Thanks to Mike for a taste of this wine, nose of sweet and sour fruit, same on the palate, medium body, fully mature, tasty, slightly tired but nice fruit, almost mouth filling, and a medium/long finish, photo uploaded.
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Medium red color, immediate earthy cherry nose upon opening, intense cherry and cranberry fruit, slight acidity, long finish. Very nice wine even the next morning after sitting open on counter. Served with grilled pork chops.
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5 years since my last and while this has developed do I like it more? This is a question I have asked myself allot and the answer is I am not sure, there’s an elegance with dried cherry and cranberries, some stone (though only hints and not as prevalent as before) palate has lost a little vibrancy, and the finish did not feel as long still a nice wine but my expectations may have played a part
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Really delicious and seems like it is really at a peak. Deep red fruits with real sap and lots of meadowy herbs and flowers. This really pulls off the neat trick of Burgundian texture with CA fruit. I'll try to keep my hands off the reds for 5-6 years after release from now on out as this seemed like it was the best version of itself.
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Dinner with Friends (Bite Cafe, Chicago): Served alongside the 2012 WesMar Hellenthal. Whereas the WesMar was light and red-fruited, this shows the bigger darker pinot fruit profile. Still an elegant wine by California standards, with the aforementioned dark pinot fruit and spice, licorice and macerated berry tones. This was a slightly better match for the duck breast. 91-92 pts.
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Certainly in the elegant side of Pinot Noir, which I like. The acidity was the dominant component here. Red fruit tries to peak through the curtain with a touch of herbs and some minerality. This wine was tight as a drum. Fortunately, the food brought this wine into balance.
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This one was not in my wheelhouse, just way too thin and unexciting-it seems to me they were trying for the intellectual side of Pinot but missed the mark and simply created a watered down wine.
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PnP. Paired with salmon. Not much on the nose. This has very nice pure fruit, but monolithic and no complexity. Suppose you could sit on this for several more years to see how it develops.
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I was underwhelmed by the first glass+, with a typical/classic Sonoma aroma profile just feeling past its prime and underpowered with a medium-minus finish. However, it beefed itself up nicely while remaining relatively elegant, if simple, for the price point. 90-91
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Better than the last bottle 2.5 years ago. Still some salinity but the fruit is more prominent. I’ll hold my last bottle a few more years to see if there’s further development. I haven’t had any other Ceritas PNs other than the 2012s, but I think Ceritas’ strength is their chards.
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Opened but not decanted about three hours prior to tasting. This showed more upon opening than later in the tasting. The remains of the bottle were recorked and tasted again the next day. What a difference with some of the typical orange zest, tea and spiciness, along with red fruits on both the palate and nose. Not sure why this shut down after opening. Score reflects day one and day two average.
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My first Ceritas single vineyard. Beautiful balance of fruit and acid all at 12.5% alcohol. Cherry pit, florals, minerals, and licorice. Light as a feather.
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drinking beautifully now. I didn't take detailed notes, but the flavors of bitter cherry and menthol were pure and bright, elegant. Plenty of time, so will save last bottle.
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Cherry pit and underbrush lead the way like a premier cru red burgundy. Good acidity and mouth feel. Finishes with a nice touch of minerality. Elegant style of Pinot Noir that enjoy.
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Pretty nose of earth, red fruit, spices. Dry palate of earthy minerality, very tart cherry, great acid balance. Good with food, medium+ length. Powerful wine, but slightly lacking in fruit and richness. I wonder how this will age.
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Medium purple color, with citrus and strawberry on the nose. The palate shows bright red fruit, citrus, and mineral notes. Long, crisp finish. Very nice, with no signs of age.
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With sweet and tangy grilled pork chops and baked squash. Light garnet, a pretty wine. Cherry, a bit of alcohol, a little floral. Very consistent to last bottle. A good wine, but not with the expected depth of flavor. 90 points is certainly not bad, but I was hoping for more. It has not improved over the course of the last two years.
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never really did much for me. Tart, and red fruited. Quite pure and fresh on the palate but the finish was clipped and short. Should have more complexity at this price point.
