Based on our previous TNs we decanted this bottle for 20 minutes and cooled it to true room temp (~68F). The result was a very enjoyable bottle of this great wine. The color was dark purple and there were lots of dark red and some black fruits on the nose. These dark red and black fruits were joined by a hefty dose of spice, some earth and light minerality on the medium plus bodied palate with acidity that was up to the task of balancing the fruit. This wine probably has many enjoyable years ahead.
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Decanted for 20 minutes and chilled to 68F. Very similar experience to our previous bottle of 10/8 but with the loss of a shade or two of brightness and the appearance of just a hint of alcohol on the finish -- which we sincerely hope is just due to bottle variation.
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We don't usually have the same wine in rapid succession but the salmon with a brown sugar/mustard glaze/sauce seemed to call out for this. Based on our previous TN we decanted this bottle for 20 minutes and cooled it to true room temp (~68F). The result was an even more enjoyable version of this great wine. The color was dark purple and there were lots of dark red and some black fruits on the nose. These dark red and black fruits were joined by a hefty dose of spice, some earth and light minerality on the medium plus bodied palate. The acidity was up to the task of balancing the fruit and there was just a hint of drying tannins on the finish. With some air this wine really comes into its own and probably has many years ahead.
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Decided to shorten the aeration and this bottle was significantly better than our previous. Slo-oxed for 25 minutes yielding a medium plus purple color with lots of dark red fruits on the nose. These dark red fruits (black cherry/berry) amplified on the medium to plus palate as they were joined by a solid dose of spice, some earth, nicely balancing acidity and a touch of drying tannins on the finish. Not as deep or expressive as the 2012, but quite satisfying, and with many years ahead.
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Decanted for an hour and a half to the beginning of dinner and an additional hour to the last sips, with no discernible difference. Our first bottle of this vintage and the wine did not wow us as much as the previous 3 vintages (2012, 2011, 2010). The medium bodied palate showed the dark red fruit and spice, but with less intensity than those previous vintages. There was also some earth, just a touch of tannin and relatively balancing acidity. May try our next bottle with just a short slo-ox.
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Roasted mushroom with rosemary, strawberry, cherry. Cranberry bitterness on the finish with a saline kick. Earthiness is primary on the nose, but fruit shows it self on the palate. Tannins are still quite present & acidity is fresh and apparent. This still has many years if not decades left, sad it was my last bottle. I wish to drink this again in 2032.
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Opened a magnum and aired in the bottle for about an hour before enjoying with seared duck breast in blackberry glaze. Excellent wine and perfect match for the dinner. Lots of fruit! Blackberry, blueberry, herbs, smoky with crushed rock minerality. In a perfect place now but still 5-10 years of drinking left.
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14.8% abv. Burgundy red, very aromatic. Cherry, raspberry, bright crunchy red fruit. Great depth and length, very energetic. A delicious Pinot at the top of its game. Drink now or over the next 5-8 years.
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14.2% abv. Medium burgundy, moderate aromatics upon opening. Raspberry, crabapple and forest floor on the palate. Less boisterous than I expect from this wine, but very well behaved, well balanced, poised. Many years of enjoyment remain.
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Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine. On the nose, I get cherries (both red and black), wet earth, and a touch of spice. In the mouth, this is generally crunchy, with tart cherries and some slight cola aspects; the cola continues on the finish where it meets a returning earthy element. Overall, this is a fleshier and fuller expression of Pinot Noir. The wine was fine, but I felt it was somewhat nondescript and never really engaging (in contrast to, say, the 2008 Pisoni). This certainly was not a showing consistent with the price. Oh well. 89 points.
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This Pinot is spicy with notes of dark cherries, dried herbs and plenty of acidity. Strong earth notes on the finish but you must decant this for an hour or so to fully enjoy its secondary flavors.
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Classic Pisoni Estate wine. Lots on the nose and some good dark red fruit. Wine was decanted for 2 hours and went great with our Thanksgiving feast. Tried it against a Ridge MB 1997. Two different wines and hard to compare. Long finish for the Pisoni but the fruit was still big and bold. Probably hold for another 1-2 years.
