Prior bottle was 17 months ago and this wine is truly showing spectacularly well at present. Nose is not quite as aromatic as previously, but still shows a lot of black raspberry and balanced spices. Full bodied with deep blackfruit notes both upfront and through the middle (especially black cherry, black raspberry and plum). Mid-body fruit shows depth and elegance with notes of blackberry and tart black cherry providing the backside contrast. Spices, mineral and earth through the finish. As much fruit as this wine has (and shows), its the elegance and balance that set this wine apart. The mid-body in particular was beautiful and integration has improved since my prior bottle while the fruit has been able to maintain good definition. I was very pleased with how well this, my final bottle showed. Drink over the next 12-18 months to enjoy this peak.
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The Bevan pinots have really grown on me. Especially the 13's. Have enjoyed them. Drank this one in Death Valley. Really quite good. Certainly more full-bodied than most and lacks the back of the tongue acidity that many have.
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Flavorful and balanced Pinot and perhaps a bit better than when I last tasted over 2 years ago. This wine is full of rich ripe dark and red fruits along with Asian spice and tea leaves.
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Prior bottle was 16 months ago and this wine continues to improve along the same lines as my prior bottles. Huge nose; even bigger than the 2012 Wren Hop Daughters of Earth it was drunk alongside with lots of black raspberry, plum and balanced spices aromas. Full bodied and for as big as this wine certainly is, the balance it shows is really impressive. All black cherry and black raspberry upfront and through the middle. Plum comes in towards the back along with tart black cherry and blackberry. The contrast here is pronounced and positive. When the tart notes are combined with the depth of mid-body fruit and bridged with a very pleasant mix of spice notes, mineral and earth, the wine comes across with refined power and elegance. Exactly as I'd hoped, balance was the biggest positive improvement since my last bottle. I will save my last bottle for June/July 2020.
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Prior bottle was nearly 15 months ago (again) and this bottle showed at least as well, maybe even a bit better. Very aromatic nose with lots of black raspberry and less overt vanilla than previously. Full bodied and while the fruit remains massive, it was much better balanced than the prior bottle with additional nuances and improved integration. Opened 2 hours ahead of time and drunk over an additional 2, extended time wasn't as necessary for this bottle. The fruit profile remained almost identical with black raspberry and black cherry upfront, deep, rich plum/blackfruit through the middle and tart black cherry and brighter blackberry towards the back. Spice notes show up towards the back, but more in balance with the fruit now and when coupled with the tart blackfruit backside notes, provide very good contrast. Complexity throughout has improved as there are hints of red fruits in all phases; not enough to take away from the blackfruit-dominant style, but enough to provide pretty comparisons. Balance and integration are where this wine has improved the most. The fruit and structure qualities are much more harmonious, leading to that feel of power with elegance and depth. Should continue to improve with a possible peak in 12-18 months. I'll try my next bottle in June/July 2019.
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I was a bit hesitant initially given some of the comments from the well respected CSIMM in his notes. Maybe I waited just long enough as I found this a gem with lovely black fruit and spice. It is big but demonstrated some complexities and nuances that made it interesting. The bold fruit is definitely Russell Bevan’s style a nd you either like it or you don’t. I happen to enjoy it a great deal. I had a single vineyard Kosta Browne of the same vintage along side this and they coexisted just fine!!
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Better than the last time I had this wine a few months ago. Much less of the muddled, goofy behavior, but still a big a** Pinot with a fistful of fruit and spice rocketing right to your face. Don't decant. PnP and keep cool (<54 degrees).
If you like delicate Pinots, move to France where the likelihood of you running into Russell Bevan is slim.
This behaved a little goofy for me this time around. A medicinal aftertaste crept up on the back end that competed oddly with the huge blast of extracted fruit. Barely a Pinot.
I have enjoyed this wine in the past, so I'll let remaining bottles sit for a while in hopes they calm down and hopefully don't collapse and become muddled messes.
This wine wasn't a total disaster, but it was less enjoyable for me than previous occasions. 90-ish points this time. Hold for 6-8 months.
