Intensely smoky and gamey on first opening, suggesting it’s well evolved, but quickly opens up to rich, bright, perfumed red fruit (cherry, strawberry), very recognisably Calera, still with enough acidity and a firm backbone to lend structure to the ripeness; still plenty of life in this and no hurry to drink up.
[Update, day 2: the smokiness has softened to a brambly edge to the fruit, with palate even livelier; marginally better today and very, very drinkable.]
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I like this wine now more than I did 4 years ago. It has mellowed and come together with age. Ample fruit, moderate acidity, light earthiness. Drinks well and held up on the second day.
Ruby red in color. Lovely aromas of candied red berries, florals, hint of forest floor. Silky in mouth showing sweet crushed raspberries and cherries, hint of savory spice, medium acidity, no tannins and a medium finish. Nothing spectacular, just great QPR.
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Light translucent ruby red. Wonderful aromas of red berry candy, spice, hint of forest floor and florals. Spicy sweet cherries/raspberries dominate the palate with medium acidity, and a long perfumed finish. Excellent QPR.
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Needs at least a 30 minute slo-ox to open. A medium bodied wine with cherry as the predominant fruit, with balancing acidity. There is also a good dose of spice, some earth and minerality, and mostly integrated tannins. Should hold for at least a couple of years.
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A very easy sipping wine that was most enjoyable on a late summer evening. Tart cherry comes through with a little bit of spice. The light body makes it very easy to drink and the wine is showing quite well now.
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Much like Burgundy so with the US the Producer matters a lot when it comes to Pinot. Albeit new world Pinot is not our style of wine in Calera we found a producer that can deliver. Granted this is an entry level of wine so it is a bit less concentrated and a bit more on the sweeter side, good cherry fell, soft smoky at times, light spice. Medium bodied wine , good 89
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Light ruby red. Aromas of candied berries, forest floor and hint of violets. Light to medium bodied shows sweet red berries, medium (-) acidity, no evidence of tannins and a perfumed and spicy finish. Always consistent QPR and such an easy quaff.
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Definitely Pinot, definitely California. I opened this up for a party (where I wasn't drinking). It was fine, but not exciting enough to make me pour a glass for myself. This didn't have the tannins for the last half-glass to hold up into the evening. It was still drinkable, but starting to fall apart as there was less and less in the glass. For entry level pinot, you can do much worse. Rating this for what it is.
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Still doing well, best after being open for two hours. On the lighter side, and the flavors are fairly straightforward. But it is a nice example of an entry level Pinot.
Ripe and rich CA Pinot. Not a wine for a Burgophile, but should please a wide range of palates. While not my favorite, I can enjoy Pinot in this style as well as Burg, OR, and lower octane CA versions. It's well made in this style and not overdone, though there was a slight roasted, toasty oak note on the finish that I'm not very fond of.
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A bit heavier than expected, but exhibits an unmistakable pinot character in the nose and on the palette. Just not quite as distinctive as other Calera offerings.
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A nice basic Pinot. Probably a step up from cheaper wines in terms of overall build. This speaks vaguely of the Central Coast. The blend includes something like 8-10 vineyards. Some prominent locations that I did not know Calera purchased from. Pretty good for the money. Enough acidity to make it work. On the lean side and not picked too late. Solid.
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Drank this at dinner with a grilled steak in Brussels with family. Lovely cherry and spicy fruit. Intense and structured but a bit soft around the edges - something which the single vineyard pinot don’t have. Lovely wine, I could drink this every day.
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Lots of earthy aromas with a nice splash of red fruits and soda ash. I’ve had better California Pinots but this has a very good quality to price ratio. You can drink this any day of the week and enjoy a good wine with many styles of meals.
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Bara för mycket, opersonlig endimensionell ekplanka.lite bättre efter 2 kastrulleringar. Väldigt långt ifrån Bourgogne. Påminner mer om Petite syrah. Löjlig prissättning.
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For entry level Pinot this one is hard to beat. Juicy nose, red fruit spectrum on palate, medium finish. Not a wine to contemplate over an evening, but not designed to do so. Handled grilled lamb chops well, and fine by itself. Good QPR.
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Medium-translucent crimson color. New world nose of sweet spices, a touch of vanilla, and some dry leather aromas. This has a rich and juicy palate of languid black fruit potpourri, and perfume, with a lingering sweet note of vanilla. I could have gone for a bit less oak on this one but, for $25, you could do a lot worse in the Pinot Noir category.
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This is a nice “base Pinot Noir” with both red and black fruit, where cranberries dominate, and some herbal notes both on nose and palate. Nice and mouthwatering acidity that give some energy to the wine and we get a fine grained tannic structure.
