brown sugar, dilute allspice, raspberries, and dark cherries. The mushroom flavor is very intriguing. Very good nuance, and depth with a long finish. Still a lovely wine, but beginning to show its age. Clearly a wow wine, but the last bottle was a WOW.
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Blind Pinot Noir Tasting (Landmarc@the Time Warner Center - NYC): Part of a blind PN tasting. It was the oldest wine we had. The color is fading. While I don't see WA's 95 rating, it is very enjoyable. It is listed as having 15.2% alcohol, but it tasted as if it had much less than that. It almost didn't taste like it was from CA.
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Beautiful burgundy color with a marvelous wafting bouquet and matching flavor of raspberry, dark cherry, dried brown sugar, and dilute allspice, with great depth and nuance, perfect balance, and a very long finish. This is Pinot Noir at its best and truly a WOW wine. It puts the French wines to shame. I have actually visited Blue Slide Ridge. with the journey into the Coastal Range somewhat scary on the winding mountain roads.
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Typical huge Martinelli Pinot, a great big mouthful of cherries. No subtlety here, you need to be a fan of the CA fruit bombs (which we are). Probably as big as it will get, I'm guessing it will calm down a bit over the next few years. It is surely a ten-year Pinot.
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Very disappointing, especially given the $95 price point. Sipped over the course of several hours on Thanksgiving, and the wine never showed much on either the nose or the palate. Lacked the viscosity that I expect from Martinelli wines. I am a huge fan of Martinelli wines, including their Pinots, but after this bottle I will probably avoid Blue Slide Ridge and stick with Martinelli's other (and less expensive) Pinots. My 89 point rating is generous.
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PINOT ON THE RIVER, nose of cherry, sweet fruit like cherry soda pop, subdued nose, more of the same on the palate, somehow brooding fruit, touch simple, medium/big body, tasty but below expectations, mdium/long finish.
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Had this at a Martinelli night of my wine group. We had the2011 Chardonnay Bella Vigna, 2009 and 2012 Blue Slide Ridge Pinot Noir, the 2009 and 2012 Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir , the 2006 Syrah Hop Camp Vineyard, and the 2007 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard. All the wines were, except the Chardonnay were opened, but not decanted 30 minutes prior to the dinner, with the Syrah and Zinfandel being drank last, they received the most breathing time.
Rated slightly below the 2009 Blue Slide Ridge. No real tasting notes, just in a side to side, the group preferred the 2009 and 2012 Bondis and the 2009 ahead of this. Still a very enjoyable wine.
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Gorgeous. Relatively light scarlet/watermelon colored. Cherry cola flavors. Mouthfilling with 15.2%, but such big flavors, I don't notice a bit of heat.
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2/7/2023 - cct wrote:
A ripe nose with cola, rich overripe fruit. It's broad and dense, full bodied and a bit oafish. Power without grace. A pinot for Cali Cab lovers. I'm sure it is accomplishing its goal, but not a goal I appreciate. NR due to stylistic aversion.
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2/19/2022 - SMHalps wrote: 87 Points
What happened here? I usually love this cuvee, but recently I have had a few bottles that were so disappointing. Clunky and unbalanced. Really didn't taste like Pinot Noir. I had this with my wine group along with one of Martinelli's Syrahs. We all loved the Syrah, and were all disappointed in the Pinot.
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2/18/2022 - DoubleMagnum Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Nose of cherry cola and Robitussin. The palate of a donut wine, hollow at the core. A bit too sweet for the amount of acid. Feels more like under-extracted Zinfandel than Pinot. Disappointing unfortunately.
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1/8/2022 - peterk Likes this wine:
Wonderful, big, juicy, full bodied Pinot Noir. Drinking beautifully
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6/26/2021 - cos65 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fairly light garnet ruby
Rather pungent watermelon and cranberry aromas
Strawberry watermelon ripe big lush and a tad alcoholic, with a bit of savory oak(?) in the finish.
Lovely if you like the overblown style.
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8/1/2020 - JSolo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent
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6/12/2020 - JSolo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyed two bottles on 5/30 and 6/12. Consistently excellent.
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5/23/2020 - lewisrise Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted alongside Rochioli west block and Thomas Fogarty pinot. Cranberry and chewy nose. Medium mouthfeel with burnt cherry and a caramel finish.
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5/22/2020 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Drank with Joe and Diane for Joe's summer farewell at Verbena. Decanted around 45 mins during cocktails. Really nice overall drinking; great nose, flavors and balance. Hard to believe Burgundy is any better.