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2012 Ceritas Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA. 12.5% abv. This was a dark crimson color and semi-opaque. On the nose I am picking up woody fragrance, cola and bitter cherry. My first impression is that this has herbal notes overriding the fruity aspects. I do find a little cranberry. It finishes with a tannic note. Not my favorite wine from Ceritas; I gravitate more to their Chardonnays. I am going on current impression; it may improve with one to three more years.
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Had this over 2 of 3 nights. Tight, young, complex and a bit too restrained to my liking, even after 3 days. Notes of red berry fruit, notably raspberry and some strawberry, forest floor, mineral, hints of herbs and spices, and a strong earthy essence. Lightly structured with an touch of elegance. Fine grained tannic structure, abundant acidity and ends with a clean moderate finish. Wait another 3 or so years for next one.
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Bright, full and focused aromatic of red cherry, florals, spice with a light herb note. Lighter body but so full of red cherries with lifting, taut acidity. The flavor intensity-to-body ratio is off the charts here -- with so much delicious flavor/depth/intensity emanating from a light bodied wine. Terrific -- excited to see how this ages and what complexity the wine develops with time.
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Pop and pour and served with food (Thai pork fried rice and beef with rice noodles, in case you were wondering). Fresh raspberries. Light in color but full of flavor. Warm fresh red berries on the palate with a sprinkling of lemon juice. Nice citrus notes that keep this wine light and inviting. Quite enjoyable.
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12.5% abv. Very pretty burgundy red with moderate expressive aromas. This is a taught, lively and nuanced Pinot, medium depth and length, with lively red fruit flavors.
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Very light and Burgundian. A gentle, tip-toeing wine on its own, but really shows its character with food. Bright red fruit: cherries and strawberries and cranberries. Acid integrates well. Low alcohol. Light bodied. Interesting and different from our norm. Obviously well done. This is a score to our tastes. Imagine this scores much higher for those who prefer a Burgundy style of Pinot.
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Given 4hrs of air. A shy tightly wound wine. Great core of dark cherry fruit with a refreshing brightness. Finishes clean and refreshing but more simple than expected. Approachable now, but hopefully it will fill out some with time.
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Courtesy of tlv. Aromas of cherry, clay, dried herbs and white currants, picking up a pine resin note after some time in the glass. Well-balanced and elegant featuring black cherry, forest floor and warm spice tones on the palate. Lengthy finish.
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Medium dark garnet in color, starts with a mild nose of turned earth, than dark, dried cherry on the palate, very pure, with lovely rounded acidity and fine but firm tannins. Somewhat brooding and backward at this early stage, but the depth of flavor and tannic structure suggest this could age for a long time.
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Been on a ceritas kick - really enjoy the Hellenthal Pinot. It sure is fun to compare the different vineyards as the style all SEEMS the same, but the fruit makes for such dramatically different wines. This skews darker within Ceritas's Pinot offerings but compared to most cali pinot is very light. This will definitely evolve more in bottle and is worth waiting for at least 3-5 years before opening another.
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12.5% abv. Transparent burgundy red. Exceptionally expressive red fruit aromas. On the palate, raspberry, cinnamon, red cherry and spice. Great balance and depth, lingering aftertaste. Excellent!
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Wow. This was my first Ceritas pinot from this vineyard and it might be my favorite. Some of the purest, fresh red fruit notes I have smelled on a pinot in a while. Just beautiful, fresh raspberry, strawberry and cranberry notes mixed with sweet spices, a bit of earth and a touch of forest floor. Stellar nose. Similar flavors on the palate with a real delicious factor but in a pure fruit way. You can barely tell this wine saw any oak and at under 13% abv, it is juicy and fresh but not thin and light by any means. This was really great and I am mad I only had one bottle of this!
Opened, not decanted. Somewhat shy but very pleasing aromas of citrus, rose petal, and red fruits. The palate shows flavors of bright red cherries and strawberries followed by hints of orange peel and a mineral note. The flavors are supported by fresh, bracing acidity, complimentary tannins, and a lingering finish. Delicious. Cellar or lengthy decant at this point.
