Prior bottle was 8 months ago and while the wine continues to show well, it was a small step down from prior bottles. Red cherry, earth and minerals on the nose, bu didn't have that darker undercurrent that prior bottles showed. Medium bodied with red cherry upfront that showed both clarity and purity. Mid-body adds some depth and some hints of darker cherry and red raspberry, but not as prominent as previously. Mineral and earth notes, lightly tart red cherry and balanced tannins and acidity on the back and through the finish. The strength of this wine is mineral accented red cherry fruit profile which comes across as balanced, but still nuanced. The wine is very close to where prior bottles were, but was just ever so lacking in complexity and depth. That said, it's still in a very good current spot, but should be drunk over the next year for it to show at this level.
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Prior bottle was 14 months ago and my notes were again consistent, showing that this wine is at peak. Red cherry along with an undercurrent of raspberry mixed with earth, mineral and floral notes (forest floor) on the nose. Medium bodied with red cherry upfront, still with some hints of brightness. Broadens through the middle where the red raspberry comes in and is then nicely tempered by the earth, mineral and spices notes on the backside. Combined with tart red cherry, balanced tannins and acidity, this provided the contrast to both define the mid-body fruit and lead to length and integration on the finish. Showed it's best as it warmed from cellar temperature. As well as it showed tonight, I'd drink these within the next year to catch the peak. It will last beyond Q4 2022, but not at the current level. I will likely open my last bottle in Q1/Q2 2022.
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I think Grananda’s notes sum this wine up quite well. Lovey wine indeed. Light, lithe and elegant. Red fruit, earth, minerals on the nose; similar palate.
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Bright red cherries, pomegranate, fresh, very nicely done. Last bottle must have been flawed, this one was terrific. (Slightly cloudy, though, not sure why???)
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Prior bottle was nearly 11 months ago and my notes were quite consistent. Red cherry and raspberry along with floral, mineral and earth notes on the nose. Medium bodied with the same mix of red cherry and red raspberry shown by my prior bottle. Still has a nice touch of brightness upfront while the middle might be slightly deeper. Starts to brings in some darker notes towards the back before shifting to tart cherry and strawberry. Those notes, along with minerals, integrated spices and nicely balanced acidity and tannins provide the backside notes and the bridge to the finish. Overall, I'd say my notes were very close to identical with this wine drinking near peak, but in a fashion that it should be able to maintain over the next 18+ months.
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Prior bottle was just over eight months ago and the bottle tonight fully recaptured my higher impressions form earlier bottles. Very pretty nose, showing cherry, raspberry, floral, mineral and earth notes. Medium bodied with a mix of cherry and raspberry upfront and through the middle. What makes this interesting is it's both red and black note along with acidity-derived brightness, balanced with just a touch of additional mid-body depth. These notes play off each other quite well and are balanced by the tart cherry and strawberry on the backside and the integrated and spices and mineral notes through the finish. The complexity and the definition here reminded me of my earlier bottles so whether my bottle from February 2019 was simply too cold or there was a bit of negative bottle variation, tonight's bottle showed this wine is still in a very good spot. With one bottle left, I will save it for June/July 2020.
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Reticent and withdrawn on the initial PnP, but opened up in the glass with a little time. Red fruit and floral nose. Little pepper and cherry cola flavor notes. Just the right level of acidity. Light, elegant. Moderate finish.
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Funk on the nose, then an hour later an empty palate. No fruit, tastes like bitter stems. I usually like the wines from this producer, but this was not good. ?85... not sure what one rates a wine that isn’t good.
Prior bottle was only six months ago and my notes were mostly consistent. Cherry, raspberry, floral and earth notes on the nose. Medium bodied, perhaps a touch more with black cherry and black raspberry upfront. Black raspberry takes over through the middle and while after about three hours, it does show polish, it wasn't as clean or defined as previously. Tart cherry and strawberry remain on the backside and the finish shows tart baking spices, earth and vanilla. Overall, felt that this bottle was maybe a small step down from the previous one in terms of balance and nuance. I suspect it was due (at least in part) to the cooler serving temperature and this wine may show better on the warmer side. I will probably have my next bottle in Summer 2019 to test this theory.
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Prior bottle was a bit over 17 months ago and my notes were consistent. Black and red cherry on the nose along with floral and raspberry. The nose did go through a similar evolution to the prior bottle, but not as pronounced this time; wine seems to be settling down well. Medium bodied with black cherry upfront, moving to black raspberry in the polished middle and adding tart red/black cherry as well as strawberry towards the back. Acidity, baking spices and light oak notes on the finish. The huge swings that this wine showed last year have calmed noticeably and the wine seems to be rounding into form. Needed at least 2 hours open to show its best and developed more polish, depth and balance the longer it was open. Have the opportunity to buy some more at a very good price and wanted to check in and make sure before I committed. Well worth picking up some more bottles as it feels like peak is still ahead for this wine and it has the fruit and structure elements to give several more years. Next bottle for me, late Spring 2019.