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Well, the ups and down with Bevan continue for me. This was just too much like grape juice. Lots of fruit, but not in the rich, well integrated sense of it. Cherries dominate the pallet, with somewhat of a harsh flavor profile. For me, Bevan's style just isn't meant for pinot. Extracting all that fruit just makes it very one dimensional and this grape doesn't seem well poised to handle it.
Same as all of my other notes. Best served cooler to corral all of that ripe fruit. PnP is recommended. Don't bother with a decant. Drink now and over the next few years.
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Chris' Farewell Dinner at WF OB: Super big and rich styling per the usual with Bevan wines - even the Pinots. Big and peppery with lots of earth and fruit in general. Long finish with a touch of heat. Fruit city.
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PnP drank at the Derby and didn't have the time to let it decant. Beautiful nose of red and dark berry. Great balance and texture. This wine would probably be best with 4 hour decant. Has plenty of time to cellar.
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Prior bottle was nearly 15 months ago (February 2016) and tonight was another great showing for this wine. Nearly identical nose of soft raspberry and vanilla. Opened an hour ahead of time but needed two before it was actually ready and a total of between 4-5 to really show its best. Close to full bodied (14.3% ABV), but with exceptional depth and extremely good balance. Acidity and tannins were both noticeably dominant early, but given time they came into balance; the wine still drinks quite young. Black raspberry and black cherry upfront (very expressive) adding deeper, richer notes of plum and blueberry along with contrasting notes of tart blackberry and tart cherry. Rather than redfruit hints in the back, it feels like the wine is ever so slowly moving to the red end of spectrum, picking up integration and balance along the way. This wine is coming together quite well and has at least a year, probably 2 before it even hits peak. When the tannins and acidity come into full balance with the fruit, it could jump to a whole other level. This is well worth being patient; next bottle in late spring/early summer 2018.
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Really good, deep and flavorful Pinot Noir (not over extracted). Great balance of acidity, wood and fruit. Has more red and black berry flavors rather than cranberry or pomegranate. This is my favorite Bevan pinot so far.
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Same as all of my other notes on this wine. Really nice, and a deep, dark-pitched soul of a Pinot. If you love high toned red cranberry types of Pinots, then pack a suitcase full of Cran-apple fruit cocktails and get as far away from this monster as possible.
This wine put a Mike Tyson hurtin' on a Goldeneye Pinot served next to it. The Goldeneye tasted (and looked) like cranberry water next to the Bevan.
Served as a PnP, which was perfect. No need for a decant. 94 solid points for tonight's showing. This was a bit more intense and interesting than the 2014 version I had a few days prior. The 2014 lost a little endurance after a few hours of air. This 2013 presented as a beautifully driven wine by comparison.
I see that I'm rating this higher than others, so clearly my bias for broad-shouldered Pinots is showing a bit. So, fair warning, I'm not much of an "In the Pursuit of Balance" kinda guy. Not that I don't always seek out balance in the wines I consume, but I don't seek it out at the expense of everything else I love about the characteristics of wine... complexity, intensity, tiered flavors, etc. For me, a Pinot should be 14.5% ABV, not 12.1%.
I can see why others find this wine a little simple or brutish for their preferences, but I feel like it makes up for it in depth, viscosity, and a mouth-coating profile that grabs one's attention. No real fining or filtering here, so grab a toothpick and drink up!
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Same as my notes from April, except that this was extremely accessible this time around. PnP was fairly ready right out of the gate. A few hours in the decanter was nice, but really not entirely necessary for me. Big but balanced, with acid and backbone in check. Ripe, but not so much that it came off muddled or sloppy in any way whatsoever.
This is a big Pinot, and as others have mentioned, it may not be for everybody. If you know Russell, then you know what you are getting into... No surprises here, as this Pinot follows suit with the majority of Bevan's other wines. Some will say it is too extracted, over the top, and lacking finesse. Fair points to some degree, but to me, good is just good... And this is very good to me.
Drink now and over the next 3-5 years. Very enjoyable and right in my wheelhouse.
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A bunch of mostly Cal Cabs (MOCA (Cleveland)): This would not a Pinot for Burgundy lovers, that's for sure. The nose has black raspberries, black cherries and sandalwood. The flavors on the palate match. Some tannins. This is big and fruit filled and one of the more open and accessible 2013's I have had so far. Bevan's always seem to drink great early and this is true here as well. I liked it very much but it is a different take on Pinot, even for CA.