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Smoky, fresh dig beet root, ripe cherry and wild strawberry nose. Ripe, medium bodied palate with good acidity and balancing bitterness. Flavorful, juicy finish. One of the better Californian Pinots I've sampled in a long time. Best if open in a decanter for a while. 4/5
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As expected a nice solid bottle of wine with lots of red ripe fruit a complex fragrance with floral and light spice notes. Nice texture and mouth feel and a complex finish with fruit and spices. great with a savory and lightly spicy, cajun roasted chicken.
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Aromas of berries and tea. More Burgundian than the usual Cali Pinot. Needed about an hour in glass to really open up and show well. Nice for the price.
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Light medium red color; savory, cranberry, tart red fruit nose; tasty, savory, cranberry, tart red fruit palate with good balancing acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish
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As always a true pleasure to drink. Nothing terribly complex about this wine, if anything it is a crowd pleaser par excellence. But the balance and length here is stunning. The wine never loses focus and the aftertaste goes on. You keep reaching for another sip. It's what you want in a US pinot.
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Very solid cali pinot with indeed good burg qualities. We like this wine. It is alwaus good just a bit straightforward. Good color nose and fruit. This needs another your in the bottle
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This was too tannic when opened for sipping - it was very good when served with grilled thin sausage/(kabanos) while tailgating at a Jets game - so it worked in that respect - but not as a stand alone pinot noir - perhaps its too young - and the depth and balance of this wine was underwhelming - given the anticipation ....
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Light red color. Rather glossy. Smells like raspberry tea, with some faint loam. This evokes flavors of fresh forest raspberries, wth that wee bit of tart. There is a pleasant lingering black tea accent on the back end. Some light sour. This is a wine of finesse. This is Dujac Morey St. Denis comes to America. 91
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Raspberry, spices and forest on the nose, bright acidity, cola, cherries, spice, raspberry and mineral flavors, great food pn, had with turkey, gravy and mushroom stuffing, nicely balanced, the mid palate is incredibly refreshing, always a treat every vintage
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Medium ruby in color, this wine reveals strawberry, raspberry, rose petals and sassafras on the nose. The mouth feel is medium bodied with added elements of cherry compote and baking spices. The finish is complex and long with copious levels of fruit that intertwine with the acidity and keep the 14.1% abv well in the background.
Purchased for $16US/375ml, this is a seriously good offering that offers excellent value. It was a superb pairing with my crab cake dinner alone tonight.
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Tasted non-blind in a curated lineup of 20 wines at a wine bar. Wine #9. Very bright strawberry nose. More strawberries on the palate along with rubber and oak. Medium plus length finish that ends with some oak. Medium plus acidity.
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6/29/2022 - SussexRH Likes this wine: 88 Points
Intensely smoky and gamey on first opening, suggesting it’s well evolved, but quickly opens up to rich, bright, perfumed red fruit (cherry, strawberry), very recognisably Calera, still with enough acidity and a firm backbone to lend structure to the ripeness; still plenty of life in this and no hurry to drink up.
[Update, day 2: the smokiness has softened to a brambly edge to the fruit, with palate even livelier; marginally better today and very, very drinkable.]
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5/25/2021 - MMiazga Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright cherries, raspberries and a little earth. Smooth but plenty of acidity to hold this a few more years. Drinkable now but wish I held longer.
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2/2/2021 - Reblin Likes this wine: 90 Points
I like this wine now more than I did 4 years ago. It has mellowed and come together with age. Ample fruit, moderate acidity, light earthiness. Drinks well and held up on the second day.
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12/7/2020 - azb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not profound but lovely. Starting to show some bottle age but I think it will still be good for a couple years. Needs airing. Great dinner wine.
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9/6/2020 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby red in color. Lovely aromas of candied red berries, florals, hint of forest floor. Silky in mouth showing sweet crushed raspberries and cherries, hint of savory spice, medium acidity, no tannins and a medium finish. Nothing spectacular, just great QPR.
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5/22/2020 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light translucent ruby red. Wonderful aromas of red berry candy, spice, hint of forest floor and florals. Spicy sweet cherries/raspberries dominate the palate with medium acidity, and a long perfumed finish. Excellent QPR.
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12/3/2019 - VlgJeff wrote: 89 Points
Needs at least a 30 minute slo-ox to open. A medium bodied wine with cherry as the predominant fruit, with balancing acidity. There is also a good dose of spice, some earth and minerality, and mostly integrated tannins. Should hold for at least a couple of years.
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11/15/2019 - Cmarek83 wrote:
Earthy, light. Let breathe for a while and mellowed our. Sam really liked
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8/31/2019 - jschnabel wrote: 90 Points
A very easy sipping wine that was most enjoyable on a late summer evening. Tart cherry comes through with a little bit of spice. The light body makes it very easy to drink and the wine is showing quite well now.