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Another outstanding showing for this wine. Strawberry and red cherry on the nose. Medium bodied and unsurprisingly, showed very similar notes to my bottle from only three months ago. Red cherry and strawberry upfront and unfortunately (as it was a tasting), didn't get to see the evolution that I saw from bottle. The blackfruit notes were clearly there, behind adding richness and depth before tart red cherry and cranberry come in towards the finish along with excellent acidity and mineral qualities. What struck me about this wine was its able to show excellent richness through the middle, but always come off as clean, precise and elegant, never fruit forward or heavy. Should improve quiet nicely with some additional cellar time.
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Red berries and earth jumping out of the glass. Understated but expansive palate -- cherry, raspberry, cranberry, forest floor, porcini. Lingering minerally finish. No heat. Beautiful balance.
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This was one of more interesting Chanin pinots I have tried so far. It kept evolving and changing over the course of the night, far, far more than most wines. Started off with a nose of bright strawberry, later became more black cherry and ended up finally more red raspberry, red cherry and floral. Started off to the light side of medium bodied (13.47% ABV), but gained a lot of depth over the course of the night and finished solidly medium bodied.
When first opened, the wine showed a lot of strawberry and red cherry upfront. That evolved into a deeper, richer black cherry note after two hours open. When it finally fully opened up, it showed a mix of raspberry and cherry upfront with the red fruit notes intermixed with deeper blackfruit qualities. Trademark Chanin acidity through the middle, on the back and through the finish. Backside also adds notes of tart red cherry and cranberry. Floral qualities, light spice notes, tea and mineral elements mark the finish.
Drunk over the course of just over five hours, complexity and elegance were the hallmarks. Given the added richness that this wine showed, I'll be very interested to see how it evolves with more cellar time. I'm sure to be buying more.
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Day 1 had me swearing off California PN forever. Tasted overly fruity and sweet, but in an underripe way, if that makes any sense (like they picked too early from a site that was looking to express more fruit).
Day 2 the fruit subsided and black tea component came out that added a beautiful savoriness.
Will hold my other bottle for a long while and see if something good happens.
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7/9/2022 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior bottle was 8 months ago and while the wine continues to show well, it was a small step down from prior bottles. Red cherry, earth and minerals on the nose, bu didn't have that darker undercurrent that prior bottles showed. Medium bodied with red cherry upfront that showed both clarity and purity. Mid-body adds some depth and some hints of darker cherry and red raspberry, but not as prominent as previously. Mineral and earth notes, lightly tart red cherry and balanced tannins and acidity on the back and through the finish. The strength of this wine is mineral accented red cherry fruit profile which comes across as balanced, but still nuanced. The wine is very close to where prior bottles were, but was just ever so lacking in complexity and depth. That said, it's still in a very good current spot, but should be drunk over the next year for it to show at this level.
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11/12/2021 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was 14 months ago and my notes were again consistent, showing that this wine is at peak. Red cherry along with an undercurrent of raspberry mixed with earth, mineral and floral notes (forest floor) on the nose. Medium bodied with red cherry upfront, still with some hints of brightness. Broadens through the middle where the red raspberry comes in and is then nicely tempered by the earth, mineral and spices notes on the backside. Combined with tart red cherry, balanced tannins and acidity, this provided the contrast to both define the mid-body fruit and lead to length and integration on the finish. Showed it's best as it warmed from cellar temperature. As well as it showed tonight, I'd drink these within the next year to catch the peak. It will last beyond Q4 2022, but not at the current level. I will likely open my last bottle in Q1/Q2 2022.
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9/25/2021 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Excellent Burgundian style Pinot.
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4/2/2021 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Elegant red fruits w a touch of brown, silky balanced and medium bodied. Very nice for a Burgundian style pn.
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11/11/2020 - DeuceMcgee Likes this wine:
I think Grananda’s notes sum this wine up quite well. Lovey wine indeed. Light, lithe and elegant. Red fruit, earth, minerals on the nose; similar palate.
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11/11/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Bright red cherries, pomegranate, fresh, very nicely done. Last bottle must have been flawed, this one was terrific. (Slightly cloudy, though, not sure why???)
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9/18/2020 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was nearly 11 months ago and my notes were quite consistent. Red cherry and raspberry along with floral, mineral and earth notes on the nose. Medium bodied with the same mix of red cherry and red raspberry shown by my prior bottle. Still has a nice touch of brightness upfront while the middle might be slightly deeper. Starts to brings in some darker notes towards the back before shifting to tart cherry and strawberry. Those notes, along with minerals, integrated spices and nicely balanced acidity and tannins provide the backside notes and the bridge to the finish. Overall, I'd say my notes were very close to identical with this wine drinking near peak, but in a fashion that it should be able to maintain over the next 18+ months.