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A BIG Pinot, with hefty doses of oak. Drank over two days, and it got better, but if you're sitting on this I'd hold 1-2 years before opening for it to come together. Currently it doesn't justify the price tag.
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Pnp. Initially tart red fruit. After an hour is was smooth and milk chocolate, pomegranate and strawberry with tart raspberry. Almost no black or blue fruits. Supposed to be the biggest and fruit forward Pinot of the release, but needs a little more time or air to show off what is has in store. Not as approachable as the 2012.
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Motivated by AGEVERETT's most recent note on this wine (and in the name of science of course), I decided to pop the cork on one of these guys; I had not tried this since 11/15/2015. Thankfully, this was nowhere near as high-pitched and tart on the initial PnP as it was 5 months ago. Initial, specific notes included black raspberry, black cherry, cranberry, spicebox (with a little of that spiced heat you would find in bourbon - but not astringent or over alcohol-ridden), and some earth. Scored in the 92-93+ range for me on the first sips.
It was still just a little tight and linear on PnP, so I decided to decant for 2-3 hours in hopes I would have a repeat of the last time I tried this in November in terms of the explosion of flavors that occurred after a good amount of air. True to form, a few hours of air really brought out the primary flavors into an arena where they were allowed to expand on the palate and offer a medley of red and black berry fruit flavors, spice, and earth. It fanned out and mellowed out at the same time, becoming more seamless over the course of 3 hours.
It needed the air for sure. And I still feel like it needs at least 6-12 months of good ol' fashioned bottle integration to truly shape into proper form. I gave it a 94-95 points this go-around because I did notice the slightest bit of disjointedness on the back end. Still a really fun wine full of great flavors, but not delivering at 100% by any means yet (at least, I hope this wasn't an example of it firing on all cylinders, as it was missing just a little bit of "oomph" right now; still pretty enjoyable in my mind though).
Full disclosure: We had really spicy food tonight, which would have probably killed even the heartiest of red wines by a good bit. I think the harissa and chorizo did a good job of deadening my palate a little toward the end.
Hold until the end of 2016 and/or into 2017. Very good now in my opinion, but not where it should be...yet...
Pulled from cellar and got about an hour of air in the bottle. Drank over 2.5 hours. Definitely a rich/heavy pinot, but not as heavy as the 1376' version. A bit more focused and balanced. Raspberries certainly come through, though not in a tart way. Low acidity. Nice enough stuff, just not getting any sort of "wow" factor or really seeing this as a $75 pinot.
Now looking at CSIMM's note below, I think I really need to either start exercising some patience with these Bevan pinots, or give them a good decant.
Raspberry and vanilla on the nose. Very young at this stage and took at least two hours to open up, but once it did, wow! Rich and full bodied, but at the same time, remaining balanced and elegant. This is a big wine, but it's not lush, over-extracted or fruit forward. Outstanding complexity and variety of fruit through the middle showing the full range of blackfruit upfront (blackberry, black cherry, raspberry) with softer, deeper notes of blueberry and plum and then brightening into the finish with more redfruit notes, especially red cherry. Plenty of acidity throughout to balance the fruit and impressive length on the solidly mineral finish. As good as this wine is right now (given time open) it's only going to get better as the middle opens up more in the coming years. Yet another outstanding pinot from Russell Bevan!
PnP with tight, acidic high-pitched red berries, pomegranate, strawberry, and a touch of medicinal bay leaf on the alcoholic finish. It seemed like it desperately needed air (and also seemed like actual integration time in bottle was more appropriate) and I was initially concerned that its infancy would ultimately prohibit it from being a pleasurable drink this time around.
However, after about 45 minutes in a wide-bottomed decanter at cellar temperature, this wine blossomed into a completely different animal. What a transformation! I have never had a wine change so much with just a bit of air. Layers of rich, sweet red and black berry fruits, black cherry, deep raspberry, dark plum, and a medley of baking spices (cinnamon, cardamom, anise, clove). Some earthy, forest floor notes and a hint of black tea added interest as well.