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With pork tenderloin in onion/apple cream sauce and roasted green beans. Clear medium ruby. Lovely aromatic nose, cherry and some floral notes. Very smooth on the palate, medium body with balanced acid, cherry and some dusty earthiness as noted by Emark. Good finish. A lovely wine, but for the price I expected it to bring a bit more sensuality to the dance.
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Dull red color with a fair amount of light coming through. Nose of red fruit but also some dusty earthiness. Initial flavors are of candied red fruit—cherry or strawberry. That fades to a hint of minerality. Reasonable acid perks things up. Medium bodied. Fairly short finish. Actually, this is the kind of red wine that could easily be a summer sipper.
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I opened this bottle and gave it 4 hour decant. In retrospect, that was too little time. The wine provided a nice window into what I suspect will be better in 3-5 years' time. Tart cranberry, orange rind and cherry notes with ample, non-piercing acidity. The tannins were crunchy and went along well. The nose is of the delicate, floral, feminine variety.
If opening now, I would double decant and return to bottle for at least 1 day and perhaps 2-3. My first Ceritas Pinot.
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After opening, we decanted the wine for about 45 minutes. Lovely mix of fruit with gentle spices and pepper on the palate. The fruit was a meld of strawberry and cherry. A wonderful pinot noir!
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Compared to Escarpa this just isn't hitting as well right now. Lots of strawberry on the nose and on the palate with moderate acidity and not as long of a finish. Still a really good bottle and I enjoy it but there just is something lacking here compared to Escarpa. Maybe time will change that for both....will find out a year from now....
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This followed the Kutch Sonoma Coast in the tasting, and as it was notably lighter in body and more focused on its acids, there was a bit of a letdown. I look back to the prior bottle of this wine, and my notes were pretty consistent - red fruit, acid, elegance. It just got stuck in a tough place.
Opened, but not decanted at Ruxbin with dinner. Open for approximately 30 minutes before drinking. Very tight initially, but love the elegant red fruit and excellent balance. Let these sleep for a few or give a healthy decant.
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Beautiful and elegant for California PN. As others have noted, there is a salinity and minerality on the palate and a beautifully balanced acidity that makes the palate both linear and precise, more so than many Cali PN. The nose is of rich red fruit, but beyond that a bit simple. Ibwas hoping for more aromatic lift, but that's my fault for baby-killing. Two more bottles and don't let me open them for 5-7yr!
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This is quite good - a cornucopia of red fruits on the nose plus a saline/mineral component that pushes this into the "having real complexity and character" territory. There are some spices on the nose, but not barrel spices as much as pinot fruit spices. This is clean, refreshing (good acid) and should age spectacularly. Too bad the price point is pushing it a bit...
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Drank with the 2012 Escarpa Incredibly feminine and silky Doesn't give up much on the nose Palate is tasty but a hint lean Finishes longer than the Escarpa Probably great with fish (light enough for even sushi) Both excellent bottles, just depends on what you're in the mood for
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Feel this was among the best California pinots I have had! Notes of clear fresh red berry fruit, with saline, spice and rock under tones, palate has amazing intensity and focus, with the same red berry core prevailing throughout, acidity is on the higher side keeping those fruit flavours exciting, vibrant and fresh
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Fine, elegant and also ripe red fruit is framed by bright, balanced acids. Not much of any tannic spine to this wine, so it's quite easy to drink. Very refreshing.
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This wine has incredible freshness and lightness, yet real nerve and depth on the palate. Somehow between the own-rooted vines and the coastal climate this manages to clock in at 12.5% with fully ripe fruit. This is incredible stuff, even among the typically excellent Ceritas lineup.
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Extremely light bodied and floral. This is all red fruits; strawberry, raspberry preserves, and watermelon along with clean leather on the nose. The wine takes on quite a bit of weight with extended air time and on the palate you get another heavy dose of dark red fruits that will make you question how it's possible to cram that much depth into such a delicate wine. The acidity on the front (a signature I find in Ceritas wines) and the slightly drying tannins make me think I'll wait a few years before opening the next bottle.
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Definitely the made in a lighter more lithe style. Red fruits and sour cherries. Palate is fairly immediate in style. Good if your in the mood for a refreshing Pinot or something to drink on its own.