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Absolutely beautiful, showing dark blue, deep crimson colors, and bouquet of the Pisoni spice to die for. 6 years old, crazy perfect age for Cali Pinot. This one wants many more years. Been tasting and collecting Pisoni estate for over 10 years. This vintage is very age-able. So pleasurable to drink. Maybe have to open another......addicting. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like clove. It tastes like blackberry, raspberry, dust, forest floor and nutmeg.
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2019 Suntacular--Champagne Tasting to raise money for Laura's House: Happy to follow T's note, as he and I have similar palates. This was leftover from last night, when I shared it spur of the moment with some other smart palates. It was well received. Retasting today from the final pour, after I had applied a light chill to the wine. Some around the table thought there might be some stem inclusion in the wine, as it had some of that woodsy spice to it. Dark cherry, with some intense spicyness, almost peppery in tone. Licorice (like with what T's note mentioned), some indian spices/herbal thing going on, which stays through the finish. While this has some of the Pisoni depth/darkness, what intrigues me about the wine is the sauvage quality, reminding me of cool climate syrah. Very unique vintage for the Estate, and for my final bottle, gonna rest it for another 3-5 years and see what develops.
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Pop and pour. Dark purple color. Nose of black cherries with an interesting dried tangerine peel element. good rich dark fruits, some wood smoke and licorice root. Takes on an earthy finish.
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Pop and pour. Initially tasted with food (grilled prime NY strip steak) and then on its own. Refrigerated and tasted again on the following day. Dark purple color. Nose offers some black fruits and brown spice notes. there is a lovely floral element as well (violets and lilac?). Rich and concentrated, showing a dark fruit profile. Some orange peel comes in and with the acidity gives this some lift. Showed much better on day two - suggesting that this wine be aged longer or given a long decant time. Much rounder and softer on day two, still with a dark fruit flavor profile but not as heavy in mouthfeel.
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Decanted for four hours prior to tasting. Huh. I would like to have shared the joy with other reviewers, but last night's experience was another disappointment. Rhubarb dominated with tannin rising at mid-palate and an overabundance of acid on the finish. I have had several shots at this wine and have yet to find it enticing. I will try again in another year.
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Wow. My third time tasting this producer. This is the first time I've had this experience. Dark cherries, earthy, dried herbs. Plenty of acidity, a little strong on the alcohol and a finish that goes on for over a minute. You can taste the class in this wine. Definitely California, but beautifully done. Will wait a couple years to drink again, but not a mistake to drink now.
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A medium-bodied Pinot that should hit its stride in another year or so. Dark red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry and rhubarb. Tastes of cranberry, dried strawberry, spice, and thyme, with a pleasantly tart finish. 14.2% alcohol. There is an interesting core here, but it needs a little time to unwind and come out of what seems to be a muted stage.
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Pop and pour and served without food. Sometimes you open a wine that is quite good but you realize it would be so much better either with a little more time in the bottle, accompanying food, or time in a decanter, or all three. This is such a wine. Dark ruby red/purple color. Nose shows some forest floor and dark fruits. Hint of toast in the nose. This is a rich wine with layers and depth of flavor. There is good acidity too. It is just a little tight at this point. I expect this will move into the outstanding category with a year plus in the cellar.
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2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): This medium ruby wine offers a rich core of loamy earth and wild berries, accented by allspice and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with some tannic grip, it rounds out in the middle, gaining depth and persistence. An additional year or two in the cellar will likely be beneficial. Drink 2017-2023.
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4/9/2024 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
Based on our previous TNs we decanted this bottle for 20 minutes and cooled it to true room temp (~68F). The result was a very enjoyable bottle of this great wine. The color was dark purple and there were lots of dark red and some black fruits on the nose. These dark red and black fruits were joined by a hefty dose of spice, some earth and light minerality on the medium plus bodied palate with acidity that was up to the task of balancing the fruit. This wine probably has many enjoyable years ahead.
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4/8/2024 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Surprised, given the year. Good, but not great. Lacking some intensity. 92/93
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12/18/2023 - t_moderne wrote: flawed
Corked!
@*#^@%!
Tasted a bit; it shows that it had the right stuf but muted. The musty nose just made it undrinkable.
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12/3/2023 - VlgJeff wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 20 minutes and chilled to 68F. Very similar experience to our previous bottle of 10/8 but with the loss of a shade or two of brightness and the appearance of just a hint of alcohol on the finish -- which we sincerely hope is just due to bottle variation.