A total of about 2 hours of air turned this wine into a delectable Pinot. Texturally, the Petaluma Gap is truly like liquid velvet, coating the palate with a finish that lasts 45+ seconds. This epitomizes vintage Russell Bevan, with his uncanny ability to deliver amazing, powerful fruit purity, without going over the precipice of over-extraction or over-ripening.
I would recommend about an hour decant if drinking now, or hold until late 2016. 96+. Highly recommended.
PS: I notice this wine is listed twice on Cellar Tracker. One with the Gap's Crown notation (this post), and one that just lists it as Petaluma Gap. The same was true with the 2012. I decided to put my tasting note on this post (Gap's Crown) to be consistent with what others did on the 2012 Petaluma Gap Gap's Crown posting. I did notice a couple others posted some notes on the other 2013 Petaluma Gap posting.
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If you miss the green day, you will like it. This is not an elegant and well-balanced Pinot Noir. I feel more passion and zeal from it, which is just like a teenager with a brazenly lion heart. All the plays start from candid cherry and smoky nose providing vivid and bright characters. On the palate, red fruits, licorice, and a hint of sweetness dressed with light acidity. It does remind me the youth days. I don't expect to be moved in this way. However, it might be a reflection from Russell Bevan's passion on wine making. It's time to revisit the vintage photo book.
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5/31/2021 - cweiner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still at its height. Would love to restock if it became available.
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4/18/2021 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prior bottle was 17 months ago and this wine is truly showing spectacularly well at present. Nose is not quite as aromatic as previously, but still shows a lot of black raspberry and balanced spices. Full bodied with deep blackfruit notes both upfront and through the middle (especially black cherry, black raspberry and plum). Mid-body fruit shows depth and elegance with notes of blackberry and tart black cherry providing the backside contrast. Spices, mineral and earth through the finish. As much fruit as this wine has (and shows), its the elegance and balance that set this wine apart. The mid-body in particular was beautiful and integration has improved since my prior bottle while the fruit has been able to maintain good definition. I was very pleased with how well this, my final bottle showed. Drink over the next 12-18 months to enjoy this peak.
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3/17/2021 - cweiner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nothing to add- just delightful.
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3/1/2021 - cweiner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Take your time and enjoy.
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11/5/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The Bevan pinots have really grown on me. Especially the 13's. Have enjoyed them. Drank this one in Death Valley. Really quite good. Certainly more full-bodied than most and lacks the back of the tongue acidity that many have.
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10/1/2020 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinks better cold.
Good on PnP.
Cherry, asian spice.
Full bodied, dark fruit
Me - 93, Wife - 95
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9/8/2020 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flavorful and balanced Pinot and perhaps a bit better than when I last tasted over 2 years ago. This wine is full of rich ripe dark and red fruits along with Asian spice and tea leaves.
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11/23/2019 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prior bottle was 16 months ago and this wine continues to improve along the same lines as my prior bottles. Huge nose; even bigger than the 2012 Wren Hop Daughters of Earth it was drunk alongside with lots of black raspberry, plum and balanced spices aromas. Full bodied and for as big as this wine certainly is, the balance it shows is really impressive. All black cherry and black raspberry upfront and through the middle. Plum comes in towards the back along with tart black cherry and blackberry. The contrast here is pronounced and positive. When the tart notes are combined with the depth of mid-body fruit and bridged with a very pleasant mix of spice notes, mineral and earth, the wine comes across with refined power and elegance. Exactly as I'd hoped, balance was the biggest positive improvement since my last bottle. I will save my last bottle for June/July 2020.
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7/18/2018 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prior bottle was nearly 15 months ago (again) and this bottle showed at least as well, maybe even a bit better. Very aromatic nose with lots of black raspberry and less overt vanilla than previously. Full bodied and while the fruit remains massive, it was much better balanced than the prior bottle with additional nuances and improved integration. Opened 2 hours ahead of time and drunk over an additional 2, extended time wasn't as necessary for this bottle. The fruit profile remained almost identical with black raspberry and black cherry upfront, deep, rich plum/blackfruit through the middle and tart black cherry and brighter blackberry towards the back. Spice notes show up towards the back, but more in balance with the fruit now and when coupled with the tart blackfruit backside notes, provide very good contrast. Complexity throughout has improved as there are hints of red fruits in all phases; not enough to take away from the blackfruit-dominant style, but enough to provide pretty comparisons. Balance and integration are where this wine has improved the most. The fruit and structure qualities are much more harmonious, leading to that feel of power with elegance and depth. Should continue to improve with a possible peak in 12-18 months. I'll try my next bottle in June/July 2019.
