Took some time to open up. Dried bing cherry with notes of sage and white pepper. More nuanced vegetable notes than expected. Wine is past its peak but seemed to still hold its own. Highly enjoyable still, on its way down, but still near the top of that hill.
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It has been five years since my last bottle of this, and I think I missed the window. Upon opening (unscrewing), the first glass was dull, flat and uninteresting. Slight red fruit aromas with a hint of earthiness. With some air, the wine gained a bit of depth and complexity, but never seemed to open up. Decent wine, but didn't reach the greatness a Shea Vineyard wine can reach.
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Liked this much more than the previous bottle. Dark red cherry, brooding almost. Lipsmacking acidity, nice pinot core and freshness. Has Brian's signature on it in that the fruit really shines. Nicely done.
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Dark red color. Smells pinot on the nose, but mainly cherries and there is a bit of alcohol as well. Dominant cherries with some earth and spice on the palate. Early on it was a little candied, but (this bottle was consumed over 8 hours) this note disappeared. Finish is slightly clipped with a touch of grapefruit pith. But the fruit on the palate is delicious! I really liked this bottle of wine and am vacillating on whether it is very good or excellent. How about: Very Good to Excellent
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14.0% alcohol. Still as pretty as ever. Black cherry color. Lovely nose of blackberry, black cherry, and minerals, with a touch of spice. In the mouth, round but not too lush. Excellent balance. Very drinkable. Good acidity. Solid finish. So enjoyable and tasty. A-
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14.0% alcohol. This was surprisingly pretty and showing very well. Dark red color. Beautiful bouquet that is still slightly restrained, with black cherry, blackberry, rich earth, and minerals. In the mouth, elegant and balanced, with juicy and terrific black cherry fruit, an earthy streak, and slightly chalky minerality surrounding the acidity. Long finish with a touch of oak and tannin. A really well-made wine. A-
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This was my last bottle, and I think I probably should have drank it sooner. The nose of red and dark berries is beautiful, but on the palate, there is just not a whole lot going on.
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Not worth the tariff in this case. Cherries on the palate, followed by the typical Oregon forest floor, but then turned into a cherry jolly rancher. Didn't hold it's own with a turkey dish that we prepared. Tasted twice with similar notes over the last year, just not out style. Drink up, it's not going to get better.
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Very aromatic on the nose. On the palate it was very pleasant with rich strawberries and tart cherries. A very enjoyable wine with lots of layers to it. Other wines perhaps had more wow factor this evening, but this was very good but in a different style. Ready to drink now... not sure it'll keep for the long term.
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Disappointing for a Shea Pinot...lovely nose that was more reminiscent to me of a Sonoma/Sonoma Coast pinot than Oregon, with more fruit and less earth, but not especially complex. A bright, red almost candied cherry quality to the nose, only a hint of spice or earth. In the mouth, I thought it lacked the balance and length (and earthy quality) that makes good Oregon pinots so special...and yet it didn't quite measure up to Sonoma juice either. This wine may need a little more time to unwind - there's a dark, dark core to it that give the finish some real rough edges - but even a day later the wine hasn't softened or smoothed out in any way that I would say makes it much better. Sigh...I had high hopes for this one. Nothing offensive, to be sure, but not $45 worth of wine, either.
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A bit disappointing as I have come to expect more from Shea Vineyard Pinots. This delivered the desired barnyard/earthy component in the nose and mouth but the purity/clarity of the fruit was not a pronounced as I expected. Good but not great.
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Disappointment on this one. Fruit was okay (red, cherry), but no depth or complexity. Nose had some spice, lots of cherry and a bit of dirt, but was muted.
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Light to medium garnet in color. Nose of earthy cherry with a bit of mushroom quality. Nicely ripe flavors although highly structured and a bit tight. A bit of a dissapointment given the Loring connection.
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Not decanted. Lots of cherry on the nose and palate. Also a hint of mushroom/earth, especially on the nose adding a positive interest. Decent acidity making it a good pairing with our dinner.