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7/8/2019 - depdoc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherries all the way. Light in weight, good fruit and absent tannins. Excellent QPR.
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6/4/2019 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Much like Burgundy so with the US the Producer matters a lot when it comes to Pinot.
Albeit new world Pinot is not our style of wine in Calera we found a producer that can deliver. Granted this is an entry level of wine so it is a bit less concentrated and a bit more on the sweeter side, good cherry fell, soft smoky at times, light spice. Medium bodied wine , good 89
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1/27/2019 - glou.sf Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Rather disappointing, quite harsh upfront with sweet berries coming through at the end. There are better wines for $25.
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10/20/2018 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light ruby red. Aromas of candied berries, forest floor and hint of violets. Light to medium bodied shows sweet red berries, medium (-) acidity, no evidence of tannins and a perfumed and spicy finish. Always consistent QPR and such an easy quaff.
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10/14/2018 - gresch wrote: 87 Points
Definitely Pinot, definitely California. I opened this up for a party (where I wasn't drinking). It was fine, but not exciting enough to make me pour a glass for myself. This didn't have the tannins for the last half-glass to hold up into the evening. It was still drinkable, but starting to fall apart as there was less and less in the glass.
For entry level pinot, you can do much worse. Rating this for what it is.
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6/25/2018 - lockestep Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still doing well, best after being open for two hours. On the lighter side, and the flavors are fairly straightforward. But it is a nice example of an entry level Pinot.
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5/15/2018 - marcellevi Likes this wine: 90 Points
90 points. After a couple hours decant, really opens up to a surprisingly full-body for Pinot. Sharp acidity, cherry, blackberry, crisp finish.
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3/30/2018 - Michel A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bu avec Nadia et Brendan. Très bon.
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2/23/2018 - odegaard wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/27/2018 - PIntag wrote: 89 Points
Ripe and rich CA Pinot. Not a wine for a Burgophile, but should please a wide range of palates. While not my favorite, I can enjoy Pinot in this style as well as Burg, OR, and lower octane CA versions. It's well made in this style and not overdone, though there was a slight roasted, toasty oak note on the finish that I'm not very fond of.
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12/16/2017 - Oberhau wrote: 89 Points
A bit heavier than expected, but exhibits an unmistakable pinot character in the nose and on the palette. Just not quite as distinctive as other Calera offerings.
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11/23/2017 - CMN wrote: 70 Points
Indistinct tart red fruit that seems to dissipate in the mouth before the swallow. Short finish. Completely forgettable.
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11/11/2017 - 554405 wrote:
Light bodied
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11/1/2017 - WetRock wrote:
A nice basic Pinot. Probably a step up from cheaper wines in terms of overall build. This speaks vaguely of the Central Coast. The blend includes something like 8-10 vineyards. Some prominent locations that I did not know Calera purchased from. Pretty good for the money. Enough acidity to make it work. On the lean side and not picked too late. Solid.
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10/20/2017 - Lsqrd1964 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank this at dinner with a grilled steak in Brussels with family. Lovely cherry and spicy fruit. Intense and structured but a bit soft around the edges - something which the single vineyard pinot don’t have. Lovely wine, I could drink this every day.
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10/10/2017 - Echodog wrote: 89 Points
Lots of earthy aromas with a nice splash of red fruits and soda ash. I’ve had better California Pinots but this has a very good quality to price ratio. You can drink this any day of the week and enjoy a good wine with many styles of meals.
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9/30/2017 - daffydahl Does not like this wine:
Bara för mycket, opersonlig endimensionell ekplanka.lite bättre efter 2 kastrulleringar. Väldigt långt ifrån Bourgogne. Påminner mer om Petite syrah. Löjlig prissättning.
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8/31/2017 - sunnylea57 Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Why does so much Cali Pinot have offputting stewed strawberry and/or cherry cola notes? Not a fan.
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8/17/2017 - signotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very tasty. And better on the second night.
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8/17/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Nicely balanced. You can tell that it's pinot noir and not some bottled super-ripe-fruit effort. Good value, too.
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7/21/2017 - lockestep Likes this wine: 90 Points
For entry level Pinot this one is hard to beat. Juicy nose, red fruit spectrum on palate, medium finish. Not a wine to contemplate over an evening, but not designed to do so. Handled grilled lamb chops well, and fine by itself. Good QPR.
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6/10/2017 - suilesor25 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Red fruit, strawberry and raspberry, but with a little bit of a sharp edge. Not unpleasant, but not as pleasant as some others I have tried.
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5/10/2017 - NineteenEightyTwo wrote: 87 Points
Medium-translucent crimson color. New world nose of sweet spices, a touch of vanilla, and some dry leather aromas. This has a rich and juicy palate of languid black fruit potpourri, and perfume, with a lingering sweet note of vanilla. I could have gone for a bit less oak on this one but, for $25, you could do a lot worse in the Pinot Noir category.