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Ceritas (At the winery): very fine indeed with a lot of pinosity, both the purity of the red berries and the earthy funkyness that I love. Has grip and is just gorgeous. The one pinot that has come closest in style to the Thomas pinot noirs which I love more than any other wine.
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Tasting with Phoebe Bass & Ceritas Wines (Santa Rosa): Deep ruby color. Aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, cherry, clay and pine forest with an earthy overtone. Medium- to full-bodied with cherry, licorice, florals and red berries on the palate. Long, balanced finish. Lovely. 93+ pts.
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Tasted at winery with Phoebe. This too was a bit better than I remember from WOW. Love that Hellenthal fruit, be it Ceritas or WesMar. Red fruit profile and elegant balance.
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West of West - Chicago. Big fan of Hellenthal vineyard. This was not as approachable as the Costalina, but still showing beautiful red fruits and nice balance. Easy buy.
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Tasted at WOW. Fairly accessible - cherries and raspberries dominated the nose with sweet spices and a touch of minerality. Medium finish, fine tannins. Very elegant wine. Own rooted clones. Will probably develop nicely with another 1-2 years in bottle, but doesn't need a ton of time and could drink well now.
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Ceritas open house tasting (Ceritas facility, Santa Rosa): Ridge top vineyard of 30 year old own-rooted vines in sandstone and clay. Fifty percent whole cluster. No amount of swirling or aerating the one-ounce tasting portion I had made any difference--I just couldn't seem to coax anything out of this wine so I'm guessing it's shut down for at least the time being (or my senses were temporarily on the blink).
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Falltacular 2014 (FMIII in the OC): Medium garnet color. Nose one this one is great. Graceful wine with a light toast, tart cherry and raspberry. Medium finish. Good good balance. Super wine.
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4/13/2024 - Kloseframe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still alive and kicking. Way too drinkable. Meant to pace this, but basically couldn't put it down.
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5/7/2022 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Thanks to Mike for a taste of this wine, nose of sweet and sour fruit, same on the palate, medium body, fully mature, tasty, slightly tired but nice fruit, almost mouth filling, and a medium/long finish, photo uploaded.
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4/10/2021 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Medium red color, immediate earthy cherry nose upon opening, intense cherry and cranberry fruit, slight acidity, long finish. Very nice wine even the next morning after sitting open on counter. Served with grilled pork chops.
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9/6/2020 - eoinhharkins wrote: 91 Points
5 years since my last and while this has developed do I like it more? This is a question I have asked myself allot and the answer is I am not sure, there’s an elegance with dried cherry and cranberries, some stone (though only hints and not as prevalent as before) palate has lost a little vibrancy, and the finish did not feel as long still a nice wine but my expectations may have played a part
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5/27/2020 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 93 Points
Really delicious and seems like it is really at a peak. Deep red fruits with real sap and lots of meadowy herbs and flowers. This really pulls off the neat trick of Burgundian texture with CA fruit. I'll try to keep my hands off the reds for 5-6 years after release from now on out as this seemed like it was the best version of itself.
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4/30/2020 - jjct Likes this wine:
Pure, beautiful, and relaxed. Tea leaves and jasmine flowers, as Raytek put it.
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4/16/2020 - Nanda wrote:
Drinking as it did on release. Fresh and delicious.
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3/7/2020 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Friends (Bite Cafe, Chicago): Served alongside the 2012 WesMar Hellenthal. Whereas the WesMar was light and red-fruited, this shows the bigger darker pinot fruit profile. Still an elegant wine by California standards, with the aforementioned dark pinot fruit and spice, licorice and macerated berry tones. This was a slightly better match for the duck breast. 91-92 pts.
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2/13/2020 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Has put on some weight and is lovely. Has a deep cherry note running through it that is very appealing.
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2/10/2020 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Certainly in the elegant side of Pinot Noir, which I like. The acidity was the dominant component here. Red fruit tries to peak through the curtain with a touch of herbs and some minerality. This wine was tight as a drum. Fortunately, the food brought this wine into balance.
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2/9/2020 - Stumpy wrote: 87 Points
This one was not in my wheelhouse, just way too thin and unexciting-it seems to me they were trying for the intellectual side of Pinot but missed the mark and simply created a watered down wine.