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10/8/2023 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 93 Points
We don't usually have the same wine in rapid succession but the salmon with a brown sugar/mustard glaze/sauce seemed to call out for this.
Based on our previous TN we decanted this bottle for 20 minutes and cooled it to true room temp (~68F). The result was an even more enjoyable version of this great wine. The color was dark purple and there were lots of dark red and some black fruits on the nose. These dark red and black fruits were joined by a hefty dose of spice, some earth and light minerality on the medium plus bodied palate. The acidity was up to the task of balancing the fruit and there was just a hint of drying tannins on the finish. With some air this wine really comes into its own and probably has many years ahead.
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10/4/2023 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decided to shorten the aeration and this bottle was significantly better than our previous.
Slo-oxed for 25 minutes yielding a medium plus purple color with lots of dark red fruits on the nose. These dark red fruits (black cherry/berry) amplified on the medium to plus palate as they were joined by a solid dose of spice, some earth, nicely balancing acidity and a touch of drying tannins on the finish. Not as deep or expressive as the 2012, but quite satisfying, and with many years ahead.
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7/26/2023 - VlgJeff wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour and a half to the beginning of dinner and an additional hour to the last sips, with no discernible difference. Our first bottle of this vintage and the wine did not wow us as much as the previous 3 vintages (2012, 2011, 2010).
The medium bodied palate showed the dark red fruit and spice, but with less intensity than those previous vintages. There was also some earth, just a touch of tannin and relatively balancing acidity. May try our next bottle with just a short slo-ox.
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9/4/2022 - bottles.and.bites wrote: 95 Points
Roasted mushroom with rosemary, strawberry, cherry. Cranberry bitterness on the finish with a saline kick. Earthiness is primary on the nose, but fruit shows it self on the palate. Tannins are still quite present & acidity is fresh and apparent. This still has many years if not decades left, sad it was my last bottle. I wish to drink this again in 2032.
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8/27/2022 - DrBad Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened a magnum and aired in the bottle for about an hour before enjoying with seared duck breast in blackberry glaze. Excellent wine and perfect match for the dinner. Lots of fruit! Blackberry, blueberry, herbs, smoky with crushed rock minerality. In a perfect place now but still 5-10 years of drinking left.
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8/16/2022 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptionally strong showing. Rich, alive, deep, not ponderous. Delicious.
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1/31/2022 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 95 Points
14.8% abv. Burgundy red, very aromatic. Cherry, raspberry, bright crunchy red fruit. Great depth and length, very energetic. A delicious Pinot at the top of its game. Drink now or over the next 5-8 years.
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12/23/2021 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.2% abv. Medium burgundy, moderate aromatics upon opening. Raspberry, crabapple and forest floor on the palate. Less boisterous than I expect from this wine, but very well behaved, well balanced, poised. Many years of enjoyment remain.
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8/1/2021 - Beezc Likes this wine: 93 Points
It needed a good hour decant before it started opening up. About 3 hrs in I started getting secondary notes. Nice bottle of wine.
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5/29/2021 - whitmanlholt wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine. On the nose, I get cherries (both red and black), wet earth, and a touch of spice. In the mouth, this is generally crunchy, with tart cherries and some slight cola aspects; the cola continues on the finish where it meets a returning earthy element. Overall, this is a fleshier and fuller expression of Pinot Noir. The wine was fine, but I felt it was somewhat nondescript and never really engaging (in contrast to, say, the 2008 Pisoni). This certainly was not a showing consistent with the price. Oh well. 89 points.
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8/20/2020 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This Pinot is spicy with notes of dark cherries, dried herbs and plenty of acidity. Strong earth notes on the finish but you must decant this for an hour or so to fully enjoy its secondary flavors.
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1/7/2020 - JohnnyShiraz wrote: 90 Points
Young with tart notes, it needs more aging, open in 2022
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11/28/2019 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Pisoni Estate wine. Lots on the nose and some good dark red fruit. Wine was decanted for 2 hours and went great with our Thanksgiving feast. Tried it against a Ridge MB 1997. Two different wines and hard to compare. Long finish for the Pisoni but the fruit was still big and bold. Probably hold for another 1-2 years.