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2/1/2018 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was a bit hesitant initially given some of the comments from the well respected CSIMM in his notes. Maybe I waited just long enough as I found this a gem with lovely black fruit and spice. It is big but demonstrated some complexities and nuances that made it interesting. The bold fruit is definitely Russell Bevan’s style a nd you either like it or you don’t. I happen to enjoy it a great deal. I had a single vineyard Kosta Browne of the same vintage along side this and they coexisted just fine!!
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1/18/2018 - csimm wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last time I had this wine a few months ago. Much less of the muddled, goofy behavior, but still a big a** Pinot with a fistful of fruit and spice rocketing right to your face. Don't decant. PnP and keep cool (<54 degrees).
If you like delicate Pinots, move to France where the likelihood of you running into Russell Bevan is slim.
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11/20/2017 - csimm wrote: 90 Points
This behaved a little goofy for me this time around. A medicinal aftertaste crept up on the back end that competed oddly with the huge blast of extracted fruit. Barely a Pinot.
I have enjoyed this wine in the past, so I'll let remaining bottles sit for a while in hopes they calm down and hopefully don't collapse and become muddled messes.
This wine wasn't a total disaster, but it was less enjoyable for me than previous occasions. 90-ish points this time. Hold for 6-8 months.
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9/27/2017 - Cristal2000 wrote: 89 Points
Well, the ups and down with Bevan continue for me. This was just too much like grape juice. Lots of fruit, but not in the rich, well integrated sense of it. Cherries dominate the pallet, with somewhat of a harsh flavor profile. For me, Bevan's style just isn't meant for pinot. Extracting all that fruit just makes it very one dimensional and this grape doesn't seem well poised to handle it.
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7/13/2017 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Same as all of my other notes. Best served cooler to corral all of that ripe fruit. PnP is recommended. Don't bother with a decant. Drink now and over the next few years.
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6/17/2017 - daloz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing
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5/31/2017 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Chris' Farewell Dinner at WF OB: Super big and rich styling per the usual with Bevan wines - even the Pinots.
Big and peppery with lots of earth and fruit in general. Long finish with a touch of heat. Fruit city.
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5/11/2017 - Wine Warrior 1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP drank at the Derby and didn't have the time to let it decant. Beautiful nose of red and dark berry. Great balance and texture. This wine would probably be best with 4 hour decant. Has plenty of time to cellar.
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4/29/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prior bottle was nearly 15 months ago (February 2016) and tonight was another great showing for this wine. Nearly identical nose of soft raspberry and vanilla. Opened an hour ahead of time but needed two before it was actually ready and a total of between 4-5 to really show its best. Close to full bodied (14.3% ABV), but with exceptional depth and extremely good balance. Acidity and tannins were both noticeably dominant early, but given time they came into balance; the wine still drinks quite young. Black raspberry and black cherry upfront (very expressive) adding deeper, richer notes of plum and blueberry along with contrasting notes of tart blackberry and tart cherry. Rather than redfruit hints in the back, it feels like the wine is ever so slowly moving to the red end of spectrum, picking up integration and balance along the way. This wine is coming together quite well and has at least a year, probably 2 before it even hits peak. When the tannins and acidity come into full balance with the fruit, it could jump to a whole other level. This is well worth being patient; next bottle in late spring/early summer 2018.
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3/7/2017 - jeffmudd wrote: 94 Points
Simply tremendous
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3/4/2017 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really good, deep and flavorful Pinot Noir (not over extracted). Great balance of acidity, wood and fruit. Has more red and black berry flavors rather than cranberry or pomegranate. This is my favorite Bevan pinot so far.
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2/17/2017 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Same as all of my other notes on this wine. Really nice, and a deep, dark-pitched soul of a Pinot. If you love high toned red cranberry types of Pinots, then pack a suitcase full of Cran-apple fruit cocktails and get as far away from this monster as possible.