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Opened not decanted. Cherry on the nose; seems somewhat subdued on the palate, showing a restrained light cherry fruit. They must have used a lot of oak as the tannins are drying, more than the average PN. Right now, it's a Fair drinker and would go better with food, and not for just sitting around pecking like a pigeon at the computer on a Sunday afternoon...
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much better than the last bottle, completely different. there was some earth/dirt, cola and dark cherry. it was also a little dusty. It didn't hit my expectation of Shea fruit, but this was a better wine all around than before.
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Very dense fruit although red in profile. Sticky and medicinal, the longer you taste it the more syrupy it feels, then it's like licking a wine-flavored candy cane.
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Second favorite of the Pali Pinots, definitely highlights the Shea fruit well. Nice bright red fruits like strawberry, cranberry meld into the fold alongside some cola. Will be better in a couple years, but has engaging acidity and nice balance now.
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My second bottle of Pali, and one of the more interesting Pinots to come out of the whole Central Coast Pinot explosion. Of course they had to use Oregon fruit to do it, but that's ok. Lots of focused red fruits as well as a much more expressive earthy component than in most of these new era Pinots. There's also a bit of transparency to the wine instead of just a hulking mass of fruit. The flavors are well balanced, and the alcohol is not the least bit intrusive. This is very well done. It also feeds my growing belief that I prefer domestic Pinots made with Oregon fruit to Central Coast wines.
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Had this before heading out to old monk. Twist and poured. Medium ruby color. Red berry fruit along with an herbal/forest floor note on the nose. Medium bodied with plenty of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and a hint of cranberry along with mild tannin. Bright acidity adds freshness to the wine, which never came across as over ripe or hot.
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This was not my favorite Shea. Definitely has the cherry nose, but was sort of one dimensional. Still has quite a bit of tartness. Maybe in a few years, but this was my only bottle.
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Really bright cherries right when it was opened and a little sweetness, maybe a little bit of earth. after about 20 mintues there was a confectioner's sugar aspect that really sent it over the top. after a few hours it still was cloying with the sweetness although ti seemed like there was more to be had underneath.
not what i was expecting from Oregon and Shea. still have another so we will let that sit for a long while and wait and see.
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11/26/2017 - TooMuchWine75 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Took some time to open up. Dried bing cherry with notes of sage and white pepper. More nuanced vegetable notes than expected. Wine is past its peak but seemed to still hold its own. Highly enjoyable still, on its way down, but still near the top of that hill.
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1/8/2014 - stufis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened to rich floral notes and blackberry flavors on the long finish. Refused to fade over the two next nites. Huge win.
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12/19/2012 - Cow Town wrote: 87 Points
It has been five years since my last bottle of this, and I think I missed the window. Upon opening (unscrewing), the first glass was dull, flat and uninteresting. Slight red fruit aromas with a hint of earthiness. With some air, the wine gained a bit of depth and complexity, but never seemed to open up. Decent wine, but didn't reach the greatness a Shea Vineyard wine can reach.
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9/5/2011 - btock wrote: 89 Points
Liked this much more than the previous bottle. Dark red cherry, brooding almost. Lipsmacking acidity, nice pinot core and freshness. Has Brian's signature on it in that the fruit really shines. Nicely done.
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4/29/2011 - vinovin Likes this wine: 88 Points
High acidity. Beautiful terroir-Oregon. Lingering bright fruit notes. Shea-have found produces wine slightly below 90pts.
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1/12/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 87 Points
Bright aromas and finish to this wine. Just a little subdued. Very old world in style.
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12/22/2010 - tomandlu wrote:
No notes. Ripe, rather deep and pleasant. Not special
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9/6/2010 - Brsed wrote: 90 Points
Screw cap. Dark in color. Wonderfully expressive nose with red fruits and minerals. Bright cherry taste with a crisp acidity. Not flabby by any means.