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11/8/2019 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Red fruit, licorice, and mint on the nose. Cherries and earth on the palate. Brisk acidity and a lingering finish. Tannins are soft. Pretty wine.
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9/18/2019 - BigTex22 wrote:
PnP. Paired with salmon. Not much on the nose. This has very nice pure fruit, but monolithic and no complexity. Suppose you could sit on this for several more years to see how it develops.
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7/4/2019 - silton Likes this wine: 91 Points
I was underwhelmed by the first glass+, with a typical/classic Sonoma aroma profile just feeling past its prime and underpowered with a medium-minus finish. However, it beefed itself up nicely while remaining relatively elegant, if simple, for the price point. 90-91
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6/6/2019 - kcp Likes this wine: 90 Points
2nd bottle this year. Good, certainly, but nothing out of the ordinary.
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3/10/2019 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Better than the last bottle 2.5 years ago. Still some salinity but the fruit is more prominent. I’ll hold my last bottle a few more years to see if there’s further development. I haven’t had any other Ceritas PNs other than the 2012s, but I think Ceritas’ strength is their chards.
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1/26/2019 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday Group (M/M thelostverse): Double blind. Notes of cinnamon, cherry compote and rhubarb. Flavors of rhubarb and warm spices. Nice finish. Guessed 2012 Sonoma pinot.
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1/26/2019 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
Opened but not decanted about three hours prior to tasting. This showed more upon opening than later in the tasting. The remains of the bottle were recorked and tasted again the next day. What a difference with some of the typical orange zest, tea and spiciness, along with red fruits on both the palate and nose. Not sure why this shut down after opening. Score reflects day one and day two average.
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11/23/2018 - winopops3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Screams CA Sonoma coast Pinot. Candied sour cherry and very slight floral element. Nice wine, but not too high on the value scale.
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10/30/2018 - Diane (LI) wrote:
My first Ceritas single vineyard. Beautiful balance of fruit and acid all at 12.5% alcohol. Cherry pit, florals, minerals, and licorice. Light as a feather.
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5/26/2018 - acidqueen wrote: 94 Points
drinking beautifully now. I didn't take detailed notes, but the flavors of bitter cherry and menthol were pure and bright, elegant. Plenty of time, so will save last bottle.
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4/17/2018 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherry pit and underbrush lead the way like a premier cru red burgundy. Good acidity and mouth feel. Finishes with a nice touch of minerality. Elegant style of Pinot Noir that enjoy.
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4/7/2018 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty nose of earth, red fruit, spices. Dry palate of earthy minerality, very tart cherry, great acid balance. Good with food, medium+ length. Powerful wine, but slightly lacking in fruit and richness. I wonder how this will age.
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3/30/2018 - scott davis wrote: 92 Points
Medium purple color, with citrus and strawberry on the nose. The palate shows bright red fruit, citrus, and mineral notes. Long, crisp finish. Very nice, with no signs of age.
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12/12/2017 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
With sweet and tangy grilled pork chops and baked squash.
Light garnet, a pretty wine.
Cherry, a bit of alcohol, a little floral.
Very consistent to last bottle. A good wine, but not with the expected depth of flavor. 90 points is certainly not bad, but I was hoping for more. It has not improved over the course of the last two years.
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12/4/2017 - Jbird73 wrote: 92 Points
Heavy on strawberry on the nose. Really good now.
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10/18/2017 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
1 hour decant.
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8/20/2017 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
never really did much for me. Tart, and red fruited. Quite pure and fresh on the palate but the finish was clipped and short. Should have more complexity at this price point.
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7/7/2017 - wondersofwine Likes this wine:
2012 Ceritas Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA. 12.5% abv. This was a dark crimson color and semi-opaque. On the nose I am picking up woody fragrance, cola and bitter cherry. My first impression is that this has herbal notes overriding the fruity aspects. I do find a little cranberry. It finishes with a tannic note. Not my favorite wine from Ceritas; I gravitate more to their Chardonnays. I am going on current impression; it may improve with one to three more years.
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5/21/2017 - the godfather wrote:
Sexy juice, tons of acid and bright red fruit, tasty for sure
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5/20/2017 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Opened with the Steele's sitting around a bonfire. Not the ideal environment for tasting, but this was still wonderful. See prior notes.