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9/6/2019 - murray57 wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely beautiful, showing dark blue, deep crimson colors, and bouquet of the Pisoni spice to die for. 6 years old, crazy perfect age for Cali Pinot. This one wants many more years. Been tasting and collecting Pisoni estate for over 10 years. This vintage is very age-able. So pleasurable to drink. Maybe have to open another......addicting.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like clove. It tastes like blackberry, raspberry, dust, forest floor and nutmeg.
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8/25/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
2019 Suntacular--Champagne Tasting to raise money for Laura's House: Happy to follow T's note, as he and I have similar palates. This was leftover from last night, when I shared it spur of the moment with some other smart palates. It was well received. Retasting today from the final pour, after I had applied a light chill to the wine. Some around the table thought there might be some stem inclusion in the wine, as it had some of that woodsy spice to it. Dark cherry, with some intense spicyness, almost peppery in tone. Licorice (like with what T's note mentioned), some indian spices/herbal thing going on, which stays through the finish. While this has some of the Pisoni depth/darkness, what intrigues me about the wine is the sauvage quality, reminding me of cool climate syrah. Very unique vintage for the Estate, and for my final bottle, gonna rest it for another 3-5 years and see what develops.
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8/17/2019 - t_moderne wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour.
Dark purple color.
Nose of black cherries with an interesting dried tangerine peel element.
good rich dark fruits, some wood smoke and licorice root. Takes on an earthy finish.
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2/5/2019 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Initially tasted with food (grilled prime NY strip steak) and then on its own. Refrigerated and tasted again on the following day.
Dark purple color.
Nose offers some black fruits and brown spice notes. there is a lovely floral element as well (violets and lilac?).
Rich and concentrated, showing a dark fruit profile. Some orange peel comes in and with the acidity gives this some lift.
Showed much better on day two - suggesting that this wine be aged longer or given a long decant time.
Much rounder and softer on day two, still with a dark fruit flavor profile but not as heavy in mouthfeel.
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1/2/2019 - SMZ wrote: 94 Points
Quessential Pisoni...big, bold and sumptuous
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10/27/2018 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs more time, enjoyable but it will get better.
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10/6/2018 - SMZ wrote: 94 Points
Another Pisoni winner....sumptuous and bursting with awesome flavors
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10/4/2018 - jeagle wrote:
Decanted for four hours prior to tasting. Huh. I would like to have shared the joy with other reviewers, but last night's experience was another disappointment. Rhubarb dominated with tannin rising at mid-palate and an overabundance of acid on the finish. I have had several shots at this wine and have yet to find it enticing. I will try again in another year.
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7/1/2018 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
WX Blind Pinot Noir Tasting (Danny Aliaga's House): Another solid showing from Pisoni Estate.
Super cola notes. Very clean. Lots of fruit. Limited notes.
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6/6/2018 - DrBad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blueberry and briary blackberry aromas. Almost syrupy with tobacco flavors.
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12/31/2017 - MTwine66 wrote: 90 Points
Still could age. Little Bigger style Pinot. Good. It would wait a bit to let it round or more.
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6/19/2017 - hawkeye54 wrote: 95 Points
Wow. My third time tasting this producer. This is the first time I've had this experience. Dark cherries, earthy, dried herbs. Plenty of acidity, a little strong on the alcohol and a finish that goes on for over a minute. You can taste the class in this wine. Definitely California, but beautifully done. Will wait a couple years to drink again, but not a mistake to drink now.
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11/21/2016 - msuwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
A medium-bodied Pinot that should hit its stride in another year or so. Dark red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry and rhubarb. Tastes of cranberry, dried strawberry, spice, and thyme, with a pleasantly tart finish. 14.2% alcohol. There is an interesting core here, but it needs a little time to unwind and come out of what seems to be a muted stage.
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2/28/2016 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour and served without food. Sometimes you open a wine that is quite good but you realize it would be so much better either with a little more time in the bottle, accompanying food, or time in a decanter, or all three. This is such a wine.
Dark ruby red/purple color. Nose shows some forest floor and dark fruits. Hint of toast in the nose. This is a rich wine with layers and depth of flavor. There is good acidity too. It is just a little tight at this point.
I expect this will move into the outstanding category with a year plus in the cellar.
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10/24/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): This medium ruby wine offers a rich core of loamy earth and wild berries, accented by allspice and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with some tannic grip, it rounds out in the middle, gaining depth and persistence. An additional year or two in the cellar will likely be beneficial. Drink 2017-2023.
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