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6/12/2010 - btock wrote: 87 Points
Straight forward, would like a bit more smokiness overall in the nose. Unremarkable, but technically correct.
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1/16/2010 - theRealPepe wrote:
Dark red color. Smells pinot on the nose, but mainly cherries and there is a bit of alcohol as well. Dominant cherries with some earth and spice on the palate. Early on it was a little candied, but (this bottle was consumed over 8 hours) this note disappeared. Finish is slightly clipped with a touch of grapefruit pith. But the fruit on the palate is delicious! I really liked this bottle of wine and am vacillating on whether it is very good or excellent. How about: Very Good to Excellent
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11/12/2009 - BonnieM wrote:
This bottle showed an improvement, light fruit but nicely integrated. Easy drinking and enjoyable now.
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2/17/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
14.0% alcohol. Still as pretty as ever. Black cherry color. Lovely nose of blackberry, black cherry, and minerals, with a touch of spice. In the mouth, round but not too lush. Excellent balance. Very drinkable. Good acidity. Solid finish. So enjoyable and tasty. A-
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1/17/2009 - BonnieM wrote:
This was disappointing, very light and not much going on. Seemed flat and one dimensional. I hope my other three bottles show better.
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12/10/2008 - gutt22 wrote:
14.0% alcohol. This was surprisingly pretty and showing very well. Dark red color. Beautiful bouquet that is still slightly restrained, with black cherry, blackberry, rich earth, and minerals. In the mouth, elegant and balanced, with juicy and terrific black cherry fruit, an earthy streak, and slightly chalky minerality surrounding the acidity. Long finish with a touch of oak and tannin. A really well-made wine. A-
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8/25/2008 - pjhr wrote: 87 Points
Very good, but a bit disjointed since the last bottle.
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6/15/2008 - mdaniel wrote: 87 Points
This was my last bottle, and I think I probably should have drank it sooner. The nose of red and dark berries is beautiful, but on the palate, there is just not a whole lot going on.
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5/31/2008 - mdaniel wrote: 86 Points
Good, but over priced for the quality. Nice berry aromas, but the palate is almost one dimensional. The 2005 Pali Inman was much better.
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5/18/2008 - pjhr wrote: 89 Points
Earthy and red berry aromas with dark cherries on the palate. Pleasant acidity and tannins on the finish. Lacks complexity.
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2/14/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 86 Points
Good, but clearly not as good as Brian's LWC for some reason (and, thus, overpriced).
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12/31/2007 - atun53 wrote: 85 Points
Not worth the tariff in this case. Cherries on the palate, followed by the typical Oregon forest floor, but then turned into a cherry jolly rancher. Didn't hold it's own with a turkey dish that we prepared. Tasted twice with similar notes over the last year, just not out style. Drink up, it's not going to get better.
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12/30/2007 - Old_Winyards wrote: 91 Points
Very aromatic on the nose. On the palate it was very pleasant with rich strawberries and tart cherries. A very enjoyable wine with lots of layers to it. Other wines perhaps had more wow factor this evening, but this was very good but in a different style. Ready to drink now... not sure it'll keep for the long term.
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12/7/2007 - BikrDave wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing for a Shea Pinot...lovely nose that was more reminiscent to me of a Sonoma/Sonoma Coast pinot than Oregon, with more fruit and less earth, but not especially complex. A bright, red almost candied cherry quality to the nose, only a hint of spice or earth. In the mouth, I thought it lacked the balance and length (and earthy quality) that makes good Oregon pinots so special...and yet it didn't quite measure up to Sonoma juice either. This wine may need a little more time to unwind - there's a dark, dark core to it that give the finish some real rough edges - but even a day later the wine hasn't softened or smoothed out in any way that I would say makes it much better. Sigh...I had high hopes for this one. Nothing offensive, to be sure, but not $45 worth of wine, either.
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10/23/2007 - tskrueger wrote: 87 Points
Decent pinot...Pretty typical,but nothing exceptional.