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4/1/2017 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has lost some of its primary fruit appeal, and not yet matured to more complexity, but fresh, elegant, structured and just a great Pinot noir.
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11/14/2016 - BigTex22 wrote: 90 Points
A little salty. Hold.
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8/20/2016 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
Had this over 2 of 3 nights. Tight, young, complex and a bit too restrained to my liking, even after 3 days. Notes of red berry fruit, notably raspberry and some strawberry, forest floor, mineral, hints of herbs and spices, and a strong earthy essence. Lightly structured with an touch of elegance. Fine grained tannic structure, abundant acidity and ends with a clean moderate finish. Wait another 3 or so years for next one.
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8/16/2016 - KenK wrote: 91 Points
Really improved over a few days. Initially hard and lean, opened up nicely. Nice medium body with fresh tense berry cherry and nice spice.
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8/9/2016 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Bright, full and focused aromatic of red cherry, florals, spice with a light herb note. Lighter body but so full of red cherries with lifting, taut acidity. The flavor intensity-to-body ratio is off the charts here -- with so much delicious flavor/depth/intensity emanating from a light bodied wine. Terrific -- excited to see how this ages and what complexity the wine develops with time.
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7/4/2016 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour and served with food (Thai pork fried rice and beef with rice noodles, in case you were wondering).
Fresh raspberries. Light in color but full of flavor. Warm fresh red berries on the palate with a sprinkling of lemon juice. Nice citrus notes that keep this wine light and inviting. Quite enjoyable.
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7/1/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours.
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5/19/2016 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
12.5% abv. Very pretty burgundy red with moderate expressive aromas. This is a taught, lively and nuanced Pinot, medium depth and length, with lively red fruit flavors.
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4/14/2016 - WineGold wrote: 90 Points
Very light and Burgundian. A gentle, tip-toeing wine on its own, but really shows its character with food. Bright red fruit: cherries and strawberries and cranberries. Acid integrates well. Low alcohol. Light bodied. Interesting and different from our norm. Obviously well done. This is a score to our tastes. Imagine this scores much higher for those who prefer a Burgundy style of Pinot.
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4/1/2016 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 91 Points
yummy
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3/27/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Given 4hrs of air. A shy tightly wound wine. Great core of dark cherry fruit with a refreshing brightness. Finishes clean and refreshing but more simple than expected. Approachable now, but hopefully it will fill out some with time.
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2/19/2016 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Opened at Anvil. Opened but not decanted about an hour before dinner. Red fruits with a nice earthiness to it. 93+
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2/19/2016 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Courtesy of tlv. Aromas of cherry, clay, dried herbs and white currants, picking up a pine resin note after some time in the glass. Well-balanced and elegant featuring black cherry, forest floor and warm spice tones on the palate. Lengthy finish.
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12/19/2015 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Consistent with previous bottle. Should have let it open up a bit more because the last few sips were the best.
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10/20/2015 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
Medium dark garnet in color, starts with a mild nose of turned earth, than dark, dried cherry on the palate, very pure, with lovely rounded acidity and fine but firm tannins. Somewhat brooding and backward at this early stage, but the depth of flavor and tannic structure suggest this could age for a long time.
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8/9/2015 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Been on a ceritas kick - really enjoy the Hellenthal Pinot. It sure is fun to compare the different vineyards as the style all SEEMS the same, but the fruit makes for such dramatically different wines. This skews darker within Ceritas's Pinot offerings but compared to most cali pinot is very light. This will definitely evolve more in bottle and is worth waiting for at least 3-5 years before opening another.
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8/7/2015 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine was a bit thin without food but really came to life with dinner. Red rather than blue or purple fruit with firm acidic structure.
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7/30/2015 - JoshuaG wrote:
Too early. Should have known. Wait until mid 2016 at the earliest
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7/26/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
12.5% abv. Transparent burgundy red. Exceptionally expressive red fruit aromas. On the palate, raspberry, cinnamon, red cherry and spice. Great balance and depth, lingering aftertaste. Excellent!