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10/25/2019 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was just over eight months ago and the bottle tonight fully recaptured my higher impressions form earlier bottles. Very pretty nose, showing cherry, raspberry, floral, mineral and earth notes. Medium bodied with a mix of cherry and raspberry upfront and through the middle. What makes this interesting is it's both red and black note along with acidity-derived brightness, balanced with just a touch of additional mid-body depth. These notes play off each other quite well and are balanced by the tart cherry and strawberry on the backside and the integrated and spices and mineral notes through the finish. The complexity and the definition here reminded me of my earlier bottles so whether my bottle from February 2019 was simply too cold or there was a bit of negative bottle variation, tonight's bottle showed this wine is still in a very good spot. With one bottle left, I will save it for June/July 2020.
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7/2/2019 - Broch6833 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Reticent and withdrawn on the initial PnP, but opened up in the glass with a little time. Red fruit and floral nose. Little pepper and cherry cola flavor notes. Just the right level of acidity. Light, elegant. Moderate finish.
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6/2/2019 - bonedoc wrote:
Funk on the nose, then an hour later an empty palate. No fruit, tastes like bitter stems. I usually like the wines from this producer, but this was not good. ?85... not sure what one rates a wine that isn’t good.
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3/3/2019 - juneau bob wrote:
Light body big flavors of strawberry. Gavin never disappoints.
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2/23/2019 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior bottle was only six months ago and my notes were mostly consistent. Cherry, raspberry, floral and earth notes on the nose. Medium bodied, perhaps a touch more with black cherry and black raspberry upfront. Black raspberry takes over through the middle and while after about three hours, it does show polish, it wasn't as clean or defined as previously. Tart cherry and strawberry remain on the backside and the finish shows tart baking spices, earth and vanilla. Overall, felt that this bottle was maybe a small step down from the previous one in terms of balance and nuance. I suspect it was due (at least in part) to the cooler serving temperature and this wine may show better on the warmer side. I will probably have my next bottle in Summer 2019 to test this theory.
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8/10/2018 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was a bit over 17 months ago and my notes were consistent. Black and red cherry on the nose along with floral and raspberry. The nose did go through a similar evolution to the prior bottle, but not as pronounced this time; wine seems to be settling down well. Medium bodied with black cherry upfront, moving to black raspberry in the polished middle and adding tart red/black cherry as well as strawberry towards the back. Acidity, baking spices and light oak notes on the finish. The huge swings that this wine showed last year have calmed noticeably and the wine seems to be rounding into form. Needed at least 2 hours open to show its best and developed more polish, depth and balance the longer it was open. Have the opportunity to buy some more at a very good price and wanted to check in and make sure before I committed. Well worth picking up some more bottles as it feels like peak is still ahead for this wine and it has the fruit and structure elements to give several more years. Next bottle for me, late Spring 2019.
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6/13/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another outstanding showing for this wine. Strawberry and red cherry on the nose. Medium bodied and unsurprisingly, showed very similar notes to my bottle from only three months ago. Red cherry and strawberry upfront and unfortunately (as it was a tasting), didn't get to see the evolution that I saw from bottle. The blackfruit notes were clearly there, behind adding richness and depth before tart red cherry and cranberry come in towards the finish along with excellent acidity and mineral qualities. What struck me about this wine was its able to show excellent richness through the middle, but always come off as clean, precise and elegant, never fruit forward or heavy. Should improve quiet nicely with some additional cellar time.
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4/18/2017 - tomherer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Red berries and earth jumping out of the glass. Understated but expansive palate -- cherry, raspberry, cranberry, forest floor, porcini. Lingering minerally finish. No heat. Beautiful balance.
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3/4/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was one of more interesting Chanin pinots I have tried so far. It kept evolving and changing over the course of the night, far, far more than most wines. Started off with a nose of bright strawberry, later became more black cherry and ended up finally more red raspberry, red cherry and floral. Started off to the light side of medium bodied (13.47% ABV), but gained a lot of depth over the course of the night and finished solidly medium bodied.
When first opened, the wine showed a lot of strawberry and red cherry upfront. That evolved into a deeper, richer black cherry note after two hours open. When it finally fully opened up, it showed a mix of raspberry and cherry upfront with the red fruit notes intermixed with deeper blackfruit qualities. Trademark Chanin acidity through the middle, on the back and through the finish. Backside also adds notes of tart red cherry and cranberry. Floral qualities, light spice notes, tea and mineral elements mark the finish.
Drunk over the course of just over five hours, complexity and elegance were the hallmarks. Given the added richness that this wine showed, I'll be very interested to see how it evolves with more cellar time. I'm sure to be buying more.
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4/4/2016 - geeky? not sure wrote:
Day 1 had me swearing off California PN forever. Tasted overly fruity and sweet, but in an underripe way, if that makes any sense (like they picked too early from a site that was looking to express more fruit).
Day 2 the fruit subsided and black tea component came out that added a beautiful savoriness.
Will hold my other bottle for a long while and see if something good happens.
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12/29/2015 - pcheidrick wrote: 91 Points
The wine has medium acidity. The wine finishes medium. The wine has juicy texture.
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