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10/20/2007 - GolferChris wrote: 88 Points
A bit disappointing as I have come to expect more from Shea Vineyard Pinots. This delivered the desired barnyard/earthy component in the nose and mouth but the purity/clarity of the fruit was not a pronounced as I expected. Good but not great.
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9/29/2007 - cadamson wrote: 85 Points
Disappointment on this one. Fruit was okay (red, cherry), but no depth or complexity. Nose had some spice, lots of cherry and a bit of dirt, but was muted.
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9/26/2007 - air guitar & pinot noir wrote: 88 Points
Light to medium garnet in color. Nose of earthy cherry with a bit of mushroom quality. Nicely ripe flavors although highly structured and a bit tight. A bit of a dissapointment given the Loring connection.
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8/19/2007 - aes0300 wrote: 90 Points
Not decanted. Nose of smokey cherries and a little forrest stuff. Tons of BBQed cherries on the palate, nice balance and finish.
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8/12/2007 - thomaskeil wrote: 88 Points
Not decanted. Lots of cherry on the nose and palate. Also a hint of mushroom/earth, especially on the nose adding a positive interest. Decent acidity making it a good pairing with our dinner.
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8/5/2007 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
Wally's Central Coast Tasting: Slightly sweet; Good depth; Good finish
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7/15/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Cherry on the nose; seems somewhat subdued on the palate, showing a restrained light cherry fruit. They must have used a lot of oak as the tannins are drying, more than the average PN. Right now, it's a Fair drinker and would go better with food, and not for just sitting around pecking like a pigeon at the computer on a Sunday afternoon...
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7/13/2007 - AlexRed wrote: 88 Points
much better than the last bottle, completely different. there was some earth/dirt, cola and dark cherry. it was also a little dusty. It didn't hit my expectation of Shea fruit, but this was a better wine all around than before.
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7/4/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 71 Points
Very dense fruit although red in profile. Sticky and medicinal, the longer you taste it the more syrupy it feels, then it's like licking a wine-flavored candy cane.
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6/26/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Not Decanted.
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5/21/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 90 Points
Second favorite of the Pali Pinots, definitely highlights the Shea fruit well. Nice bright red fruits like strawberry, cranberry meld into the fold alongside some cola. Will be better in a couple years, but has engaging acidity and nice balance now.
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4/25/2007 - Rieslingfan wrote:
My second bottle of Pali, and one of the more interesting Pinots to come out of the whole Central Coast Pinot explosion. Of course they had to use Oregon fruit to do it, but that's ok. Lots of focused red fruits as well as a much more expressive earthy component than in most of these new era Pinots. There's also a bit of transparency to the wine instead of just a hulking mass of fruit. The flavors are well balanced, and the alcohol is not the least bit intrusive. This is very well done. It also feeds my growing belief that I prefer domestic Pinots made with Oregon fruit to Central Coast wines.
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4/18/2007 - Crackers wrote: 89 Points
Had this before heading out to old monk. Twist and poured. Medium ruby color. Red berry fruit along with an herbal/forest floor note on the nose. Medium bodied with plenty of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and a hint of cranberry along with mild tannin. Bright acidity adds freshness to the wine, which never came across as over ripe or hot.
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2/22/2007 - ErichZ wrote: 88 Points
This was not my favorite Shea. Definitely has the cherry nose, but was sort of one dimensional. Still has quite a bit of tartness. Maybe in a few years, but this was my only bottle.
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12/31/2006 - AlexRed wrote: 84 Points
Really bright cherries right when it was opened and a little sweetness, maybe a little bit of earth.
after about 20 mintues there was a confectioner's sugar aspect that really sent it over the top.
after a few hours it still was cloying with the sweetness although ti seemed like there was more to be had underneath.
not what i was expecting from Oregon and Shea. still have another so we will let that sit for a long while and wait and see.
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12/24/2006 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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5/10/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Barrel sample
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