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7/25/2015 - Rich S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. This was my first Ceritas pinot from this vineyard and it might be my favorite. Some of the purest, fresh red fruit notes I have smelled on a pinot in a while. Just beautiful, fresh raspberry, strawberry and cranberry notes mixed with sweet spices, a bit of earth and a touch of forest floor. Stellar nose. Similar flavors on the palate with a real delicious factor but in a pure fruit way. You can barely tell this wine saw any oak and at under 13% abv, it is juicy and fresh but not thin and light by any means. This was really great and I am mad I only had one bottle of this!
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6/15/2015 - scott davis wrote: 93 Points
Opened, not decanted. Somewhat shy but very pleasing aromas of citrus, rose petal, and red fruits. The palate shows flavors of bright red cherries and strawberries followed by hints of orange peel and a mineral note. The flavors are supported by fresh, bracing acidity, complimentary tannins, and a lingering finish. Delicious. Cellar or lengthy decant at this point.
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5/30/2015 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 91 Points
With pork tenderloin in onion/apple cream sauce and roasted green beans.
Clear medium ruby.
Lovely aromatic nose, cherry and some floral notes.
Very smooth on the palate, medium body with balanced acid, cherry and some dusty earthiness as noted by Emark. Good finish.
A lovely wine, but for the price I expected it to bring a bit more sensuality to the dance.
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5/26/2015 - EMark Likes this wine:
Dull red color with a fair amount of light coming through. Nose of red fruit but also some dusty earthiness. Initial flavors are of candied red fruit—cherry or strawberry. That fades to a hint of minerality. Reasonable acid perks things up. Medium bodied. Fairly short finish. Actually, this is the kind of red wine that could easily be a summer sipper.
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4/12/2015 - WG Johns@n Likes this wine: 92 Points
I opened this bottle and gave it 4 hour decant. In retrospect, that was too little time. The wine provided a nice window into what I suspect will be better in 3-5 years' time. Tart cranberry, orange rind and cherry notes with ample, non-piercing acidity. The tannins were crunchy and went along well. The nose is of the delicate, floral, feminine variety.
If opening now, I would double decant and return to bottle for at least 1 day and perhaps 2-3. My first Ceritas Pinot.
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3/20/2015 - newkid17 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tart red fruit, minerals, and tea. Short finish. Seems to be drinking well now.
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3/1/2015 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just loving this wine, notes of briny crushed rocked, fresh red fruit and a fragrent cedar tome, palate is silky, elegant, robust and persistent
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2/11/2015 - cartime Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red cherry, raspberry, baking spice, violets. Nice acidity.
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2/6/2015 - Tetherton Likes this wine: 92 Points
After opening, we decanted the wine for about 45 minutes. Lovely mix of fruit with gentle spices and pepper on the palate. The fruit was a meld of strawberry and cherry. A wonderful pinot noir!
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2/4/2015 - Jbird73 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Compared to Escarpa this just isn't hitting as well right now. Lots of strawberry on the nose and on the palate with moderate acidity and not as long of a finish. Still a really good bottle and I enjoy it but there just is something lacking here compared to Escarpa. Maybe time will change that for both....will find out a year from now....
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1/31/2015 - Rieslingfan wrote:
This followed the Kutch Sonoma Coast in the tasting, and as it was notably lighter in body and more focused on its acids, there was a bit of a letdown. I look back to the prior bottle of this wine, and my notes were pretty consistent - red fruit, acid, elegance. It just got stuck in a tough place.
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1/25/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Opened, but not decanted at Ruxbin with dinner. Open for approximately 30 minutes before drinking. Very tight initially, but love the elegant red fruit and excellent balance. Let these sleep for a few or give a healthy decant.
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1/21/2015 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Wow-really delicious !
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1/13/2015 - doctornoah wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful and elegant for California PN. As others have noted, there is a salinity and minerality on the palate and a beautifully balanced acidity that makes the palate both linear and precise, more so than many Cali PN. The nose is of rich red fruit, but beyond that a bit simple. Ibwas hoping for more aromatic lift, but that's my fault for baby-killing. Two more bottles and don't let me open them for 5-7yr!