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4/2/2020 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
I love this wine. My favorite Martinelli offering. Dark cherry aromas with an earthiness and finish that melts in your mouth.
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3/25/2020 - tfesmgk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep & balanced with dark fruit and great length.
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3/3/2020 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely burgundy color and very similar to the last bottle with a bouquet and flavor of mushrooms, earth, raspberries and dark cherries, all topped off with Pinot Noir spiciness. Wonderful intensity but still refined with good balance and nuance. A wow wine to be sure. Martinelli and Aubert are among the best Pinot Noir makers in California and the world.
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2/19/2020 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 95 Points
Part of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Pinot Noir night with my wine group. And the easy WOTN. I'm not sure why I enjoyed this bottle so much more than my previous bottles of this vintage. It was opened, but not decanted, at a NYC restaurant. It was our next to last wine of the evening, and it was probably open for 2 hours before we poured it. Maybe that was the difference.
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11/13/2019 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful burgundy color with a bouquet and flavor of caramelized mushrooms, dry brown sugar, dilute allspice, raspberries, and dark cherries. The mushroom flavor is very intriguing. Very good nuance, and depth with a long finish. Still a lovely wine, but beginning to show its age. Clearly a wow wine, but the last bottle was a WOW.
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6/5/2019 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blind Pinot Noir Tasting (Landmarc@the Time Warner Center - NYC): Part of a blind PN tasting. It was the oldest wine we had. The color is fading. While I don't see WA's 95 rating, it is very enjoyable. It is listed as having 15.2% alcohol, but it tasted as if it had much less than that. It almost didn't taste like it was from CA.
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2/16/2019 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful burgundy color with a marvelous wafting bouquet and matching flavor of raspberry, dark cherry, dried brown sugar, and dilute allspice, with great depth and nuance, perfect balance, and a very long finish. This is Pinot Noir at its best and truly a WOW wine. It puts the French wines to shame. I have actually visited Blue Slide Ridge. with the journey into the Coastal Range somewhat scary on the winding mountain roads.
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12/22/2018 - Minnesota wrote: 95 Points
Last bottle, sadly.
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9/7/2018 - Beezc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plush berries, smoky, cola and spices. Long finish but I would say a touch of heat. 92+
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8/5/2018 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Typical huge Martinelli Pinot, a great big mouthful of cherries. No subtlety here, you need to be a fan of the CA fruit bombs (which we are). Probably as big as it will get, I'm guessing it will calm down a bit over the next few years. It is surely a ten-year Pinot.
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5/13/2018 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing relatively dark cherry fruit with a long finish. Dynamite!
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2/4/2018 - JSolo Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the best Pinots that I have purchased from Martinellli. However, I guess it should be based on the price.
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11/23/2017 - jmcnewjersey wrote: 89 Points
Very disappointing, especially given the $95 price point. Sipped over the course of several hours on Thanksgiving, and the wine never showed much on either the nose or the palate. Lacked the viscosity that I expect from Martinelli wines. I am a huge fan of Martinelli wines, including their Pinots, but after this bottle I will probably avoid Blue Slide Ridge and stick with Martinelli's other (and less expensive) Pinots. My 89 point rating is generous.
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5/25/2017 - JSolo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent with Red Snapper Livorno.
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11/7/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
No decant.
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10/25/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
PINOT ON THE RIVER, nose of cherry, sweet fruit like cherry soda pop, subdued nose, more of the same on the palate, somehow brooding fruit, touch simple, medium/big body, tasty but below expectations, mdium/long finish.
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7/8/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this at a Martinelli night of my wine group. We had the2011 Chardonnay Bella Vigna, 2009 and 2012 Blue Slide Ridge Pinot Noir, the 2009 and 2012 Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir , the 2006 Syrah Hop Camp Vineyard, and the 2007 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard. All the wines were, except the Chardonnay were opened, but not decanted 30 minutes prior to the dinner, with the Syrah and Zinfandel being drank last, they received the most breathing time.
Rated slightly below the 2009 Blue Slide Ridge. No real tasting notes, just in a side to side, the group preferred the 2009 and 2012 Bondis and the 2009 ahead of this. Still a very enjoyable wine.
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11/9/2014 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Gorgeous. Relatively light scarlet/watermelon colored. Cherry cola flavors. Mouthfilling with 15.2%, but such big flavors, I don't notice a bit of heat.
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