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5/5/2017 - KVM wrote:
a very good glass of generous pinot fruit.
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4/23/2017 - Ultimatewinekick_Andreas wrote: 89 Points
This is a nice “base Pinot Noir” with both red and black fruit, where cranberries dominate, and some herbal notes both on nose and palate. Nice and mouthwatering acidity that give some energy to the wine and we get a fine grained tannic structure.
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3/20/2017 - Bax62 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cherry fruit and a little earthiness. Light to medium bodied.
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2/26/2017 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
Very well balanced and nuanced with campfire, tea, spiced berry and root and stone. Easy drinking and well made
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1/29/2017 - ocwineo Likes this wine: 88 Points
Well balanced good fruit complex great value
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1/28/2017 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherry, cedar, roses and blackberries on the nose; very well balanced with a lovely mouthfeel for a Pinot; not thin or overly acidic
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1/5/2017 - Tahoebrad Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little thin and light, but nice acidity and good flavor.
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1/3/2017 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smoky, fresh dig beet root, ripe cherry and wild strawberry nose. Ripe, medium bodied palate with good acidity and balancing bitterness. Flavorful, juicy finish. One of the better Californian Pinots I've sampled in a long time.
Best if open in a decanter for a while.
4/5
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12/17/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 90 Points
As expected a nice solid bottle of wine with lots of red ripe fruit a complex fragrance with floral and light spice notes. Nice texture and mouth feel and a complex finish with fruit and spices. great with a savory and lightly spicy, cajun roasted chicken.
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12/3/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Good QPR
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11/28/2016 - Reblin Likes this wine: 88 Points
Serviceable but uninspired, which is not how I usually describe a Calera wine. A blend from multiple vineyards, the wine lacks distinctive character.
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11/25/2016 - IvanKrazy wrote: 88 Points
A bit unidimensional. Red fruit on the nose although not super defined.
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11/24/2016 - Bax62 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Aromas of berries and tea. More Burgundian than the usual Cali Pinot. Needed about an hour in glass to really open up and show well. Nice for the price.
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11/18/2016 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Light medium red color; savory, cranberry, tart red fruit nose; tasty, savory, cranberry, tart red fruit palate with good balancing acidity; needs 2-3 years; medium-plus finish
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11/7/2016 - kamp82 wrote: 92 Points
As always a true pleasure to drink. Nothing terribly complex about this wine, if anything it is a crowd pleaser par excellence. But the balance and length here is stunning. The wine never loses focus and the aftertaste goes on. You keep reaching for another sip. It's what you want in a US pinot.
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10/26/2016 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
Very solid cali pinot with indeed good burg qualities. We like this wine. It is alwaus good just a bit straightforward. Good color nose and fruit. This needs another your in the bottle
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10/24/2016 - alabunka wrote: 86 Points
This was too tannic when opened for sipping - it was very good when served with grilled thin sausage/(kabanos) while tailgating at a Jets game - so it worked in that respect - but not as a stand alone pinot noir - perhaps its too young - and the depth and balance of this wine was underwhelming - given the anticipation ....
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9/22/2016 - swade wrote: 91 Points
Light red color. Rather glossy. Smells like raspberry tea, with some faint loam. This evokes flavors of fresh forest raspberries, wth that wee bit of tart. There is a pleasant lingering black tea accent on the back end. Some light sour. This is a wine of finesse. This is Dujac Morey St. Denis comes to America. 91
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9/12/2016 - SMZ wrote: 90 Points
For $24 a bottle, this is an excellent value. I'd highly recommend this for everyday drinking.
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9/5/2016 - whits Likes this wine: 90 Points
Raspberry, spices and forest on the nose, bright acidity, cola, cherries, spice, raspberry and mineral flavors, great food pn, had with turkey, gravy and mushroom stuffing, nicely balanced, the mid palate is incredibly refreshing, always a treat every vintage
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8/24/2016 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ruby in color, this wine reveals strawberry, raspberry, rose petals and sassafras on the nose. The mouth feel is medium bodied with added elements of cherry compote and baking spices. The finish is complex and long with copious levels of fruit that intertwine with the acidity and keep the 14.1% abv well in the background.
Purchased for $16US/375ml, this is a seriously good offering that offers excellent value. It was a superb pairing with my crab cake dinner alone tonight.
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6/25/2016 - floydtp wrote: 91 Points
Tasted non-blind in a curated lineup of 20 wines at a wine bar. Wine #9. Very bright strawberry nose. More strawberries on the palate along with rubber and oak. Medium plus length finish that ends with some oak. Medium plus acidity.
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