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12/26/2014 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is quite good - a cornucopia of red fruits on the nose plus a saline/mineral component that pushes this into the "having real complexity and character" territory. There are some spices on the nose, but not barrel spices as much as pinot fruit spices. This is clean, refreshing (good acid) and should age spectacularly. Too bad the price point is pushing it a bit...
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12/22/2014 - DrewWyman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful
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12/20/2014 - milesdavis wrote:
Drank with the 2012 Escarpa
Incredibly feminine and silky
Doesn't give up much on the nose
Palate is tasty but a hint lean
Finishes longer than the Escarpa
Probably great with fish (light enough for even sushi)
Both excellent bottles, just depends on what you're in the mood for
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12/7/2014 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine:
Feel this was among the best California pinots I have had! Notes of clear fresh red berry fruit, with saline, spice and rock under tones, palate has amazing intensity and focus, with the same red berry core prevailing throughout, acidity is on the higher side keeping those fruit flavours exciting, vibrant and fresh
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12/6/2014 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Fine, elegant and also ripe red fruit is framed by bright, balanced acids. Not much of any tannic spine to this wine, so it's quite easy to drink. Very refreshing.
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11/30/2014 - rm wines Likes this wine:
This wine has incredible freshness and lightness, yet real nerve and depth on the palate. Somehow between the own-rooted vines and the coastal climate this manages to clock in at 12.5% with fully ripe fruit. This is incredible stuff, even among the typically excellent Ceritas lineup.
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11/16/2014 - AFWE Likes this wine:
Extremely light bodied and floral. This is all red fruits; strawberry, raspberry preserves, and watermelon along with clean leather on the nose. The wine takes on quite a bit of weight with extended air time and on the palate you get another heavy dose of dark red fruits that will make you question how it's possible to cram that much depth into such a delicate wine. The acidity on the front (a signature I find in Ceritas wines) and the slightly drying tannins make me think I'll wait a few years before opening the next bottle.
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11/8/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely the made in a lighter more lithe style. Red fruits and sour cherries. Palate is fairly immediate in style. Good if your in the mood for a refreshing Pinot or something to drink on its own.
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7/16/2014 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ceritas (At the winery): very fine indeed with a lot of pinosity, both the purity of the red berries and the earthy funkyness that I love. Has grip and is just gorgeous. The one pinot that has come closest in style to the Thomas pinot noirs which I love more than any other wine.
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5/10/2014 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Tasting with Phoebe Bass & Ceritas Wines (Santa Rosa): Deep ruby color. Aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, cherry, clay and pine forest with an earthy overtone. Medium- to full-bodied with cherry, licorice, florals and red berries on the palate. Long, balanced finish. Lovely. 93+ pts.
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5/10/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at winery with Phoebe. This too was a bit better than I remember from WOW. Love that Hellenthal fruit, be it Ceritas or WesMar. Red fruit profile and elegant balance.
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4/9/2014 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
West of West Wine Festival (City Winery, Chicago, IL): Mineral driven. Black coal elements coupled with savory black truffle. Moderate plus body. Complex finish. Highly recommended.
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4/9/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
West of West - Chicago. Big fan of Hellenthal vineyard. This was not as approachable as the Costalina, but still showing beautiful red fruits and nice balance. Easy buy.
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4/9/2014 - bexleytaylor wrote:
Tasted at WOW. Fairly accessible - cherries and raspberries dominated the nose with sweet spices and a touch of minerality. Medium finish, fine tannins. Very elegant wine. Own rooted clones. Will probably develop nicely with another 1-2 years in bottle, but doesn't need a ton of time and could drink well now.
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4/5/2014 - slanum wrote:
Ceritas open house tasting (Ceritas facility, Santa Rosa): Ridge top vineyard of 30 year old own-rooted vines in sandstone and clay. Fifty percent whole cluster. No amount of swirling or aerating the one-ounce tasting portion I had made any difference--I just couldn't seem to coax anything out of this wine so I'm guessing it's shut down for at least the time being (or my senses were temporarily on the blink).
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2/23/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
Falltacular 2014 (FMIII in the OC): Medium garnet color. Nose one this one is great. Graceful wine with a light toast, tart cherry and raspberry. Medium finish. Good good balance. Super wine.
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