This wine put a Mike Tyson hurtin' on a Goldeneye Pinot served next to it. The Goldeneye tasted (and looked) like cranberry water next to the Bevan.
Served as a PnP, which was perfect. No need for a decant. 94 solid points for tonight's showing. This was a bit more intense and interesting than the 2014 version I had a few days prior. The 2014 lost a little endurance after a few hours of air. This 2013 presented as a beautifully driven wine by comparison.
I see that I'm rating this higher than others, so clearly my bias for broad-shouldered Pinots is showing a bit. So, fair warning, I'm not much of an "In the Pursuit of Balance" kinda guy. Not that I don't always seek out balance in the wines I consume, but I don't seek it out at the expense of everything else I love about the characteristics of wine... complexity, intensity, tiered flavors, etc. For me, a Pinot should be 14.5% ABV, not 12.1%.
I can see why others find this wine a little simple or brutish for their preferences, but I feel like it makes up for it in depth, viscosity, and a mouth-coating profile that grabs one's attention. No real fining or filtering here, so grab a toothpick and drink up!
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11/2/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over two days. The first was a bit uninteresting, but the second was really good. Nice fruit with complexity and fine mouth feel.
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9/24/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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9/13/2016 - Chip W. wrote: 88 Points
Good but not worth the money in my opinion. Caveat, I'm not hugely into Pinot's, the only Pinot I have loved is from Williams Selyem.
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9/11/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Same as my notes from April, except that this was extremely accessible this time around. PnP was fairly ready right out of the gate. A few hours in the decanter was nice, but really not entirely necessary for me. Big but balanced, with acid and backbone in check. Ripe, but not so much that it came off muddled or sloppy in any way whatsoever.
This is a big Pinot, and as others have mentioned, it may not be for everybody. If you know Russell, then you know what you are getting into... No surprises here, as this Pinot follows suit with the majority of Bevan's other wines. Some will say it is too extracted, over the top, and lacking finesse. Fair points to some degree, but to me, good is just good... And this is very good to me.
Drink now and over the next 3-5 years. Very enjoyable and right in my wheelhouse.
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9/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A bunch of mostly Cal Cabs (MOCA (Cleveland)): This would not a Pinot for Burgundy lovers, that's for sure. The nose has black raspberries, black cherries and sandalwood. The flavors on the palate match. Some tannins. This is big and fruit filled and one of the more open and accessible 2013's I have had so far. Bevan's always seem to drink great early and this is true here as well. I liked it very much but it is a different take on Pinot, even for CA.
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6/8/2016 - vancouvermatt wrote: 90 Points
A BIG Pinot, with hefty doses of oak. Drank over two days, and it got better, but if you're sitting on this I'd hold 1-2 years before opening for it to come together. Currently it doesn't justify the price tag.
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5/14/2016 - newkid17 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pnp. Initially tart red fruit. After an hour is was smooth and milk chocolate, pomegranate and strawberry with tart raspberry. Almost no black or blue fruits. Supposed to be the biggest and fruit forward Pinot of the release, but needs a little more time or air to show off what is has in store. Not as approachable as the 2012.
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4/14/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Motivated by AGEVERETT's most recent note on this wine (and in the name of science of course), I decided to pop the cork on one of these guys; I had not tried this since 11/15/2015. Thankfully, this was nowhere near as high-pitched and tart on the initial PnP as it was 5 months ago. Initial, specific notes included black raspberry, black cherry, cranberry, spicebox (with a little of that spiced heat you would find in bourbon - but not astringent or over alcohol-ridden), and some earth. Scored in the 92-93+ range for me on the first sips.
It was still just a little tight and linear on PnP, so I decided to decant for 2-3 hours in hopes I would have a repeat of the last time I tried this in November in terms of the explosion of flavors that occurred after a good amount of air. True to form, a few hours of air really brought out the primary flavors into an arena where they were allowed to expand on the palate and offer a medley of red and black berry fruit flavors, spice, and earth. It fanned out and mellowed out at the same time, becoming more seamless over the course of 3 hours.
It needed the air for sure. And I still feel like it needs at least 6-12 months of good ol' fashioned bottle integration to truly shape into proper form. I gave it a 94-95 points this go-around because I did notice the slightest bit of disjointedness on the back end. Still a really fun wine full of great flavors, but not delivering at 100% by any means yet (at least, I hope this wasn't an example of it firing on all cylinders, as it was missing just a little bit of "oomph" right now; still pretty enjoyable in my mind though).
Full disclosure: We had really spicy food tonight, which would have probably killed even the heartiest of red wines by a good bit. I think the harissa and chorizo did a good job of deadening my palate a little toward the end.
Hold until the end of 2016 and/or into 2017. Very good now in my opinion, but not where it should be...yet...
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4/13/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pulled from cellar and got about an hour of air in the bottle. Drank over 2.5 hours. Definitely a rich/heavy pinot, but not as heavy as the 1376' version. A bit more focused and balanced. Raspberries certainly come through, though not in a tart way. Low acidity. Nice enough stuff, just not getting any sort of "wow" factor or really seeing this as a $75 pinot.
Now looking at CSIMM's note below, I think I really need to either start exercising some patience with these Bevan pinots, or give them a good decant.
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2/10/2016 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Raspberry and vanilla on the nose. Very young at this stage and took at least two hours to open up, but once it did, wow! Rich and full bodied, but at the same time, remaining balanced and elegant. This is a big wine, but it's not lush, over-extracted or fruit forward. Outstanding complexity and variety of fruit through the middle showing the full range of blackfruit upfront (blackberry, black cherry, raspberry) with softer, deeper notes of blueberry and plum and then brightening into the finish with more redfruit notes, especially red cherry. Plenty of acidity throughout to balance the fruit and impressive length on the solidly mineral finish. As good as this wine is right now (given time open) it's only going to get better as the middle opens up more in the coming years. Yet another outstanding pinot from Russell Bevan!
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2/1/2016 - webbaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
As with the other Bevan pinot noir, very intense flavors. I like this better than Bevan Rita'a Crown. Not a wimpy pinot.
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1/26/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
2 hour decant.
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1/11/2016 - jhieb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hold, or give it an hour or so of air. Big and very structured. Masculine.
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11/15/2015 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
PnP with tight, acidic high-pitched red berries, pomegranate, strawberry, and a touch of medicinal bay leaf on the alcoholic finish. It seemed like it desperately needed air (and also seemed like actual integration time in bottle was more appropriate) and I was initially concerned that its infancy would ultimately prohibit it from being a pleasurable drink this time around.
However, after about 45 minutes in a wide-bottomed decanter at cellar temperature, this wine blossomed into a completely different animal. What a transformation! I have never had a wine change so much with just a bit of air. Layers of rich, sweet red and black berry fruits, black cherry, deep raspberry, dark plum, and a medley of baking spices (cinnamon, cardamom, anise, clove). Some earthy, forest floor notes and a hint of black tea added interest as well.
A total of about 2 hours of air turned this wine into a delectable Pinot. Texturally, the Petaluma Gap is truly like liquid velvet, coating the palate with a finish that lasts 45+ seconds. This epitomizes vintage Russell Bevan, with his uncanny ability to deliver amazing, powerful fruit purity, without going over the precipice of over-extraction or over-ripening.
I would recommend about an hour decant if drinking now, or hold until late 2016. 96+. Highly recommended.
PS: I notice this wine is listed twice on Cellar Tracker. One with the Gap's Crown notation (this post), and one that just lists it as Petaluma Gap. The same was true with the 2012. I decided to put my tasting note on this post (Gap's Crown) to be consistent with what others did on the 2012 Petaluma Gap Gap's Crown posting. I did notice a couple others posted some notes on the other 2013 Petaluma Gap posting.
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10/31/2015 - RyanWu wrote: 92 Points
If you miss the green day, you will like it. This is not an elegant and well-balanced Pinot Noir. I feel more passion and zeal from it, which is just like a teenager with a brazenly lion heart. All the plays start from candid cherry and smoky nose providing vivid and bright characters. On the palate, red fruits, licorice, and a hint of sweetness dressed with light acidity. It does remind me the youth days. I don't expect to be moved in this way. However, it might be a reflection from Russell Bevan's passion on wine making. It's time to revisit the vintage photo book.
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4/18/2015 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 89 Points
30th Addy Bassin's California Barrel Tasting (The Mandarin Oriental Hotel): 88-90
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